not been in vain

Kit Lauer and pivot people.

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:28:00 -0400

Four years ago, Wednesday, Kit Lauer passed away. He was my mentor, a father figure, and a friend. I think about him every day, just like I do my own father, who is also gone.

To quote a character from one of Wes Anderson’s films, “We’ll never get over it, but it’s okay.”

Kit left a legacy behind in the lives of a staggering amount of people. I was telling a friend today that Kit was a “pivot person.” Literally, when a person came in contact with him, their life course altered. Why did that happen? Kit preached, lived, talked, and breathed the Gospel. That’s not something you could avoid around Kit, and it pivoted the direction of your life.

I have been so blessed in my life to have people who mentored and discipled me. I also quickly discovered, this is a rare thing-I’ve even read several articles warning younger men and women not to expect to have mentors, because there aren’t many people willing to do it. This makes Kit’s legacy even more precious. He was willing. He poured his time, energy, and resources deeply, generously, sacrificially, into the lives of the young men and women around him.

That sounds like somebody to imitate. Paul urges the church at Corinth to:

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Imitating Kit, imitating Christ, I disciple. Most of the people I disciple also disciple others. Those who don’t are encouraged to. Disciples who make disciples is the goal. Great Commission.

But why is the idea of mature men and women pouring out their lives into the generations younger than they are so rare? I know for a fact that it is. There are complex factors involved; generational differences, history, politics, the celebration and inculcation of consumerism into the very fabric of our culture, even Christianity. The very issues that have made it much less likely for the older generation (I’m seeing this as a trend, not in their entirety, there are hopeful pockets) to disciple for whatever reason have led to the younger generation much more open to the idea of being discipled and even discipling, themselves. They don’t look at old people as “the man” trying to keep them down like the now aging “hippie” generation did.

This is both exciting and concerning. Exciting because of the great opportunities involved, concerning that the younger generation won’t benefit from the experience and wisdom of the older generation (for the sake of our purposes here, 50 and up) because the reluctance to steward the gift of wisdom the Lord gave these seasoned saints.

If you are feeling a bit of conviction, don’t be so quick to move it into the guilt column and dismiss it. If you are already discipling, praise the Lord and encourage others to do the same! Let’s honor the memory of Kit, pray for the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of the older generation for the benefit of the body of Christ-to pivot their current direction. That will take a move of God. It can happen, I believe in miracles!

Discipleship?

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:44:57 -0400

A great story from ‘Be the Church,’ by Caesar Kalinowski and Seth McBee. Keeps running through my head, and a good comment at the end of the story on how we as the church, at least here in the West, tend to “disciple.”

“A few more hours and we’ll be finished. You know, I have a love/hate relationship with these yard sales. I love getting rid of our old junk, but it seems like more trouble than it’s worth sometimes. Thanks for coming over to help today. At least we got some time together to catch up, I really appreciate it Jill.”

“No problem. And don’t forget–when we were cleaning out that big closet you found your old violin and music books from high school! That’s pretty cool.”

“I remember when I first was first learning to play the violin. I started by studying music theory. I learned the history of the violin and how they are made. I listened to endless hours of music that was played by accomplished musicians. I listened and studied for two years, but it was all dots on a page to me. And you know what? When I picked up the violin I still could not play it. It just sounded like a series of squawks and squeaks that were horrible and far from being music!”

Jill asked Terri, “Didn’t your teacher require that you actually practice playing the violin along the way? I mean, that is how people learn things, right?”

“Well, we did a few minutes of hands-on stuff each week, like where to place my chin on the violin and certain finger techniques, but I guess he just figured I was practicing it on my own at home or playing for my parents and friends. He said I should, and assigned that as homework, but I had no confidence at all so I rarely practiced or played in front of anyone.”

“But Terri, when you first found your old violin today you opened up the case, tuned that thing up and played me a beautiful song; a little rusty, but clearly you are a very good violinist! What happened? How or when did you really learn to play so well?”

“In my junior year our family moved across town and I had a different music teacher. She not only taught us music theory and how to read the charts, but she gave us a love for the music. She would sit and listen to her favorite recordings with us, pointing out why certain parts were so amazing to her. I fell in love with the violin for the first time. She would also listen to us play and give us encouragement and feedback along the way. She even came to my house a few times when I played recitals in my living room for family and friends. And here’s some good news…it actually sounded like music–beautiful music.”

“What a gift she was Terri. What was her name?”

“I’ll never forget it. Ms. Barnabas. She was the best. She not only taught me about the violin, she made sure my heart was moved by the music and watched and encouraged me at every step until I was good at playing it.”

“You know what Jill? I’m gonna keep this old violin and start playing it again. I can’t believe I ever even thought about selling it!”

“Oh Terri, look at what time it is. I’ve got to get over to the church. It’s the ninth week of my discipleship training classes. Only three more weeks of study and I guess I’m officially “discipled”!”

Big ol' helping of yourself.

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:13:00 -0500

I see a lot of Christian-ish self-help stuff on TV, in books, magazines, and, Lord help us, on Facebook. They all seem to encourage you to derive your strength from inside yourself. God rarely, if ever, is mentioned as the well to draw from. That makes me nervous, particularly when that “stuff” is taught in churches. I’ve heard mes sages that, remove a couple of oblique references to God, could be repackaged into a popular self help dvd.

My help, as a Christian,doesn’t come from some ill-defined inner strength. My help doesn’t come from trying harder (has anyone ever read Romans?). My help, at least according to scripture, comes from the Lord.

Psalm 121

1I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
  From where shall my help come?

2My help comes from the LORD,
  Who made heaven and earth.

3He will not allow your foot to slip;
  He who keeps you will not slumber.

Not only does He help me, He keeps me.
This isn’t “let go and let God” theology, but rather, a reminder of who we are in Christ. He says He is the vine and we are the branches. The strength of the branches is not self contained, but rather, to those who are in Christ, is from the vine. Otherwise, we tend to take pride in ourselves, in our ability, in our own strength. We are being transformed into His image. He transforms us. He conforms us. The power source is Him.

Jeremiah 9:24 puts it like this:

“but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD,”

I love Deuteronomy 8:17-18, as it reminds us that everything we have, everything we enjoy, even our ability to have and enjoy it comes from the Lord.

“He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful…”

TRUTH BE TOLD: I WAS DEAD

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:41:42 -0500

TRUTH BE TOLD: I WAS DEAD:

tylermiller:

I’ve walked with Christ for years now and sadly it’s so easy to get into a rut where the spiritual realties that once tasted sweet and fresh lose their flavor/become so familiar they drift away from soul stirring, worship inducing, holiness producing, reality and into the realm of dry conceptual…

"When you listen and read one thinker, you become a clone… two thinkers, you become confused… ten..."

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:53:55 -0500

“When you listen and read one thinker, you become a clone… two thinkers, you become confused… ten thinkers, you’ll begin developing your own voice… two or three hundred thinkers, you become wise and develop your voice”

- -Tim Keller

The Gift of Gifts.

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 10:26:00 -0500

A Puritan prayer from The Valley of Vision.

O source of all good,

What shall I render to you for the gift of gifts,
your own dear Son?

Herein is wonder of wonders:
he came below to raise me above,
was born like me that I might become like him.

Herein is love;
when I cannot rise to him he draws near on wings of grace,
to raise me to himself.

Herein is power;
when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart,
he united them in indissoluble unity,
the uncreate and the created.

Herein is wisdom;
when I was undone, with no will to return to him,
and no intellect to devise recovery,
he came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost,
as man to die my death,
to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
to work out a perfect righteousness for me!

O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,
and enlarge my mind!

Let me hear good tidings of great joy,
and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father!

Place me with ox, donkey, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer’s face,
and in him account myself delivered from sin!

Let me with Simeon clasp the newborn child to my heart,
embrace him with undying faith,
exulting that he is mine and I am his!

In him you have given me so much that heaven can give no more.

Caravaggio - Nativity with Saints Francis and Lawrence., 1609

Vindicated by a 60 year old Don or why we need gray-haired disciplers.

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:27:56 -0400

D.A. (the Don) Carson, in a recent Q and A session at the 2012 Clarus conference (you can watch it here) said:

Yet, I have to tell you, I am more encouraged today then I was 10 years ago-because God seems to be raising up a generation of young men and women, wanting to be mentored, wanting to learn theology, wanting to plant churches, wanting to do it in difficult places, not just comfortable suburbs. John Piper and I make jokes; it’s a bizarre world, all these 30 year olds want to listen to us 60 year olds. It’s bizarre. It just didn’t happen 20 years ago, it’s a great time to be 60 as far as I’m concerned.

Literally years of my life have been spent saying this, accompanied by begging, blood, sweat, and tears. Oddly, the obstacle has been the 60 year olds. There are 20 and 30 year olds asking to be mentored. I know, I’ve heard them. Where are you? We need gray-haired people discipling.

Saved by Grace or a Graceless Tipper?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:28:33 -0400

From my other blog:

Friends, I heard something disturbing today; that many waiters and waitresses hate to work on Sunday because Christians are the worst tippers. Bothered by this, I did a search on the web, and yes, that is, indeed, the reputation we have.

Why is this a big deal?

Well, for one thing, that seemingly small thing tangibly damages our witness. Instead of being image bearers of Christ, reflecting the kindness and gratitude at the undeserved grace we received, as Romans 2:4 says, “knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance,” we model a very different image.

Apparently, in response to bad service (or any kind of service), we, the Christ-followers, tip less. We should be known as the best tippers in the world! The fact that we are not means we don’t have a very good grasp of the Gospel. It means that we think we somehow deserve that undeserved grace. Thank the Lord we don’t get what we deserve! Being a bad tipper implies that we think others have to measure up to a certain moral or ethical framework before they are deserving of grace. Romans 5:15 tells me differently, that the grace of God was a free gift through Christ:

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

When we tip less for bad service, are we displaying the love of Christ? Are we showcasing the part of 1 Corinthians 13:5 that says love, “does not take into account a wrong suffered”?

Food for thought, pun intended.

How we tip also sends other, more subtle, signals and reveals what we believe and what we don’t believe. It might, for example, demonstrate we don’t fully believe in Phillippians 4:19:

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

“How in the world would it mean that?” you ask (I’m just guessing). If you are not tipping because you are being frugal, or “a good steward,” look at the example of the Macedonia church that Paul commended in 2 Corinthians 8;

1 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

They believed, also displayed by their actions, that their God could supply all their needs. We can illustrate that same belief, Friends, in our tipping.

By sacrificing our rights in tipping for bad service-and let’s go wild here; how about being even more generous for bad service-we are displaying the grace we have been shown. Isn’t that great?

You get, by this point, that this isn’t about tipping, right? Our actions can reflect the life changing work of Christ in our lives, by showcasing the Gospel. I love how Dr. Robert Plummer states it;

all the various segments of the Christian community are to live praiseworthy lives—not simply for the sake of obeying God, but because their behavior will commend or distract from the gospel.

It is part of our witness.

chandler on subtle drift from Jesus in our churches. good.

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:11:05 -0400

tylermiller:

We’re aware the assumption exists [ that our churches are already Jesus centered], and are burdened by it…

Drift is always subtle, personally and corporately. We have to be vigilant to honestly evaluate the spiritual health of our community and culture. For instance, is your church a safe place to struggle? Is there an atmosphere of grace? Does the believer struggling with sin feel compelled by the culture of your church to wear a mask and promote an image? Or is there a healthy culture of confession and repentance? Is there a welcoming spirit of hospitality that exudes the hospitable nature of Christ to both the member and the guest? Is there an evident heart for the nations and missional living? Does your children’s ministry promote morals and virtues apart of the reality and empowerment of the gospel? Are sermons laced with Jesus and the promises of his gospel, or is he strangely absent? Is there a culture and pervasive spirit of prayer, or are most decisions pragmatic in nature?

——

read it all here:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/mobile/article/tgc/jesus-drenched-churches-matt-chandler-on-gospel-culture

ramble on.

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 08:06:51 -0400

samgyorfi:

a tragic shooting, fear, and holiness all wrap together into a mess of glory. (beware: this one is long and involved)

early this morning there was a tragic shooting at a theater in aurora colorado. this shooting was about a mile or so from our church, and many of the kids in my youth group knew someone who was there and even some knew those who were injured. it was a long day of phone calls, prayers, hysterical teens, and wondering why.

the basic questions surface of why God allowed this? why someone would do this? you know the song and dance. its the stuff we are supposed to know but we all still think about. In fact, many of us, in our weakness, may even focus on it.

here’s my take: im not about to ask those questions cause im not God, and i dont want to be. i want to know why those are the first questions we ask. i desire to know why God’s blessings arent enough for me. why dont i ask: “God how do i grow more in this? God how can i love others more in this? God, how will i serve you in this?”

we are living in fear. the paradigm we operate on is the issue. think about the back half of this “popular” verse in 1 Thess. 5

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (mentioned this in last post, still thinking about it)

give thanks in all circumstances. all of them. because whatever happens, this is God’s will for your life. I’d love to hear joel osteen preach on this. your life is God’s will for you.

your money problems are God’s will for you.

your crazy family is God’s will for you.

your pain is God’s will for you. (this is where people get mad)

wait; are you saying that God wanted those people to die and get shot? no, im saying he allowed it and is going to be glorified through it. He is on the throne and loves that shooter so much, that he gave him free will to do anything he desired. His selfish choice took the lives of a dozen, wounded some, and psychologically wounded many many more. God didnt shoot anyone.

people dont like this. people want God to be their best friend, not their Lord.

However; partner this with what Jesus says in Matthew 5

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons^[a] of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, fortheirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

we mourn, we hurt, we cry, we seek him, we love, and be merciful. We make peace and dont care the result, even if we are persecuted. REST in who God is, we cannot live in fear AND trust God. the two cannot co-exsist. either we do or dont.

we still mourn. we still cry. we still hurt. but we know God is in control of the future.

this is what takes us from fear to holiness. we must live in the truth that God loves us more than other peoples poor choices and other’s hate. is the holiness of God the lens with which you see the world? or the sin and brokenness of others?

we want the first, but too often live in the latter.

we cant know about the holiness of God if we dont know who he is, and the GRACE he bestows upon those who would believe. in pain and tragedy we look to the cross of Christ and his Grace. The story of God is one of redemption and Love. i cant encompass the story of God and his Love in a blog, sorry. but here:

anyone who says God is not present in this event is living in fear. anyone who says this shooting proves God is not all-powerful is an idiot. ok fine, not idiot; but to the agnostic i say: TRY GOD. I’ve never, NEVER met anyone who pursued the knowledge of God and prayed diligently for God to make himself real to them and they were disappointed. and not just for a week, or a month, but i mean really looked for truth. You will find truth.

try it.

i know im rambling, but i just wish people would give the LORD their GOD a chance before they accuse him of murder and negligence. if people knew how much their LORD cared for them; well, my job would be a lot easier.

im sad for what happened today. my heart breaks. talking with 17 year olds who are trying to understand it makes me heart hurt even more. i dont understand it, and i wont. But im glad im not God, sometimes its a lot easier to be a peasant than a king. thats a start to Holiness.

"Everything is necessary that he sends. Nothing can be necessary that he withholds."

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:59:59 -0400

“Everything is necessary that he sends. Nothing can be necessary that he withholds.”

- John Newton

the praise of the praiseworthy: the gospel

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 15:29:06 -0400

tylermiller:

It’s been a while here folks. But I have a rant.

I need the Gospel every hour. Every minute, of every day.

I’ve actually heard people say that the word “gospel” is over used. Gospel? Overused? Never! Abused, misunderstood, spoken in vain, almost certainly. But never overused. I’d love to see us try though.

The second I take my eyes off of the cross of Christ and the justification afforded me in Christ, and I literally mean the second, I lose sight of everything good. I plunge back into every vice Christ died to pull me from. Back into insecurity, back into pride, back into fear, back into license and law.

“The praise of the praiseworthy is above ALL rewards”, says Captain Faramir to Frodo in Tolkien’s The Two Towers. And how true it is. We live our lives chasing it. Entire lives are spent in pursuit of it. Climbing the unending ladder. Fighting to feel worthy, to feel beautiful, to feel skilled, to feel significant, to feel…justified.

This is why I need the Gospel. I have to have the praise of the praiseworthy, I will search it out…somewhere. In the Gospel alone I am counted worthy, beautiful,and loved by the ultimately praiseworthy Creator of all things praised.

Only at the cross is my exhausting pursuit of praise ended. Only at the cross is the nauseating sense that I am just not good enough run through. Only at the cross is the vague promise that the praise of man, that success, money, comfort, will bring me joy exposed for the dark and crippling lie that it is. Only at the cross can I rest myself.

Only with the cross in sight am I freed to create for the simple joy of creating, to work without fear of failing. Only in knowing that God adores me through the sacrifice of Christ, can I begin to truly find myself.

Give me Gospel. Every second. Every minute. Every word. Let us bless the Lord together. Let us remember all He has done. Let me tell you, and please please tell me, that we are redeemed, purchased, bought back from sin. That we are delighted in by a holy God through Christ. That our efforts can get us nowhere, and Christ already did the work. Let’s sing and speak the works of God and find freedom and joy and love and peace and self forgetfulness. And if I may be so bold, preaching anything but Gospel seems a bit nearsighted to me. Only by the gospel is my heart melted into a holy longing for God that brings joy through obedience.

Take me to the cross. Please. I’m begging you.

"God is good when things are going my way" status updates and "I'll know who my Real friends are if they repost this."

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 13:40:00 -0400

To my Christian brothers and sisters-we need to talk. Facebook is a great tool to interact with friends and family. It also, like every aspect of our life, is part of our witness.

Bearing that in mind, there are a couple of trends that, unintentionally, effect our witness. One, I like to call, is the “God is good when things go my way,” status update. Don’t get me wrong, nothing’s wrong with praising the Lord, I’m pro-worship, but maybe use a different turn of phrase.

“Hang on a minute,” you splutter unattractively, “why should it matter at all?”

You got a little Red Bull on your chin there…

Truth be told, people are watching our lives and our walk all the time, particularly when we don’t think anyone is paying attention. Our most powerful testimony to non-believers is often in how we act during times of adversity and suffering. 2 Corinthians 4:6-10 :

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

It serves, not to highlight our own personal fortitude, but rather, to showcase the power of Christ in us. Suffering can be a powerful witness. Look at Job. He was blessed and protected:

Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”

(Job 1:9-11 ESV)

A little later, after, indeed, Satan had touched him, Job said a very powerful thing:

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

(Job 1:20-22 ESV)

He had a worship session right there in the dirt. Matter of fact, Job says in 2:10:

“Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?”

His status update, if you will. I’d say ol’ Job’s testimony got a bit stronger after all of that. He certainly could attest to God’s power-read his reply at the end of the book.

The other thing about the “God is good when things are going my way” status update is that it can subtly misrepresent an aspect of God’s character. He isn’t only good when things are going your way- He is good all the time.

He was good the day my Dad died.

His goodness meter didn’t suddenly take a dip then, no, not one millimeter. God is consistently, constantly, good. Always. It is a blessing when you have your “best day ever,” and when you do, praise the Lord for it, but He is also just as good on your worst day ever.

I’ll wrap this first part up with a suggestion; when something good happens, maybe say, “Thank you Jesus,” or, “Praise the Lord.” Be mindful about only saying, “God is good,” when you get a promotion or have an awesome meal. He is still good when your car breaks down and you get a pink slip. Otherwise, it would mean He isn’t good all the time, and James 1:17 begs to differ:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Okay, this second part is much less serious but no less annoying. You know those awful graphics of a puppy or a person looking wistfully at a sunset, a veteran, a dirty faced youth playing outside because he was born before the advent of useful and/or entertaining technology, or a tear drop running down the face of a child or baby fur seal overlaid with poorly set (and often misspelled) text-all geared to pull on your heart strings-ending with some variation of, “post this if you care, though most of you won’t. I know my real friends will?” Folks, as your friend, please, puh-leez, that’s got to stop.

Guilt tripping people to get them to agree with you-particularly throwing in the “real friends” line-makes you look emotionally needy in a rather unhealthy way. More importantly, it doesn’t reflect the Gospel. We have no righteousness of our own, it is a free gift. Penance isn’t going to earn us anything, Christ paid the bill-and since He took our guilt, let’s not pile it on others recreationally.

Good talk.

Love you,

nearly always mean it,

Josh

"You’ve thought about eternity for 25 minutes, and think you’ve come to some interesting..."

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 20:18:35 -0400

“You’ve thought about eternity for 25 minutes, and think you’ve come to some interesting conclusions…”

- David Mitchell as the Bad Vicar.

when life gives you lemons.

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:21:00 -0400

samgyorfi:

when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

be happy, but a good spin on things, smile for gosh-sakes.

i hate that feel good-mumbo jumbo. never works for me. i wish i did, but it really doesn’t. inevitably i always end up with the lemons, not the lemonade. i try to make the lemonade, add that sugar!

but again, lemons.

time to eat the lemon as is.

seriously people, learn to like lemons.

why do we think we deserve more? what did you do? did you organically engineer that tree to make lemons? did you plant it? through your permission did it grow to maturity? did you provide the sun so that the lemon could mature? how bout the water? did you provide the rain? the morning dew? [a little aside from Josh: that is a great paraphrase of the Lord’s conversation with Job in the last few chapters of the book with the same name.]

no. so eat the lemon.

ever give someone a nice gift for no reason? just feeling generous? then the recipient gets greedy and thinks that is the new standard? or worse, wants even more next time? give a kid a candy bar in the grocery store line every day, pretty soon, it wont be enough. if you give a mouse a cookie…

trust that what you have is more than enough. eat the lemon. and enjoy it. God gave you wonderful gifts. intelligence, athleticism, artistic eye, family, friends, and at the very least, breath in your lungs and a lemon to eat.

kharma is a lie, and a dumb one. life didn’t give you anything. God did. God does. God will continue to provide for you just how you need.

“Rejoice always,pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - Apostle Paul

Illustration titled, ‘Citrus limonium = Citronier limonier. [7 varities of lemons]’ from ‘Traité des arbres et arbustes que l’on cultive en France en pleine terre / par Duhamel’ via New York Public Library Digital Gallery.

Jonathan Edwards and Wayne and Garth got it.

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 21:02:00 -0400

So we know that entitlement is a problem today. It didn’t seem as much of a problem with previous generations-though, get on the topic of Social Security (which our generation probably won’t see) with someone over 65-eh-hem, that theory may not hold a lot of water. In all our talk of entitlement, those of us who work hard, I want you to remember something; your hard work doesn’t lessen your need for Jesus and their laziness doesn’t increase their’s.

We all need Jesus.

Period.

Because of sin, this is what we are entitled to; eternal separation from God. I’m not talking about our obedience or the process of sanctification, I’m talking purely about what we are entitled to apart from Christ. Hell. I want us to remember that you don’t have to be *this* high in order to become a Christ follower. You don’t have to clean yourself up first. Acts 13:38-39:

Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

There is a subtle sneer that plays across the face of some churched people when they talk about those who don’t have their life together. I won’t lie, the less sanctified part of me wants to “remove” that sneer off their faces. Instead of looking at those people who need Jesus, they see them as unworthies. The funny thing is, the unworthies are the people very Jesus hung out with-it was for those sneering people who seemed to have it all together that Jesus directed the harshest words towards.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

(Luke 18:9-14 ESV)

There is a section in the Works of Jonathan Edwards that acts as great a heart checker and sneer preventer. Written a couple hundred years ago, it is amazing how little our objections to giving and who is “deserving” have changed. On the contrary, they have become institutionalized within the church. Applying the Gospel to the situation allows us to see things in a different light.

Object. IX. He has brought himself to want by his own fault.—In reply, it must be considered what you mean by his fault.

1. If you mean a want of a natural faculty to manage affairs to advantage, that is to be considered as his calamity. Such a faculty is a gift that God bestows on some, and not on others; and it is not owing to themselves. You ought to be thankful that God hath given you such a gift, which he hath denied to the person in question. And it will be a very suitable way for you to show your thankfulness, to help those to whom that gift is denied, and let them share the benefit of it with you. This is as reasonable as that he to whom Providence has imparted sight, should be willing to help him to whom sight is denied, and that he should have the benefit of the sight of others, who has none of his own: or, as that he to whom God hath given wisdom, should be willing that the ignorant should have the benefit of his knowledge.

2. If they have been reduced to want by some oversight, and are to be blamed that they did not consider for themselves better; yet that doth not free us from all obligation to charity towards them. If we should for ever refuse to help men because of that, it would be for us to make their inconsiderateness and imprudent act, an unpardonable crime, quite contrary to the rules of the gospel, which insist so much upon forgiveness.—We should not be disposed so highly to resent such an oversight in any for whom we have a dear affection, as our children, or our friends. We should not refuse to help them in that necessity and distress, which they brought upon themselves by their own inconsiderateness. But we ought to have a dear affection and concern for the welfare of all our fellow-Christians, whom we should love as brethren, and as Christ hath loved us.

3. If they are come to want by a vicious idleness and prodigality; yet we are not thereby excused from all obligation to relieve them, unless they continue in those vices. If they continue not in those vices, the rules of the gospel direct us to forgive them; and if their fault be forgiven, then it will not remain to be a bar in the way of our charitably relieving them. If we do otherwise, we shall act in a manner very contrary to the role of loving one another as Christ hath loved us. Now Christ hath loved us, pitied us, and greatly laid out himself to relieve us from that want and misery which we brought on ourselves by our own folly and wickedness. We foolishly and perversely threw away those riches with which we were provided, upon which we might have lived and been happy to all eternity.

4. If they continue in the same courses still, yet that doth not excuse us from charity to their families that are innocent. If we cannot relieve those of their families without their having something of it, yet that ought not to be a bar in the way of our charity; and that because it is supposed that those of their families are proper objects of charity; and those that are so, we are bound to relieve: the command is positive and absolute. If we look upon that which the heads of the families have of what we give, to be entirely lost; yet we had better lose something of our estate, than suffer those who are really proper objects of charity to remain without relief.

the weirdest 24 hour timespan i've had in a while.

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 21:51:56 -0400

samgyorfi:

Story time. yesterday around this time, 445 in the afternoon, i had a young man come to my office who wanted to speak with a pastor. he came in, sat down, and asked me why i believe what i believe. he did not want me to convince him of jesus, calvinist theology, or the virgin mary; simply put, he wanted to know why i was a pastor. so i told him, all the while he was interjecting questions, viewpoints, and opinions on what i was saying. I thought it odd, but then again, the LORD is a peculiar god. in the midst of my weariness from life the day was not going as planned and i found myself in the proverbial pre-youthgroup funk. or, a lack of desire to go to community and ministry with kids. talking with the stranger was exactly what i needed to encourage me to continue on for the day. i even used the story last night to encourage the young people i work with to know why they believe and why. not bad.

later that night my mind began to wander. there was no information exchanged, no information on personal background, nothing. the stranger scurried off without a way to follow up or contact him at all. i thought to myself, what if that was an angel sent to encourage me?

why not? it could have been, right? so i went to sleep hoping to never see him again to confirm my thoughts that an angel drove away in a gold(which was a dead giveaway) chevy pickup.

this morning i woke up, prepared for my thursday morning joshua class, and the hope of an angel visitation made me more excited than usual. we had a great time wrapping up the book of joshua and worshiping through scripture. why couldn’t it be right? God revealed his goodness through the stranger, and the content of joshua 22-24. addressing proper worship and service to the LORD was all i needed for proper encouragement in my vocational endeavors.

after a nice lunchtime lap swim and conversation with a nice man named paul, i had landed. angel visitation. boom! it happened. charasmatic sam is coming to town.

around 2 my phone rang. looking at the display i saw it was an outside number. now, usually i let these go directly to voicemail because people from christian curriculum companies and youth events trying to sell me something bother me to no end. (you hear that “acquire the fire?” no one likes you calling, pretending you know them, and trying to sell tickets to your event. i am a busy guy and christian salesmen drive me to screen all calls). However, i had just had an angelic meeting and i felt like i “had” to pick this call up; i am, after all, in tune with God. why else would he speak to me with an angel?

it was adam, the stranger.

at least i could put away the charismatic side, after a few hours i was emotionally drained.

Adam wanted to get together and finish our conversation, as well as invite me to a event where he was giving out food this evening to people in need. “ok, come on by” i said. when he arrived he seemed in good spirits but serious.

“hey sam, i have a bit of a confession to make.”

“oh? whats that?”

(paraphrase from memory) “i led you to believe yesterday that i was a seeker wanting to know about christ. I’m not. I’m a christian who is very much in love with jesus. but i am so disillusioned with the church i have been going around asking and talking to pastors trying to find someone who is doing what the bible says. I feel like God is calling me to be part of a church again but can’t find one that encourages me about the church. I know christ loves the church, but its so hard for me. I am sorry to have deceived you intentionally.”

wow. didn’t see that coming. i knew he had a background with Christ because of his understanding and how/what questions he asked. but i assumed agnostic. i think at one point he outright lied and said he was an agnostic searching for answers.

am i mad? or intrigued?

both.

initially i wanted to rebuke him for the lies, challenge him to grow up, be part of a church, and move on. but the LORD is apparently working on the shepherding traits in me, because i was surprisingly calm. i decided to ask him what HE believed, and why. since he asked me the same the day before.

he told me. he claimed the name of Christ and all the the bible taught, pretty good calvinist theology and some good apologetics to boot.

i had him.

going through the scripture together we talked about the unity of Christ’s body, the church, the burdens, and all that included. i was able to gently lead someone to my understanding and why i work in a church.

yesterday he encouraged me. today i think i encouraged him.

God is ironic and laughs at me all the time. I’m convinced of it. he wanted me set straight yesterday through a stranger. he wanted adam set straight by a pastor working in the broken, selfish, messed up church.

“You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God;he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”

God is a big deal. he loves adam and i too much to let us stray.

what a weird day.

Marc Chagall, Three Angels Visit Abraham, 1931, gouache and oil, Marc Chagall Museum of Biblical Themes, Nice, France

The Cost of Forgiveness or I Volunteered for What?

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 21:13:37 -0400

From another blog I write for.

Have you ever used a word so often that you forget what it actually means? Recently, that happened to me as I was reading an article by Dr. Tim Keller on the subject of forgiveness. The real meaning and implications of the word startled me so much, I decided to write about it. Here is an excerpt from the article:

What then is forgiveness? Forgiveness means giving up the right to seek repayment from the one who harmed you. But it must be recognized that forgiveness is a form of voluntary suffering.

To forgive is to cancel a debt by paying it or absorbing it yourself. Someone always pays every debt.

There are two things to do about sin. Imagine for example that someone hurt your reputation. You can try to restore it by paying the other person back, voicing public criticisms and ruining his or her reputation. Or you can forgive the one who wronged you, refuse payback, and absorb the damage to your reputation. (You will have to restore it over time.)

In all cases when wrong is done, there is a debt, and there is no way to deal with it without suffering: either you make the perpetrator suffer for it or you forgive and suffer for it yourself.

We know we are called to forgive, it’s in the Bible- you know, those verses we gloss over, rush through, like Colossians 3:13-14,

bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another

Another verse that we practice our Evelyn Wood speed reading past is Matthew 6:15;

If you do not forgive men their sins, your heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.

Since we know we can’t earn God’s forgiveness (Ephesians 2:8-9), what could Jesus mean when He says this? I think of 2 Corithinans 5;

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 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. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We had a sin debt that we could not pay. Christ took on the debt, which was wasn’t His, paid it for us and reconciled us, by faith, to God. By not demonstrating that forgiveness to others, we don’t reflect our ambassadorial role. We become the unforgiving servant Jesus speaks about in Matthew 18:

26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

When we are unforgiving, we are saying, “Pay what you owe!” forgetting what Christ did for us. We owe eternal suffering and separation from God in Hell for our sins. Christ suffered and paid for our debt on the cross. How are we going to model that amazing gift and good news to others-by voluntarily suffering the cost of what others owe us through forgiveness. Jesus talked about that denial of self, not requiring from others what is due to us, in Luke 9:23;

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Remembering what Christ did for us should also stem the flow of, “Yes, but you don’t know what they did to me!” When you hear that coming out of your mouth (and I hear that coming out of my own much too often) think about what Christ did for you, and what your sin did to Him.

All that being said, there are situations when love is shown through church discipline or when a loving rebuke is in order (Luke 17:3-4). When I examine my own heart, though, and observe the interactions between fellow believers, often our cold silence, destructive gossip, and the taking of sides feed into a sense of retribution and the exacting of “justice” which does not lead to reconciliation or repentance. It certainly does not reflect the Gospel. The forgiving starts with us; we don’t wait until the other person is forgivable. Our example is Christ, like it says in Ephesians 4:32;

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Remember, Friends, this is our witness.

Applying the Gospel filter to Immigration.

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:08:52 -0400

Exceprts from an excellent article by Matthew Soerens and Daniel Darling on immigration and the Gospel. You can read it in it’s entirety here.

The issue of immigration is actually a very common theme in Scripture, particularly in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word gare—-which most English translations render “foreigner,” “sojourner,” or “alien,” but which Tim Keller argues compellingly (in a footnote to Generous Justice) is best translated as “immigrant”—-appears in one form or another 92 times in the Old Testament. Most often, we find the immigrant referenced in a positive sense: God sets the standard for the Israelites that the immigrants who come to dwell among them should be treated “as the native among you” (Lev. 19:34), and as he gives the Law to his people, he repeatedly states that its protections—-including the right to fair treatment as laborers (Deut. 24:14), to a Sabbath rest (Ex. 20:10), and to prompt payment for labor (Deut. 24:15)—-and most of its requirements (but not all: note Deut. 14:21) are meant for the immigrant as well as the native-born (Ex. 12:49). Throughout the Old Testament, the immigrant is repeatedly referenced with other two other groups—-the fatherless and the widow—-as uniquely vulnerable and thus worthy of special care and provisions (Ps. 146:9, Zech. 7:10, Ezek. 22:7, Mal. 3:5, Jer. 7:6, Deut. 24:21). God commands his people to love immigrants both because he loves them (Deut. 10:18) and because, given their unique history in Egypt, they ought to know better than to mistreat foreigners living in their midst (Deut. 10:19, Ex. 23:9, Lev. 19:34).

While we’re not proposing that we directly apply God’s rules for the nation of Israel to the United States, God’s love for immigrants and others who are vulnerable is unchanging and should guide our contemporary response. The New Testament’s emphatic commands to neighbor love (Matt. 22:39, Lk. 10:27, Rom. 13:9) and to extend hospitality to strangers (1 Tim. 5:10, Heb. 13:2) guide us in the same direction as the many Old Testament texts: Christians are to love, welcome, and seek justice for immigrants. (For a more thorough analysis of the issue of immigration in Scripture, we recommend Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bibleby Dr. Daniel Carroll R. of Denver Seminary.)

Our View of Immigrants

Pastors serve a vital purpose in shaping worldviews. Central to our mission is the call of Jesus to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). The arrival of immigrants into our communities has brought the nations to our doorsteps. This movement of people is not an accident: the God who made all people also “determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live … so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him” (Acts 17:26-27, NIV). While economic and sociological reasons drive people’s desire to migrate, we believe God has sovereignly superintended this movement of people to America so that they might come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and follow him as disciples. This is a two-way street, as many immigrants are faithful Christians who bring the gospel with them to unbelieving Americans.

This is why it is so important for pastors to combat the strain of anti-immigrant attitudes that pervades American society. A faithful Christian cannot see his Hispanic neighbor as an intrusion of his way of life, but as a sovereign opportunity for Christ to be expressed in the world through his bride. The immigrant who arrives may either be a brother or sister to be added to our fellowship or a lost soul in need of the gospel.

The tendency may be to ignore immigrants because of concern that we might upset those within the church who, guided by (often spurious) media accounts and political considerations, see them as a threat to their culture and values.

But we must have the courage to articulate a gospel-centered approach to this issue. It is our duty to view immigrants not as problems to solve but as people for whom Jesus died. Without a biblical lens, we may come to view immigrants as a threat and an invasion, rather than as a missional opportunity. In doing so, we lose credibility with our immigrant neighbors when, while proclaiming Christ’s love to them, we also communicate (intentionally or otherwise) that we dislike them and wish they were not part of our communities. As Russell Moore notes, “It’s horrifying to hear those identified with the gospel speak, whatever their position on the issues, with mean-spirited disdain for the immigrants themselves.”

Southern Fried Whitefield and Baptist Conventions.

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:40:00 -0400

Fannie Flagg. Author of “Fried Green Tomatoes.”

Is this thing on…

Anywhoo.

The Southern Baptist Convention is happening now, so the topic of Calvinism and Arminianism, which divides that denomination (okay, about 10% * Calvinist- maybe because we have bigger mouths and more persuasive arguments, lol) is buzzing around the interwebs. The best article I have seen is this one (link below) by Dr. Tim McKnight about how Whitefield (a Calvinist) and Wesley (um, yeah, NOT), both Methodists and contemporaries during the Great Awakening, handled their differences. At the center is the Gospel. It’s a good reminder at what unites us.

http://joelrainey.blogspot.com/2012/06/what-southern-baptists-need-to-learn.html

* My friend Blake Edwards corrected my percentage of Calvinists in the Southern Baptist Convention (and also reminded me of their new, unofficial name, The Great Commission Baptists) up to the more encouraging figure of 32%.