On my desk sits a bucket of 500 (minus a dozen or so) multi-colored paperclips that constantly remind me of my spiritual mission here at West Point: to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Paperclips are quite possibly the best tool in a disciple-makers handbag because they are malleable, marketable, and manageable. You can twist them in and out of shape and use them for marking a place in a Bible, attaching two pages of your study together or for poking yourself in the chin if you fall asleep during a quiet time. They are easy to find, easy to distribute, and easy to lose, if you don’t remind yourself to use them.
Paul wrote, “Join in imitating me, brothers, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us” (Phil 3.17). The paperclips in my Bible are from the same bucket of clips that I share with those cadets interested in reading God’s word just like me. I tell them that we are running a race at a different pace than those around us and in order to ensure that we do not fall out, we need to hold each other accountable by finding commonalities to bind us together, like two pages paperclipped one to the other. And so I show them my sword, give them three clips to sheathe their spots, and ask them to follow a pattern—one that will inevitably become their own.
It is my mission to part with all 500 paperclips in order to unite myself together with those willing to bind themselves to Christ. But I can’t do it alone. I need to find Christians willing to paperclip themselves to others by joining us on this run. Will you “join in imitating me” by passing on paperclips, teaching others to know Jesus through His Word?
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
TITHES
(Deuteronomy 14.22-29)
A friend and I talked about tithing the other night. Not so much the legitimacy of it, nor the value, but the actual practice. I’d like to share with you (and him) some of my findings. “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” Traditionally, this would be enough information for a homily about the religious duty of parishioners to support their spiritual authorities. What is often left unsaid, however, is what follows. “Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God… so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.” Notice the implied “you” in the command “eat.” The Lord continues, “But if that place [the temple] is too distant… then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink [beer], or anything you wish.” What should you do with your tithe then? Give it to the priests? No! “Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord.” You eat it with the priests and you use the tithe to feed the “the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns.” And yet this isn’t preached today though it comes from the same Law used to promote the tithing practice. Why is that?
(Malachi 3.6-10)
If you search the web concerning the tithe, you will invariably encounter those who support it and those who oppose it with all of the passages I’m sharing with you now, to include the infamous Malachi curse and blessing: “‘Will a man rob God…? ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. ‘Bring the whole tithe…. Test me in this… and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing.” But what is often left concealed is the fact that God was speaking to the priests, not directly to the parishioners. “And now this admonition is for you, O priests…. I will curse your blessings” (2.1-2). If you read the whole of Malachi’s prophecy, you will see that God basically fired the priests and gave one final sign, “I am going to send you Elijah the prophet” (4.5). As the instructional passage in Deuteronomy 14.22-29 teaches, the tithe was shared by the giver and the priests, but it was the priest’s responsibility to ensure its holiness. In Malachi, we find that the priests were offering defective animals and providing wayward instructions to those who sought their guidance. The tithe wasn’t working because the people and the priests corrupted it. It was time for a change to the old covenant—the sacrifice, the tithe, the priesthood, and the duty of those who called themselves God’s children.
(Matthew 23.23-24)
If you asked, “Where is ‘tithing’ in the Gospels found,” you’d likely discover this one passage in Matthew which mentions it as one of the less “important” or “weighty” matters of the law that ought not to be neglected, but neither should it become “heavy loads that are hard to carry” and that “they [the Pharisees] themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move” (Mt 23.4,5). However, though it is apparent that no one “tithed” to Jesus, there is still an example that should be noticed: “These women were helping to support them [Jesus and His disciples] out of their own means” (Luke 8.3). When Jesus encountered the rich young ruler, He did not ask him to support His ministry but instead challenged him to give it all “to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Luk 18.24-30). After this, Peter said to Jesus that he had given up everything to follow Him. Our Lord promised that he would receive much more “in the age to come.”
Jesus didn’t talk about tithing because it was an old covenant practice which encouraged the “laity,” or the spiritually lax, to pay the “clergy,” or spiritually commissioned, to have a relationship with God for the benefit of the entire congregation. But what He did talk about was giving…
(Hebrews 10.8-10)
Jesus warns us that we cannot serve both God and money, for where we place our treasure, be that upon temporal sustenance or heavenly reward, is where our heart will lead us (Mat 6.19-24). Therefore, Jesus provides a “way out” so that we can stand up under the temptation of temporal treasure hunting. “He [Jesus] said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You [God] did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’ (although the law required them to be made). Then He said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first [covenant] to establish the second [covenant].” Jesus is not only the sacrifice for our sins, but He is also the Priest for whom those tithes and offerings were meant to sustain.
The problem isn’t that people tithe or give to the clergy, but that they believe their tithe or offering fulfills their ministerial obligation. “I give money to the pastor so that he can make disciples of me and my fellow congregation.” Some Christians are convinced that God is pleased with their tenth when Jesus makes it obvious that He demands far more (Luke 9.23). So what should “tithing” look like in the new covenant?
(1Corinthians 9.9-15)
“Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way [as this old covenant practice], the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” As long as a ministry follows the old covenant wineskin of segregated clergy and laity or holy edifications and “unholy” homes, then the old “wine” offering is not only necessary, but required. If someone provides you eternal sustenance, should you not willingly offer to meet their temporal needs? Too many Christians today offer attendance as their “tithe” to God. Too many others offer their “tithe” rather than their life to God. How many are willing to follow Paul’s example?
Paul continues, “But I have not used any of these rights…. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast…. That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge…. I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” He told the Ephesians, “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions” (Acts 20.33-35) and the Thessalonians: “You ought to follow our example…. We worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow” (2Thes 3.7-9).
For more on tithing, check out these websites: http://www.bibleinsight.com/tithing.html; http://www.tithing.org/; http://www.nomoretithing.org/; http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2007/004/7.14.html (Lifechurch.tv); http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/01/sunday/main3896728.shtml; http://www.navpress.com/EPubs/DisplayArticle/1/1.88.8.html.
A friend and I talked about tithing the other night. Not so much the legitimacy of it, nor the value, but the actual practice. I’d like to share with you (and him) some of my findings. “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” Traditionally, this would be enough information for a homily about the religious duty of parishioners to support their spiritual authorities. What is often left unsaid, however, is what follows. “Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God… so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.” Notice the implied “you” in the command “eat.” The Lord continues, “But if that place [the temple] is too distant… then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink [beer], or anything you wish.” What should you do with your tithe then? Give it to the priests? No! “Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord.” You eat it with the priests and you use the tithe to feed the “the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns.” And yet this isn’t preached today though it comes from the same Law used to promote the tithing practice. Why is that?
(Malachi 3.6-10)
If you search the web concerning the tithe, you will invariably encounter those who support it and those who oppose it with all of the passages I’m sharing with you now, to include the infamous Malachi curse and blessing: “‘Will a man rob God…? ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. ‘Bring the whole tithe…. Test me in this… and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing.” But what is often left concealed is the fact that God was speaking to the priests, not directly to the parishioners. “And now this admonition is for you, O priests…. I will curse your blessings” (2.1-2). If you read the whole of Malachi’s prophecy, you will see that God basically fired the priests and gave one final sign, “I am going to send you Elijah the prophet” (4.5). As the instructional passage in Deuteronomy 14.22-29 teaches, the tithe was shared by the giver and the priests, but it was the priest’s responsibility to ensure its holiness. In Malachi, we find that the priests were offering defective animals and providing wayward instructions to those who sought their guidance. The tithe wasn’t working because the people and the priests corrupted it. It was time for a change to the old covenant—the sacrifice, the tithe, the priesthood, and the duty of those who called themselves God’s children.
(Matthew 23.23-24)
If you asked, “Where is ‘tithing’ in the Gospels found,” you’d likely discover this one passage in Matthew which mentions it as one of the less “important” or “weighty” matters of the law that ought not to be neglected, but neither should it become “heavy loads that are hard to carry” and that “they [the Pharisees] themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move” (Mt 23.4,5). However, though it is apparent that no one “tithed” to Jesus, there is still an example that should be noticed: “These women were helping to support them [Jesus and His disciples] out of their own means” (Luke 8.3). When Jesus encountered the rich young ruler, He did not ask him to support His ministry but instead challenged him to give it all “to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Luk 18.24-30). After this, Peter said to Jesus that he had given up everything to follow Him. Our Lord promised that he would receive much more “in the age to come.”
Jesus didn’t talk about tithing because it was an old covenant practice which encouraged the “laity,” or the spiritually lax, to pay the “clergy,” or spiritually commissioned, to have a relationship with God for the benefit of the entire congregation. But what He did talk about was giving…
(Hebrews 10.8-10)
Jesus warns us that we cannot serve both God and money, for where we place our treasure, be that upon temporal sustenance or heavenly reward, is where our heart will lead us (Mat 6.19-24). Therefore, Jesus provides a “way out” so that we can stand up under the temptation of temporal treasure hunting. “He [Jesus] said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You [God] did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’ (although the law required them to be made). Then He said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first [covenant] to establish the second [covenant].” Jesus is not only the sacrifice for our sins, but He is also the Priest for whom those tithes and offerings were meant to sustain.
The problem isn’t that people tithe or give to the clergy, but that they believe their tithe or offering fulfills their ministerial obligation. “I give money to the pastor so that he can make disciples of me and my fellow congregation.” Some Christians are convinced that God is pleased with their tenth when Jesus makes it obvious that He demands far more (Luke 9.23). So what should “tithing” look like in the new covenant?
(1Corinthians 9.9-15)
“Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way [as this old covenant practice], the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” As long as a ministry follows the old covenant wineskin of segregated clergy and laity or holy edifications and “unholy” homes, then the old “wine” offering is not only necessary, but required. If someone provides you eternal sustenance, should you not willingly offer to meet their temporal needs? Too many Christians today offer attendance as their “tithe” to God. Too many others offer their “tithe” rather than their life to God. How many are willing to follow Paul’s example?
Paul continues, “But I have not used any of these rights…. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast…. That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge…. I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” He told the Ephesians, “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions” (Acts 20.33-35) and the Thessalonians: “You ought to follow our example…. We worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow” (2Thes 3.7-9).
For more on tithing, check out these websites: http://www.bibleinsight.com/tithing.html; http://www.tithing.org/; http://www.nomoretithing.org/; http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2007/004/7.14.html (Lifechurch.tv); http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/01/sunday/main3896728.shtml; http://www.navpress.com/EPubs/DisplayArticle/1/1.88.8.html.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
WE'RE WORTH IT
It's unfathomable how many people struggle with their own self-worth. They wonder if they are of any value to God or man; feeling like a weed, unneeded and bothersome. How could they ever obey the commands of God if they are not worth the effort of His love? Before I began following Christ, I feared rejection and therefore made few, short-term friendships. Today I face rejection on a daily basis for the Gospel of Christ, and though I often feel discarded and hated, I don't quit. You know why? God has made a promise to me and you: "Since you are precious and honored in my sight and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and people in exchange for your life" (Isa 43:4). What must I do to become precious and honored to God? What must I do for Him to love me? We'd be a fool to answer with anything else but “nothing.” We do not deserve to be loved, but we are. When we learn to see ourselves as God sees us, we discover that the impossible becomes achievable: Sauls become Pauls, Simons become Peters, the barren become fertile, and sinners become saints.
However, His valuation of us comes at a price: our obedience. “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:10). Our most valuable possessions are worthy because of their use to us. We aren’t worthy of God’s love, but we can be worthy of His praise.
The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. Flannery O'Connor
However, His valuation of us comes at a price: our obedience. “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:10). Our most valuable possessions are worthy because of their use to us. We aren’t worthy of God’s love, but we can be worthy of His praise.
The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. Flannery O'Connor
PRICKLY ROSES
"Rebuke a wise man and he will love you." My mentor, Cecil Bean, once told me that the only way to distinguish between mockers and wise men was to rebuke them. If they hated you for your critique then they prove themselves fools, but if they respond with humility and teachability, they prove themselves your friends. Many relationships begin with this sort of exchange. One person initiates a conversation; a meeting is established, and a likeness discovered. But then the test: someone attempts to cross a barrier that was once "none of his business." How the other responds will measure the lifetime of the friendship. A guy once told me that he wanted to be my friend rather than a disciple. I told him that I was looking to make friends out of disciples and not the contrary.
If we want to make friends from disciples rather than attempt to disciple our friends, then we must learn to present prickly roses. Solomon tells us, "In the end, people appreciate frankness more than flattery." We like flowery praise but if there is no prick of the conscience, then it will wither and die. Hebrews reminds us to “spur one another on towards love and good deeds.” You cannot spur a friend in love if you don’t also offer a stinging kick to his rear end.
“Faith is what someone knows to be true, whether they believe it or not.” Flannery O'Connor
If we want to make friends from disciples rather than attempt to disciple our friends, then we must learn to present prickly roses. Solomon tells us, "In the end, people appreciate frankness more than flattery." We like flowery praise but if there is no prick of the conscience, then it will wither and die. Hebrews reminds us to “spur one another on towards love and good deeds.” You cannot spur a friend in love if you don’t also offer a stinging kick to his rear end.
“Faith is what someone knows to be true, whether they believe it or not.” Flannery O'Connor
Monday, February 11, 2008
NARROW IS THE WAY (Matthew 7:13-27)
The Wide and Broad
“For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.” I’ve often wondered if the broad road sign reads, “Heaven” or “Hell?” If it says, “Hell,” then what would be the point in Jesus’ mentioning of it? Putting a warning on a road marked “Hell” would be like printing a Surgeon General’s label on a keg of gun powder: “Caution, may blow your mind.” Since Jesus follows up this statement with an admonition; “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolfs,” the assumption is that the travelers believe they’re treading down a highway to “Heaven.”
We know that Hell’s caretaker isn’t an ugly lizard of a being with fangs, a forked tongue, and the owner of red suit, but is rather, as Paul states, “…disguised as an angel of light” (2Cor 10:11). Therefore, his servants, these same false prophets from Jesus’ warning, “also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” and preach to us that this wide and broad road their congregation is travelling upon is indeed the one true way to Heaven. Ah, but we are reminded that many religions preach that their paths also lead to heavenly dwellings. Touché, but Jesus isn’t talking about them, is He? For these travelers are those who “[say] to [Him], ‘Lord, Lord!’ [and yet] will [not] enter the kingdom of heaven.” If the path named “Christian” is wide and easy, you might reconsider your destination.
NARROW IS THE WAY (Matthew 7:13-27)
The Narrow and Difficult
“‘Lord… are there few being saved?’ He said to them, ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able” (Luk 13:23,24). If “many” take the road marked “Heaven,” then the conclusion is that only the “few” will “make every effort to confirm [their] calling and election” (2Pt 1:10). If we asked a Christian today, “Are few saved?” what would be his/her response? What would be yours? That all a person needs to do is believe and they shall be saved? Jesus’ response wasn’t quite so inviting.
“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock.” When Jesus heard these words Himself, He built His house (we call it the Church) upon His rock—a disciple of His named, “Peter” (Mt 16:18). This disciple heard God’s word, “Go and make disciples,” and himself went and “remind[ed others] about these things, even though [they] know them and are established in the truth [they] have” (2Pt 1:12). The way marked “Disciple” is hard. You see, it entails building our foundation in Christ upon His Word every day through study, meditation, and application. The narrow road means we call “friend” those whom Jesus has called His own (John 15:13,14) and that we are willing to hate those we love the most in order to follow God who most loves us (Luke 9:23-27). To follow Jesus means we must make disciples adamant about their obedience to His commission. Few dare tread this path because an easier way is set for them that requires little more than faith, attendance, and a willingness to sing. “So you’ll recognize them by their fruit,” says our Lord. What fruit are you bearing for this Christ you call “Lord, Lord?”
“For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.” I’ve often wondered if the broad road sign reads, “Heaven” or “Hell?” If it says, “Hell,” then what would be the point in Jesus’ mentioning of it? Putting a warning on a road marked “Hell” would be like printing a Surgeon General’s label on a keg of gun powder: “Caution, may blow your mind.” Since Jesus follows up this statement with an admonition; “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolfs,” the assumption is that the travelers believe they’re treading down a highway to “Heaven.”
We know that Hell’s caretaker isn’t an ugly lizard of a being with fangs, a forked tongue, and the owner of red suit, but is rather, as Paul states, “…disguised as an angel of light” (2Cor 10:11). Therefore, his servants, these same false prophets from Jesus’ warning, “also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” and preach to us that this wide and broad road their congregation is travelling upon is indeed the one true way to Heaven. Ah, but we are reminded that many religions preach that their paths also lead to heavenly dwellings. Touché, but Jesus isn’t talking about them, is He? For these travelers are those who “[say] to [Him], ‘Lord, Lord!’ [and yet] will [not] enter the kingdom of heaven.” If the path named “Christian” is wide and easy, you might reconsider your destination.
NARROW IS THE WAY (Matthew 7:13-27)
The Narrow and Difficult
“‘Lord… are there few being saved?’ He said to them, ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able” (Luk 13:23,24). If “many” take the road marked “Heaven,” then the conclusion is that only the “few” will “make every effort to confirm [their] calling and election” (2Pt 1:10). If we asked a Christian today, “Are few saved?” what would be his/her response? What would be yours? That all a person needs to do is believe and they shall be saved? Jesus’ response wasn’t quite so inviting.
“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock.” When Jesus heard these words Himself, He built His house (we call it the Church) upon His rock—a disciple of His named, “Peter” (Mt 16:18). This disciple heard God’s word, “Go and make disciples,” and himself went and “remind[ed others] about these things, even though [they] know them and are established in the truth [they] have” (2Pt 1:12). The way marked “Disciple” is hard. You see, it entails building our foundation in Christ upon His Word every day through study, meditation, and application. The narrow road means we call “friend” those whom Jesus has called His own (John 15:13,14) and that we are willing to hate those we love the most in order to follow God who most loves us (Luke 9:23-27). To follow Jesus means we must make disciples adamant about their obedience to His commission. Few dare tread this path because an easier way is set for them that requires little more than faith, attendance, and a willingness to sing. “So you’ll recognize them by their fruit,” says our Lord. What fruit are you bearing for this Christ you call “Lord, Lord?”
UNSCHOOLED
Part One
I have a confession to make. Some times I feel proud that I graduated from college with a Bachelor’s Degree and am about to do so again with a Master’s. I think to myself, “At least I’ve made the effort to better myself so that I don’t have to labor with my hands like the uneducated.” I imagine this is what the Pharisees thought of Jesus’ misfits; “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). I don’t think the apostles were ashamed, however, for the same was said of their Lord. “The Jews were amazed and asked, ‘How did this man get such learning without having studied?’” (John 7:15).
You know how school works, right? “For the lips of priests ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction” (Mal 2:7). One person preserves knowledge by dispensing to those who reap from what the scholar has sown. The teacher studies what others have studied from still further others, and then shares his lessons with his students expecting that they might learn from him as he did from his teachers and they from still others. The learned spend time studying books written about Jesus by authors who had studied other books written about Jesus, and then passing it on to us as we learn from their knowledge of our Lord. However, this wasn’t the way our Jesus schooled His men.
Part Two
As some of you know, I’ll be teaching cadets at the United States Military Academy hows to writes gooder come August of this year. Considering what I’ve learned from the University thus far, I’m nervous thinking that it will be my job to educate the future leaders of America in the art and science of communication. What if I don’t know my stuff? What if I teach the way less excellently?
What if the person who preaches to us about Christ isn’t really as in tuned to Jesus as they think? Jesus found common men considered “unschooled” by their religious leaders and trained them to become like the Eternal King of Heaven and Earth. His training plan did not follow the accepted format of educational experts back then or now. Today, we teach about Jesus from a lectern called “pulpit” to a classroom called “congregation” and expect that those who hear truth will inevitably reciprocate its practice. Jesus’ training was hands-on, like the unschooled laborers of today who teach their skill not from the pages of a book but by the sweat of their brow and dirt-caked hands. Jesus trained His disciples to make disciples by teaching them Person to person, not pulpit to pew. You see, if you follow Jesus’ lesson plan then you will never worry if you know your stuff or if you’ll lead others astray. Jesus’ disciple-making methods are not about telling others what you know but rather introducing them to Him who you know.
“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (1Cor 2:4,5).
I have a confession to make. Some times I feel proud that I graduated from college with a Bachelor’s Degree and am about to do so again with a Master’s. I think to myself, “At least I’ve made the effort to better myself so that I don’t have to labor with my hands like the uneducated.” I imagine this is what the Pharisees thought of Jesus’ misfits; “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). I don’t think the apostles were ashamed, however, for the same was said of their Lord. “The Jews were amazed and asked, ‘How did this man get such learning without having studied?’” (John 7:15).
You know how school works, right? “For the lips of priests ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction” (Mal 2:7). One person preserves knowledge by dispensing to those who reap from what the scholar has sown. The teacher studies what others have studied from still further others, and then shares his lessons with his students expecting that they might learn from him as he did from his teachers and they from still others. The learned spend time studying books written about Jesus by authors who had studied other books written about Jesus, and then passing it on to us as we learn from their knowledge of our Lord. However, this wasn’t the way our Jesus schooled His men.
Part Two
As some of you know, I’ll be teaching cadets at the United States Military Academy hows to writes gooder come August of this year. Considering what I’ve learned from the University thus far, I’m nervous thinking that it will be my job to educate the future leaders of America in the art and science of communication. What if I don’t know my stuff? What if I teach the way less excellently?
What if the person who preaches to us about Christ isn’t really as in tuned to Jesus as they think? Jesus found common men considered “unschooled” by their religious leaders and trained them to become like the Eternal King of Heaven and Earth. His training plan did not follow the accepted format of educational experts back then or now. Today, we teach about Jesus from a lectern called “pulpit” to a classroom called “congregation” and expect that those who hear truth will inevitably reciprocate its practice. Jesus’ training was hands-on, like the unschooled laborers of today who teach their skill not from the pages of a book but by the sweat of their brow and dirt-caked hands. Jesus trained His disciples to make disciples by teaching them Person to person, not pulpit to pew. You see, if you follow Jesus’ lesson plan then you will never worry if you know your stuff or if you’ll lead others astray. Jesus’ disciple-making methods are not about telling others what you know but rather introducing them to Him who you know.
“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (1Cor 2:4,5).
OUT OF CONTEXT
The Friendship Verse
I once read this verse on a Christian “friendship” card; “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight” (Gen 31:49). It sounds really nice with the implication that God will keep on eye on my friend for me and on me for him when we are away from one another, but if you consider the context of the passage it’s like using the command, “Love your enemies” on a Get-Well card. Laban, Jacob’s uncle, had just been swindled out of his speckled goats and was now on the warpath to retrieve his daughters and twelve grandchildren. Only God warned the brother of Rebekah not to harm the chosen one of the Lord. Laban and Jacob made a treaty at Galeed that neither would pass the mound in order to harm the other. In essence, they were saying, “Goodbye, enemy of mine.” Not really a “friendship” verse at all, is it?
It’s not the first verse to be taken out of context, of course. There are many others to include Luke 6:38 concerning money, Ephesians 4:15 concerning the pastoral position, and John 3:16 concerning salvation. But we don’t have time for those today. Instead, consider what verse should be written on that Halmark Christian friendship card. “You are my friends if you do what I command you… I have called you friends because… I chose [and] appointed you that you should go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:14-16).
Study the Bible to show yourself approved; don’t just do Bible study to approve of yourself.
I once read this verse on a Christian “friendship” card; “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight” (Gen 31:49). It sounds really nice with the implication that God will keep on eye on my friend for me and on me for him when we are away from one another, but if you consider the context of the passage it’s like using the command, “Love your enemies” on a Get-Well card. Laban, Jacob’s uncle, had just been swindled out of his speckled goats and was now on the warpath to retrieve his daughters and twelve grandchildren. Only God warned the brother of Rebekah not to harm the chosen one of the Lord. Laban and Jacob made a treaty at Galeed that neither would pass the mound in order to harm the other. In essence, they were saying, “Goodbye, enemy of mine.” Not really a “friendship” verse at all, is it?
It’s not the first verse to be taken out of context, of course. There are many others to include Luke 6:38 concerning money, Ephesians 4:15 concerning the pastoral position, and John 3:16 concerning salvation. But we don’t have time for those today. Instead, consider what verse should be written on that Halmark Christian friendship card. “You are my friends if you do what I command you… I have called you friends because… I chose [and] appointed you that you should go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:14-16).
Study the Bible to show yourself approved; don’t just do Bible study to approve of yourself.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
IN THE BEGINNING
Separate Not Equal
“God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness… [Then] God made two great lights—the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night” (Gen 1:4,16). This New Year begins for me with a new trek through the Word of our God using the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Though I’ve read Genesis over a dozen times before, only now did I notice what’s always been plain before my eyes. God begins with separation—the heavens from the earth, light from darkness, earth from sky and land from water. And that separation does not create equality.
“But you ask: ‘How have you loved us?’ ‘Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?... Even so, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau” (Mal 1:2,3). Love is separate and not equal. That is, if my love for my wife is equal to my love for others, then it is not love. If my love for a stranger’s child is the same as my love for my own, then it is not love. If my love for God is the same as my love for my family or my friends, then it is not love (Luk 14:26). “In love, He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:4,5) means that before God separated anything in this earth, He first set apart those who would be His. In love, He separated His children from His creation in order to do good works which He prepared in advance for them to do.
The First Command
“Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it” (Gen 1:28). God created us in His image so that we might reproduce His image on this earth. The problem with Adam was that he “listened to [his] wife’s voice and ate from the tree” (Gen 3:17) and therefore every person born of Adam’s fleshly loins is “fathered in his [Adam’s] likeness, according to his image” (Gen 5:3). Because “every scheme his mind thought was nothing but evil all the time” (Gen 6:5), God separated those who followed Him from those who did not by either taking them away from the world (Enoch) or taking the world away from them (Noah). When Noah left the salvation of the Ark, the same command was given that righteous drunkard, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 9:1). Sinners beget sinners and bred them to sin until…
“The first Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit” (1Cor 15:45). Jesus, this last Adam, “By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures” (Jas 1:3). This command, “Be fruitful and multiply according to your kind,” has always been obeyed with or apart from our conscious concession. The sons of Adam will multiply sinners to subdue this world. The sons of God, however, will make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything the second Adam has commanded us. We are the firstfruits of God’s creation. Are we being fruitful by reproducing disciples of the second Adam?
The First Sin
“In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5). The best lies wear the same clothes as truth. In fact, Adam and Eve were already created in God’s image and possessed the ability to discern good from evil. God said, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen 2:16,17). Good = free to eat. Bad = not this one. The serpent pointed his tail at the tree in the middle of the garden and caused the couple to believe they could choose to outsmart God.
“God, who saved us and called us… not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus” (2Tim 1:9,10). Before the beginning, God saved us by His grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which would come thousands of years later on Calvary. The sin wasn’t that they ate the fruit but rather that they listened to deception and thought that they could choose to be like God of their own free will. God said to do it His way and they asked to do it according to theirs. God created us to be like Him. Sin is when we try to make Him like us.
“God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness… [Then] God made two great lights—the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night” (Gen 1:4,16). This New Year begins for me with a new trek through the Word of our God using the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Though I’ve read Genesis over a dozen times before, only now did I notice what’s always been plain before my eyes. God begins with separation—the heavens from the earth, light from darkness, earth from sky and land from water. And that separation does not create equality.
“But you ask: ‘How have you loved us?’ ‘Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?... Even so, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau” (Mal 1:2,3). Love is separate and not equal. That is, if my love for my wife is equal to my love for others, then it is not love. If my love for a stranger’s child is the same as my love for my own, then it is not love. If my love for God is the same as my love for my family or my friends, then it is not love (Luk 14:26). “In love, He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:4,5) means that before God separated anything in this earth, He first set apart those who would be His. In love, He separated His children from His creation in order to do good works which He prepared in advance for them to do.
The First Command
“Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it” (Gen 1:28). God created us in His image so that we might reproduce His image on this earth. The problem with Adam was that he “listened to [his] wife’s voice and ate from the tree” (Gen 3:17) and therefore every person born of Adam’s fleshly loins is “fathered in his [Adam’s] likeness, according to his image” (Gen 5:3). Because “every scheme his mind thought was nothing but evil all the time” (Gen 6:5), God separated those who followed Him from those who did not by either taking them away from the world (Enoch) or taking the world away from them (Noah). When Noah left the salvation of the Ark, the same command was given that righteous drunkard, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 9:1). Sinners beget sinners and bred them to sin until…
“The first Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit” (1Cor 15:45). Jesus, this last Adam, “By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures” (Jas 1:3). This command, “Be fruitful and multiply according to your kind,” has always been obeyed with or apart from our conscious concession. The sons of Adam will multiply sinners to subdue this world. The sons of God, however, will make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything the second Adam has commanded us. We are the firstfruits of God’s creation. Are we being fruitful by reproducing disciples of the second Adam?
The First Sin
“In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5). The best lies wear the same clothes as truth. In fact, Adam and Eve were already created in God’s image and possessed the ability to discern good from evil. God said, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen 2:16,17). Good = free to eat. Bad = not this one. The serpent pointed his tail at the tree in the middle of the garden and caused the couple to believe they could choose to outsmart God.
“God, who saved us and called us… not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus” (2Tim 1:9,10). Before the beginning, God saved us by His grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which would come thousands of years later on Calvary. The sin wasn’t that they ate the fruit but rather that they listened to deception and thought that they could choose to be like God of their own free will. God said to do it His way and they asked to do it according to theirs. God created us to be like Him. Sin is when we try to make Him like us.
Monday, January 14, 2008
A RESOLUTE ATTITUDE
Happy 2008, my friends and family. Prayerful proclamations of bountiful blessings will be offered in your honor this coming year as I hope the same may be reciprocated on my behalf. Many of us looking to the new year offer up resolutions aimed at bettering ourselves or achieving a goal chosen to correct habitual fallacies from years past. We resolve to be more spiritual; read our Bible, go to a church regularly, pray continually, and maybe, make disciples. We resolve to be more fit; lose a pound a week, exercise constantly, and eat less like an American. We resolve to be more wise; better grades, studious devotion to books, less television and (God forbid) video games. We resolve to be rich; save more than we spend, spend less than we want, and want only what we need. But our resolves will dissolve the way of fads, diets, and yesterday’s technologies because in this life we are sinners, born and bred.
This year, I resolve to be resolute—characterized by determination and purposefulness. I spent 2007 wishing it was more like 2006 and giving up on the things I ought to do only because I didn’t want to believe others cared. Nobody reads these thoughts, so why write them? No one shows up when you recruit, so why speak to strangers? No one cares about your devotionals so why teach? No one wants one-on-one discipleship so why not do as the “Christians” do and call congregating “church?” A favorite hymn of mine includes this verse, “Though none go with me, still I will follow… no turning back, no turning back.”
I resolve to be resolute whether others want to be or not. I will follow Jesus this year. How about you?
This year, I resolve to be resolute—characterized by determination and purposefulness. I spent 2007 wishing it was more like 2006 and giving up on the things I ought to do only because I didn’t want to believe others cared. Nobody reads these thoughts, so why write them? No one shows up when you recruit, so why speak to strangers? No one cares about your devotionals so why teach? No one wants one-on-one discipleship so why not do as the “Christians” do and call congregating “church?” A favorite hymn of mine includes this verse, “Though none go with me, still I will follow… no turning back, no turning back.”
I resolve to be resolute whether others want to be or not. I will follow Jesus this year. How about you?
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