Imitate Me

11/9/2016

1 Corinthians 4.15-16 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. – St. Paul

Who led you to Christ? Was there anyone who influenced you to turn your life over to Jesus and follow Him (as he or she followed Him)? Who is your father in Christ?

For some, your Father is your father; you came to Christ by the power and influence of God’s presence and simply turned your life over to Him. For others, there was a person or two that convinced you the path you chose was leading you to nowhere, and somehow you decided to turn and follow another path, the path of Christ. Would that person have said: “I urge you to imitate me (as I follow Christ)”?

That’s a big question to an even bigger statement: I urge you to imitate me. Who says that – the timid, the questioning, the confused!? It takes quite a person to say: I urge you to imitate me…

The guy who led me to Christ may have been that kind of person. He was a bit brash and came off as somewhat arrogant. But he had a heart of gold and he followed Jesus with all of his heart. He urged me to imitate him in his faith in Jesus. That’s what true discipleship is all about: imitation, emulation, following the leader. Those kinds of people are fathers.

Awhile back at my men’s group, we mused: who are the fathers in our respective churches? None of us made the list. I wonder why. Is it because we can’t see ourselves as fathers; or is it because we’re uncertain of our calling? Part of it may be, we’re so shocked when we read Paul’s words that we’re blown away at the thought of anyone on earth urging others to imitate their faith and devotion to Christ?

Even the most spiritual I know seem reticent to act that way or say such a thing. We judge ourselves weirdly.

So, we’re blown away by Paul, whom we deem as the bellwether for our faith, but what do we really think about Jesus who said, go everywhere to everyone and tell them about Me? Do we think Jesus would urge: Imitate Me, as I give Myself to God? These are questions worth asking. Is Paul on a pedestal with no room for anyone else? Who are we imitating if we’re not imitating him? And why, if we’re not, aren’t we? Who are we asking to imitate us? Or do we dare venture out onto that ice? If not, why not.

My questions today are: where is my faith taking me; and who am I following (imitating) to get where I think I’m going? Do I imitate anyone, or am I just winging it all on my own, hoping for the best? Maybe the difference in my faith-walk would turn on such questions as these. Maybe God is waiting for me to urge someone to imitate me in my faith and practice. I think I am confronted today in the real reality of my faith and understanding.

Father in Heaven, You did not invite me into the Kingdom to wing it on my own. I believe (at least for today) that You are urging me to walk in such a way as to urge others to imitate me in my faith in You. It is not performance or production, but heart. Is my heart so full before You that I would ask others to follow me as I follow Jesus – that is the question. Help me to answer it I pray, amen

A Demonstration

11/8/2016

1 Corinthians 2.4-5 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. – St. Paul

I think we have two options when it comes to the Holy Spirit: accept Him, or deny Him. I think the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood and underutilized Person of the Trinity. I think the Holy Spirit confuses people as much today as back then. He is not the Author of confusion, but we are confused about Him. We’re confused in our perception of Him as predictable, or willy-nilly. He, in fact, holds us together.

Yesterday, I sat with my friend Benny and we talked about ministry and why it is that faith and power seem to be so lacking in our day. Benny works with “at-risk” youth and tries to connect them to Jesus by building relationships with them, and giving them practical skills to use in everyday life. He holds camps to help kids disconnect with their ‘norm’ so that he can teach them and show them about Jesus. What Benny desires is a demonstration of the Spirit’s power not only to renew, but also to transform.

We talked about why it is that so many kids seem to start out well but end up so poorly. They seem to want something different in their lives, yet they keep returning to what it is they know: living life by reaction. They aren’t being led by God, but by the willy-nilly whims of their own mind.

Benny talked about leading them to see the Northern Star of life: Jesus Christ. The North Star is out there, and it is the star by which we earthlings determine the location of everything else. Jesus desires to be ‘in here,’ (point at your chest) on the throne of our heart, to lead us to where He calls us to be. The inner beacon, the inner compass, is the Holy Spirit. He is the divine GPS in our lives.

It is by the Holy Spirit that we see evidence of God’s power and presence, because in us, He is God’s power and presence. The Spirit is neither predictable nor willy-nilly; He is the Presence of God in our daily lives and practice. We don’t seek Him above God: He is God; In Him we live, move and have our being.

Paul said he demonstrated the Spirit’s power. He did this for two reasons: 1) to demonstrate the presence of the Holy Spirit, and 2) to differentiate between that of God, and that of man. Man, in all his glory is fatally weak. He may sound good and look good, but he is broken and untrustworthy. God is his only hope. The presence of the Holy Spirit is his only credibility. To proclaim change without the presence of the Holy Spirit is all man has: his proclamation. Without the Holy Spirit, he has no proof.

His words may sound good, his actions may look good, but without proof he is just one more huckster in the arena of life trying to control and persuade men. The presence of God’s Spirit doesn’t make me God; I am made genuine if I cooperate with His power and presence within me. Said the Apostle Paul: 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 human wisdom, but on God’s power. We either trust men, or we trust God.

Father, fill me afresh today with Your Spirit in all I do. May my life be a demonstration of the Spirit’s power within me. Amen

Off The Leash

11/7/2016

Galatians 5.1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. – St. Paul

What is the price of freedom and what does freedom do for us? It is hard to think about the entirety of culture mankind has built up over the centuries. It is hard to think about the issues and isms we humans have fought for, and even shed blood over, because we thought it was the right thing to do. So, what does freedom, really give us?

Freedom, gives us God. It is unimaginable what the world would look like had Adam and Eve never sinned. But now, since they did, it is better to imagine what the world will look like in the days to come when God restores all that. But that world comes at a cost, and that world will truly be a world set free.

In Paul’s writings, he dealt (largely) with grace versus law. Grace is freeing, law is slavery. But Paul also informed us that since we will all be slaves to something, then we should consider being slaves to freedom. And freedom, he insists, comes only from Christ.

Specifically, in Galatians, the church was being assaulted by those who would put forth that true obedience to Christ comes only from a mixture of faith, but also, obedience to the Mosaic Law. Nothing, he claims, could be farther from the truth. The freedom of faith is the grace to love God and love others and if there is a law to be followed it is simply this: faith expressing itself through love (Galatians 5.6).

We don’t need a law to command us to love, but we do need grace to free us to. And grace, no matter what we think it to be, always boils down to this: favor and friendship from God freely given to us as we are right now, not as we become by following rules. Law is inflexible. Grace is fluid. Law demands, grace frees. Look at what we’ve become by following the rules…

Our problem, perhaps, is our fear of grace. Sometimes, I take my dog out on a walk (which she truly loves to do) and I don’t attach the leash to her collar. She gets all weird about it. She keeps looking at me as if to say, Is this right!? She is so used to the leash that freedom from it sorta freaks her out. I spend way more time encouraging her off the leash than I do yanking her on the leash when she decides to be a dog and stop to smell the smells. We are not dogs, but we do understand “leashes”; Law is leash.

Dogs were not designed for leashes; we were not designed for law. We were designed for freedom and the laws we’ve created have bound us from that freedom. So, Paul rejoices by saying: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; in other words, you don’t need a leash to guide you other than the leash of love. Love for God and love for others.

Too simplistic? Too naïve? Too fanciful? Too unbelievable? It is unimaginable what the world would look like had Adam and Eve never sinned; but it is precisely to that world Jesus is leading us – off the leash.

Father, sometimes we are so used to our sins, our rules, and our slavery that we cannot imagine what true freedom would look like. Yet Your servant said that is precisely where You are leading those who believe. It is for freedom, that Christ has set us free. May I learn to walk in freedom. May I learn to love at depths I’ve never considered. By Your Spirit lead me in love this day – to Your glory and because of Your grace, amen.

The Proper Order of Things

11/6/2016

Galatians 3.17 “What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.” – St. Paul

I think I have reasoned through this before, but I have had to reason through it again today: the Law is apart from the Promise. Always has been. Always will be. The Law was not a covenant; the Law was given to Moses so that through it the people of Israel (later called the Jews) could relate to God. The Law is not for all mankind, the Law was for a specific people for a specific time.

I think people get tripped up easily by the Bible. Its message is very straight forward. It is plainly written and very well laid out. But here’s where I think the problem is: Religion demands rules. And the Old Testament Law is a set of rules. And most people want religion rather than relationship with God. To them, it is easier to try to follow rules, traditions, and customs than it is to get to know God.

Most people don’t believe God is personable and knowable. They prefer to deal with an abstract view of God; finding that abstraction excuses their living. They reason: God is somehow God and He will do what He does, and if they are harmed or discomforted in the process, well, that’s just karma. To them, friendship with God is impossible and mostly unnecessary because God is going to do what He’s going to do anyway.

At least with the rules, there is something to follow and work at. When standing before God, most men (and women and children) will want to direct God’s attention to what they’ve accomplished so they can tell God: I tried. I got this far. I put some effort into this. Judge me for my effort, not how I knew You.

What most of us forget in our religious penchant is that God promised Abraham that through Abraham’s Seed (Jesus Christ) all the nations of the world would be blessed. That Promise still stands, the Law is long gone.

The Promise is accepted by faith: “So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Galatians 3.9) The Law was given, not promised. Only the faithful know this and relate to God in faith. There is no need for a Law for them, because they are not Jews and the Law does not apply to them – but faith does. Abraham was blessed by what he believed, not by what he did.

I always need to be reminded. I don’t need to memorize the entire Bible; I just need to know that the Law, as big and powerful as it was – never circumvented the previous Promise. I need to remember that I am a child of Promise, not a follower of the Law. I need to be reminded that centuries ago, a man like me believed God, and it was credited to Him as righteousness. I must be reminded to keep the proper order of things: Promise trumps Law every time.

Father, it is so crystal clear: You gave Abraham the gift of Faith: he believed You. You have never changed the relationship since then. It is by faith that I relate to You and by faith that I live out my days knowing You. Help me to remember the proper order of things and what applies to whom. The Law was never meant for Your kids. Thank You God! Amen

Ruthless Humility

11/5/2016

Galatians 1.10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. – St. Paul

You know, the part of the people pleaser is futile, for he can’t please people. Yet he tries because he sees people-pleasing as something of value. He wants to remain neutral in all things so as not to make waves but by doing so, the waves rage all around him. Sadly, many people attempt to be people-pleasers for they think, if we could all just get along, life would be better… We can do it!

Can’t say that I blame the people-pleaser; after all, I’d like it if we could all just get along. When I think of the conflicts around the world and the carnage of human life in the process, yes, I wish we could all just get along. But we can’t and, more, we won’t. But we insist on pleasing people.

I think a people-pleaser wants everyone to get along and wants everyone to like him. People-pleasing isn’t as much about people as it is about self; and being accepted, and liked. Can you blame him? He just wants to be all things to all people all of the time – isn’t that noble? The people-pleaser exalts himself to the place of being the example for the rest of us – if only we all could be just like him. Then, our mission, like his, would be to please everyone else.

But what happens when his brand of people-pleasing differs from mine? Then what? Well then we’ll have that group over there led by their people-pleaser, and my group over here being led by me. And provided we don’t spend too much time around each other, everyone will be pleased with their people- pleasers.

And then we’ll build colleges for teaching “People Pleasing”. And we’ll write books. And we’ll have an appointed time each week where we gather in our special people-pleasing buildings, and sing songs, and hear testimonies, and enjoy rousing speeches on the merits of pleasing people. And we’ll have kids groups, and women’s societies, and things for the men to do. And we’ll all please each other and live blissful lives of being blissfully pleased.

And we won’t need God. Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try. No hell below us; above only sky. Imagine all the people, living for the day… * We’ll have out-pleased God.

Paul said people-pleasing is what separates us from service to Christ. If Christ is Who He is and has done what He has done, then there is an enormous need for Christ, because then and only then, do we live for others, empowered and helped by Him to help them. Many want people pleasing because they don’t need or want Christ – thanks Jesus, we got it.

Only as we each focus on, and move toward Jesus Christ, will we be drawn closer together. We won’t be focused on anything but Him and His purposes for each of us, which by the way, includes loving each others out of respect and love for Him… Christ is pleased and we all are happy. Hmmm…

Father, may I live wholly, solely holy for You. May I keep my eyes on Your eternal Kingdom and love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. And may I love others as myself regardless of whether (or not) they measure up to being loved. Your will and way is perfect and calls for ruthless humility in my daily walk. I cannot please others, I can only love them as You lead me to love You… Amen

*Credit to whom credit is due: John Lennon, 1971

God Thoughts

11/2/2016

Job 23.10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. – Job

I used to think of Job as a theologian of sorts. I used to think, when I read Job, that everything he said was right on, and everything his three friends said was garbage. This time through, I’m thinking Job was a guy just like you and me (perhaps, apart from his wealth); What we read in Job are Job’s thoughts about God; thoughts just like you and I have.

It’s obvious from the text that Job and his friends had thoughts about God. The problem was their thoughts were stunted or incomplete. Now, Job certainly had experienced a calamity in his life and he was trying to figure out why – so the natural thing for him to do was to question God in his own way: why have You allowed this to happen to me?

I think Job chose to live an upstanding life. I’m not sure what he based that on, but because we get a peek into his life, we even hear God say: “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” Job was a good man by the standards of his time and by the testimony of God.

But Job only had thoughts of God. Unlike Abraham, Job didn’t sit down and have coffee with God; he was left to his thoughts. And Job understood that somehow God knew about him, even though all he had were thoughts of God. I think, at some point, everyone has thoughts about God. Some thoughts might be good thoughts about God and others maybe not so good. The more important question for me is do I think about God at all?

So, Job reasoned: But [God] knows the way that I take; when [God] has tested me, I will come forth as gold. Job’s thoughts led him to believe: though he himself had thoughts of God, God had knowledge of him. That’s important for all of us to know – that God knows us. And because Job thought that way, he reasoned that whatever was happening, and when it was all over, God would bring him (Job) forth as better. Job reasoned there was a positive plan a purpose to his calamity.

Do we do that? Do our thoughts of God allow us to reason that if God knows us and allows stuff to happen to us, that somehow, some way, we’ll be better for it in the long run? Job, in my estimation seemed to think that. Which brings me back to God thoughts:

What do we think the Almighty thinks about us? Obviously, Job lived in such a way as to garner attention from God; do we? Does that matter? Do we perceive there is a plan and a purpose to our lives? When stuff happens to us, do we thank God that His plan for us in on track or do we blame Him for disrupting our lives? Can we say like Job, “…when [God] has tested me, I will come forth [better]?

Where have our thoughts led us in thinking about God?

Father, You know me and know what I think. You know, more often than not, I am not pleased with my circumstances and arrive at a conclusion that I have somehow made You mad, and You are paying me back. Help me to elevate my thoughts of You above such whiny adolescence. You are about the business, not of fixing me, but of transforming me. Find me faithful and cooperative in Your process that I too, may come forth as gold… Amen.

Pecking Order

11/1/2016

Mark 10.39-40 39 “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” – St. Mark

I think it was a normal guy-thing – you know, the jockeying for position. It seems the disciples were just like everyone else: infected with the natural human affliction of pecking order. So, it really was not a surprise that James and John (who’d come to the conclusion that something really was going to happen to Jesus) came to Jesus and asked for preferential treatment: Let us sit on Your left and right when You are in Your glory…

Already in chapter 9, the disciples had been squabbling over position and Jesus asked them: “What were you arguing about on the road?” (v31) And now in chapter 10, James and John do the unthinkable: they go straight to the Source to reserve their seats. And the other 10 are livid: Who do they think they are!?

To which Jesus said: “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” James and John say they can and Jesus replies: you will!

Preferential treatment is not what the Kingdom of God is all about. I don’t know where James of John are sitting currently, but before they got to glory, James was cut down with the sword and John was boiled in oil and left for dead. (He didn’t die then, but you can be sure he was a sore sight to those who saw him). They both suffered the baptism meant for them. They both entered glory, and I’m betting they both heard the words: Well done good and faithful servant!

The only position and preference meant for the child of God is this: to act justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6.8). When we moderns think about our exit strategy, we will have to include the cup we will all drink, and the baptism we will all endure. It’s that way for everyone who follows Jesus.

Special seats were culturally important to James and John; just getting into the party is important to me.

That’s not to put down James and John, they worked hard and loved Jesus. But they, like many of the rest of us were caught up in hierarchy and pecking order. With mankind, that’s just the way it goes. But it doesn’t have to be that way. That’s why walking with Jesus is so important. When our hearts are aligned with His then proximity to Him is as close as our heart. We don’t have to sit with Him, He sits within us by His Spirit. How much closer do we need to be?

Father God, I too am caught up in positon, possession, and pecking order. I pray for the grace to simply accept who I am where I am and the cup I will ultimately have to drink as I am baptized with the baptism meant for me. When I stand before You, I will stand alone – no one else will give and account with me. Find me faithful Lord. Let me hear the words meant for those invited to the celebration of Your glory: Well done good and faithful servant! Amen