DownshoreDrift

Emily Hunter McGowin, a theology student at Baylor that I have become familiar with through her postings on SBCOutpost, has published an incredible message on Romans 8:28-39. She writes about how God works in our lives even when we are going through incredible hardship and suffering. As I read her words, I was reminded of what we have seen God do in our lives through our son, Caelan. Today, we can rejoice in Caelan's birthday and that he is healthy and has turned two, but our real joy comes in knowing that God is always for us, is always working circumstances for our good, and is laboring to conform us to the image of Christ. Thanks for the reminder, Emily.

Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC says that. I think that he's right.

I've been asked by a couple of people over the past week about repentance - what it is and how you do it. I preached about it on Sunday as I happened to be at that point in the Book of Acts - Acts 3:19-20, which says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus."

Now ultimately, Biblical repentance is about salvation. It is about turning AWAY from your sin and rebellion and turning to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Too many people make repentance into something like, "stop doing bad and start doing good." But, there's no power in that. True repentance means that we turn AWAY from sin and turn TO faith in Jesus.

Repentance means to turn around. A man might say, "I was headed for a cliff, but I repented. I turned around and went the other way and lived."

Repentance is more than just being sorry. It means that we turn around - we forsake our sinful thoughts and activities. It is not a burdensome thing, but rather, it is extremely lifegiving. When we repent, we step into who God has truly made us to be as we place our faith in Jesus.

Who needs to repent? Paul, in Acts 17:30 says that repentance is for everyone: "he (God) commands all people everywhere to repent." We all need to repent because we have all sinned and fall short of God's glory. And, repentance is not just a one time thing. Jesus told the church in Ephesus in Rev. 2:5 that was doing so much right, to "Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."  Turn around from the direction you were going and turn to Christ. Even Christians.

So, I thought that I would list some steps to repentance. Repentance, for the Christian, renews our relationship with God and puts us back on the right path. It involves a looking away from and forsaking past behavior and attitudes and a looking to Christ. It seems that many do not know how to repent. Here are some thoughts:

1. Ask God to search your heart (Pslam 139:23-24). We are all pretty subjective. If it is my job to search my heart, I will often rationalize attitudes and actions that God would get rid of if I would just submit to Him. When asking Him to search my heart, it is helpful to read the Bible and focus on passages like Colossians 3.  What from that passage do I need to believe and incorporate into my life? What do I need to deal with?
2. When God shows you the areas that you need to deal with, confess them to God. Confession is basically agreement with God that we have sinned (1 John 1:9). When we agree with God about our sin, we admit that He is holy and that His character is in tact. We confess our sin and claim His forgiveness. We agree with God about what we have done, give it to Him, and begin to receive His forgiveness. This enables us to walk with Him. Amos 3:3 says, "Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?"
3. When you confess your sin, forsake it. Turn away from it. "Put off the old" (Eph. 4:22).
4. Turn to Christ in faith. It is not enough to just try and stop doing/thinking negative things. We must additionally turn to Christ. He makes us "new in the attitude of our minds" (Eph. 4:23). In this, we receive His unlimited forgiveness and mercy.
5. We must put move on. We put on the new self and enter into times of refreshing (Eph. 4:24).

Repentance has gotten a bad rap. It has this image of being this guilt induced experience that makes us feel awful and very ashamed. That is not so! Biblical repentance is liberating and it leads to life! It is a way that God has given us to throw off our sin and turn to Jesus to find true life! It is an avenue to wholeness, because we are only truly whole when we walk with Him. We all need to be in an attitude of repentance all the time. We never become so holy or perfect that we do not need to continually realign ourselves with God's work, will, and purposes taking place around us. Who do we think we are?

I am not talking about feeling bad all the time. But, I am talking about having a basic understanding that I need to realign myself to what God is doing and His holiness and not the other way around. I need to turn around from the direction that I was headed, and by faith, turn to God. It seems that we make repentance too hard on people and they miss an incredible blessing of laying down their will to take up the yoke of Christ. We have made another blessed means of knowing God more deeply into a shameful and legalistic exercise that is only for "really bad sinners."

Well, I am here to confess that I need continual repentance. I need to consistently realign my life with God's will and purposes. I am not ashamed to admit that, because that is a place that I find refreshing, life giving, living water from Jesus. Sometimes it is difficult for us to admit that we need to keep turning our lives over to God, but it is true. And, there is life in recognizing the we still need a Savior each and every day.

May we engage in true heartfelt repentance this week. May we confess our sins and our desperate need for Christ and also the victory that He has for all who believe in Him. Then, by faith, may we receive the incredible grace that God lavishes upon all who call upon Him and move on into the path that God truly wants us to walk - a walk in agreement with Him.

Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Vacation was WONDERFUL!!! My family and I spent a week at the beach and it was great. I have a ton of pictures that I will be putting up later this week. The time away was much needed.

Here and there I was able to peruse some of the reaction from the SBC Annual Meeting. Let me just say that I am more than glad that I have decided to bow out of all of this. I will be limiting my involvement in SBC issues to being a contributing writer for the new SBCOutpost, which will be a group blog effort. Other than that, further participation appears to be pointless.

So, all of that brings me back to the point of my writing: to try and lift up the name of Jesus and to point out where I see God at work in the world around me. I have continued to think about the Fruit of the Spirit, so I wanted to start the week off with some further reflections on Love. We know that God is love. In Romans 5:8 listed above, we see how God demonstrates His love for us by having Christ die for us while we were still sinners. Before we had ever done anything good and while we were still completely stinking with sin, Jesus died for you and for me. It is hard for us to fully grasp that, because we become so convinced of our goodness and righteousness and we begin to feel that we somehow merit the merit of Christ. This is never more true than when we are judging others. Let me tell you a story to illustrate my point.

In the late 1990's, I was a young seminary student at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in the San Francisco Bay Area. My wife and I joined First Baptist Church, San Francisco, and from there started a ministry to homeless people. We used to meet with a team of other folks in their 20's on Sunday mornings really early. We started going to the Civic Center park, which bore the popular name of "Crack Park" for obvious reasons. Each Sunday morning, we would pass out sweet rolls, orange juice, and clean socks (homeless people love clean socks) to those who were just waking up on benches or under trees. This was right in the shadow of City Hall and the police and city leadership turned a blind eye to the wide stretch of homeless people laying in the plaza. We were their Sunday morning wake up call, and we would share breakfast with them, offer them prayer, and invite them over to a central place where we would share the Word of God with them. We saw several come to Christ through this and we began discipling them. It was a powerful time.

One Sunday morning I was walking around the park and I was trying to give away the food and bless people through prayer and/or friendliness. Then, I saw the most disgusting sight I had ever seen in a human being. Before me lay a black man who was a homeless transvestite. He had partial make up on with a half grown beard. He was a mess and could not keep himself up. He had his shoes off and his feet were swollen and were oozing pus from open sores. From his body emanated a stench that was nauseating. Actually, I found myself gagging at the sight of this "man", rejected by both the straight and gay community. He was a complete horror show. As I gagged from the sight, smell, and aura of this he/she who was clearly very ill, I knew that I could not turn away. I was being overwhelmed by my own precious sensibilities and I wanted to run, but I knew that was wrong. I wish that I could say that I was just SO compassionate. But, I wasn't. I didn't know what to do.

So, in that moment, I decided that prayer was the answer. I cried out to God and I asked Him to let me see that man the way that He saw him. Immediately, I was flooded with love and warmth. Tears came to my eyes and my heart broke for the man. I saw him as a child of God, broken and bent, but still bearing God's image upon himself. I was overcome by the love of God for him. I don't know if I remember a prayer ever being answered so quickly. I realized that God loved this man so much, that while he was still in his sin, Christ died for him. Love flowed out of me as well. I walked over to the man, offered him something to eat, told him that Jesus loved him and died for him, and then I hugged him. The man was receptive and opened up to me. I wish I could report some miracle regarding the man, but the real miracle happened in my heart. As I experienced God's love for this man who was filthy with sin, my own heart was changed and I felt myself experience brokenness over his alienation from God. I was overwhelmed with God's grace that was available for this man. I was overwhelmed with God's love.

What kind of God do we serve who could love sinners? What kind of God is it that demonstrates His love by dying for us while we are still lost in our sin? If God has forgiven us this way, then who are we to not forgive others? How can we push someone else aside when God has given all to bring us back to Himself? And, having experienced this for ourselves, how can we not extend it to others?

Ephesians 3:17-19 "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

LOVE

The first fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 is LOVE. I am just going to list some relevant Scripture. Considering all that has been going on and the Convention coming up in the SBC next week, this should be self explanatory:

1 Corinthians 13

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Romans 5:8

8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:7-21

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
      God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Most will probably not read this far because the Scriptures are familiar and this is not controversial enough to draw out interest. But, it is pretty important. If we have everything and have not love, we are not good for anything at all. Also, love is not just a disposition of the heart, but it is always carried out in action. "Peter, do you love me? Then feed my sheep." Jesus showed us true world changing love by laying His life down for us. How can we lay our lives down for those around us?

I have been very frustrated with the events of the past weeks leading up to the Convention in San Antonio.  I am going and praying for change. But, I know that if I go angry and looking for a fight, my spirit will be empty and I will only live out of the desires of the flesh. We all need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. May we never become so focused on what we can accomplish that we forget that our first priority is to love God and love one another - sacrificially. I pray that that attitude overtakes all of us in every aspect of our lives.

As I've thought about this series on the Fruit of the Spirit, I think that I am going to make this an on again, off again project until I work through all of it. In other words, I will not do a post a day on a different aspect of the manifestation of the Spirit in our lives and character, but will likely work through it this summer. It will take more time than I thought for me to digest it and I don't want to rush as I am praying for transformation in my life instead of just wanting to write a bunch of stuff.

So, with that said, I thought I'd continue this series with some comments from a friend and writer, Bill Wilke. I met Bill a few years ago at a conference, and he has continued to challenge my thinking on a variety of issues. He sent me some emails regarding the necessity of abiding in Christ when it comes to producing His Fruit in our lives. Please read through his thoughts, especially the ones on the second page as he explores the Vine analogy in John 15. This is some really great stuff! I'd appreciate your comments as well.

I (Bill) agree with your analysis that without being grafted into the vine, which you did not talk about specifically as opposed to standing close to the vine (in proximity), we cannot produce anything of value. 

However, in the real biological world of the vine, the DNA or character of the fruit is determined by the branch not the vine if it is really grafted properly.  For example, you can have three varieties of apples on the same tree. 

I have found that when people know that they contribute to shaping the character of the fruit, it is awesome.  It is not about the branch being totally passive, as some analyst argue, where the sap just passes through and the branch contribute noting. Each individual plays a distinct and important role as a grafted branch onto the vine/Christ.  Challenging people in their own world to manifest and later discover the shape, color, texture, taste and even character of the fruit that they are manifesting is both fun and exciting.

______________________________________________________________________

Alan,

I don’t want to interrupt what God is doing through you but I have the following question.

Fruit is a by-product/symptom.  Should you study the Spiritual Fruits before or after you understand the gratfing process into the vine which I think is the real “cause and effect.”

I will give you a few examples of topics that a believer needs to comprehend and integrate about the vine before they can appreciate or manifest the spiritual gifts.  Some may try through human effort and I have been surprised at the level of success even though they are really “fakers” and the truth will eventually come out.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

I've decided to start a new series here on Downshoredrift on the Fruit of the Spirit. With all the talk about the Gifts of the Spirit in relation to the IMB and SBC issues, I felt that some discussion on the development of Christian character was in order. So, over the next couple of weeks, I hope to take a look at each of the nine manifestations of the Fruit of the Spirit as displayed in Galatians 5:22-23.  After discussion of each manifestation, I want to look at how they each relate to our relationship with God, our relationship with one another, and our relationship with the world and it's expectations. You might be surprised at how revolutionary this concept of living the Spirit life before the powers, principalities, and personalities of the world can be. So much of what we try to accomplish in Christian life and ministry is attempted through the power of the flesh and human organization and effort. But, God gives us a different way - the Way of the Spirit. It is a way that is rarely chosen, but it is powerful beyond measure and there is no law against it. It is articulated through the Sermon on the Mount and the ethic of Jesus and it has implications that shatter the power of this dark world. It will raise valleys, bring low mountains, and make crooked paths straight. It will bring about justice in a corrupt world and harmony to our relationships. It is the way forgotten in the Christian life in the midst of many more popular paths of human success and fulfillment. But, it is the Way that we must travel.

Last week at the Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit, I engaged in a bit of argumentation that is a bit unusual regarding the continuation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but it has come to make perfect sense to me.  In 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12:4-8, Paul tells us that we are all one body, the body of Christ. The body is made up of different parts and each part needs the other. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" and the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" (1 Cor. 12:21).  In both passages, the idea of the body is related to the discussion on spiritual gifts. Clearly from context we can conclude that the members of the body operate as the one body of Christ when each member uses his/her spiritual gifts. The body analogy does not make any sense apart from this perspective if we consider the context.

Now, if I lose my eye, hand, or leg, I am considered deformed, right? I am considered to be incomplete and not able to fully do what I was created/intended to do. If I lose my leg, I might still be able to live, breathe, think, make jokes, cook, and drive a car, but I will not be able to run as fast as before, climb mountains as well as before, or be as strong. When attempting those things, I have to compensate by being stronger in other areas, or I just sit around and remember the good old days when I used to run fast.

God has given us spiritual gifts to make us strong and he intends that we keep them till the end. "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church" (1 Cor. 14:26). That sounds like a command to me. What about 1 Corinthians 1:7?  "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."  (See Also Ephesians 4:11-16). We know from 1 Corinthians 12-14 that the main purpose of spiritual gifts is for the building up of the church.   So, doesn't it make sense that a lack of spiritual gifts would result in a weakened church? Hmmm. What is the state of the church today? Strong or weak? Could it be that we have neglected or abandoned some of the gifts that God has given us in favor of others that are more presentable and seem easier to manage?

Again, if I am missing part of my body, I am considered deformed or unhealthy. It doesn't mean that I am worthless or that I am loved less. It just means that I am not all I could have been if I had been healthy. I am blind in my right eye, and because of that, I was not able to serve in the military like I wanted to. I also have trouble with baseball, ping pong, tennis, raquetball, and night driving because I have no depth perception. I can't see a 3-D movie. Now, I have compensated and can still play those sports and drive at night, but it isn't what it could have been. I am aware of my limitations. I don't think less of myself and I don't think that God loves me less. But, I sure wish I had that eye. One day, I will.

Could the church be that way? Could we have lost some of the gifts that God wanted us to have to be strong? Except, He didn't take them away, we just quit using them and they atrophied. Or, we ran off the people who tried to use their gifts in certain ways because it didn't make sense to those who were not gifted that way. This goes way beyond tongues, miracles, and healings. It goes to the very heart of church life in the West. If all of the people with certain gift are run off, or if they are told that their gifts cannot function or don't exist, then what are you left with?  It kind of becomes like a half put togehter Mr. Potato Head doll. You have an eye here, an ear there, a mouth and an arm. But, it doesn't quite work correctly.

So, where could we have overcompensated? One area is in an overemphasis on the pastoral and preaching offices/gifts in church life. In some churches, everything seems to revolve around the pastor. I fully believe in Biblical church leadership, but I don't see the pastor being the only one in the church who is supposed to function the way we often see. Yet, he sometimes overfunctions and the result is a weak church. "Each one" is to contribute and bring something, remember?

Not all gifts are for the purpose of building up the church, at least directly. 1 Cor. 14:12 says, "Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church."  Paul is clearly saying here, I believe, that there are gifts that do not build up the church, otherwise he would not have shown the contrast here. Some build up the user, while others build up the church. The gifts that build up the church are greater (1 Cor. 12:31; 14:1-5), but it does not mean that the lesser gifts are not important as well. Some have said that gifts like speaking in tongues are invalid because they do not build up the church, but instead, they seem to build up/strengthen the user of the gift (1 Cor. 14:4).  Is it wrong to build yourself up in your faith and become strong in the Lord? The Bible doesn't seem to think so (Jude 20; Colossians 2:6-7; Ephesians 6:10).  Don't things like prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and ministry make us strong in the Lord? Then, should it not also stand to reason that exercising our spiritual gifts makes us strong as well? If I am strong, then the whole Body is strong. When I work out my biceps, it makes them strong, but it also strengthens and equips my whole body. So, personal strength is not mutually exclusive of corporate strength, but rather, it aids it.

Is the SBC headed for atrophy? What about our local churches? Will we run off people who exercise gifts of the Spirit that God tells us not to forbid (1 Cor. 14:39)?  Will we put more stock in our traditions and church histories than the clear reading of the text of Scripture? Will we continue to hobble along, overemphasing some parts of the body because we have cut off other parts that were given for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7)?  Just because we don't understand how all of this works does not mean that we should insult the grace of our Heavenly Father who graciously gives us all things. Some say that He gave gifts to the church when she was born, only to remove those gifts within a few decades. I think that Scripture says that without all of the gifts the church would be deformed, crippled, and weakened. I believe that it also says that God, the great gift giver, does not change and is not arbitrary:

16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. - James 1:16-18.

We will be taking a HUGE step toward answering some of these questions this week with the report from the IMB Ad Hoc Committees regarding their review of the new private prayer language and baptism policies (Wade Burleson writes about this upcoming meeting HERE). I pray that these unbiblical policies will be overturned. I pray for a day when we will embrace what God has given us without prejudice. I have written and prayed for the past year and a half to see these policies overturned because I believe that they hamper the Body of Christ and keep her from being all that God intended for her to be. I am a pastor of the church of Jesus Christ, not just my local church, and my desire is to see all of God's people strong and fit for works of service. I pray that we will walk on two legs, with two strong arms, and with a strong heart beating within us empowered by the Holy Spirit and fulfilling God's purpose for us in this generation. This current struggle within the IMB and SBC is soon to be over for all intents and purposes. But, the struggle for the advancement of the Kingdom, the making of disciples, and the strengthening of the church will not end until Jesus returns. May we take the lessons that we have learned here and use them as fuel and sustenance for greater battles with the Real Enemy of our Souls as time unfolds. And, no matter what happens, may God be glorified.

Grace and Peace

We had a really beautiful Good Friday service last night and a fun Easter Egg Hunt for the children this morning (it was supposed to be last Sunday, but we had to postpone it due to rain). As we prepare for Resurrection Sunday, I wanted to just post some Scripture that is appropriate (Paul Littleton is doing a great series on Easter, so I encourage you to check him out if you want commentary). May God bless you as you meditate on His Word:

Luke 24

The Resurrection

1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " 8Then they remembered his words.

9When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

On the Road to Emmaus

13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.

17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

   They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

19"What things?" he asked.

   "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

33They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." 35Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

36While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

37They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate it in their presence.

44He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

The Ascension

50When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

What an amazing story! Who could have ever imagined such a thing? I pray that each of you treasure these things that have been passed on to us in your hearts. May we rejoice in the Lord and the awesome wonder of the Resurrection of Christ! May we marvel and declare the "wisdom of God," and may we fully embrace the truth of the Resurrection.

Let us believe the good news of Jesus Christ and be saved!

You could also call this post, "Why We Ignore the Work of God." As I was thinking through the gospels and Jesus' life and ministry the other day, I started to think about the Pharisees and masses of Jews, and why they wanted to kill Jesus. The Bible says on many occasions things like, "and they plotted to kill Jesus," or, "they left that place planning to kill Jesus." Well, those aren't exact words, but they are fairly to the point of the position of the Pharisees. The question is, "why?"

First off, I need to make a confession: If I had been alive back then, absent the drawing work of the Holy Spirit (and this is true now, by the way), I would have been yelling, "Crucify, Crucify" as well. I would have. If I were Peter, I would have denied Christ. If I were Thomas, I would have doubted. If I were Judas, well, let's not go there. If I were one of the Pharisees, I probably would have been right there, trying to get rid of this trouble maker. The Pharisees were a group that arose in Israel after the Babylonian Captivity and during the Intertestamental period for the purpose of keeping Israel pure. They saw what happened the last time Israel fell into idol worship and they wanted to make sure that the people totally followed the Law, did the right thing, did not worship idols, and only honored God. They didn't want Israel to be punished by God and lose everything again. So far, so good. But, thier problem was that their hearts had not been changed and they were actually afraid of God, instead of doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8). They followed God on the outside, but not on the inside. Jesus came to mess with their insides and that upset them. It upsets us today.

"For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." - Acts 28:30-31

I ran across this verse at the end of Acts the other day and I've been thinking about it ever since. Paul, while under house arrest, preached the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. What does it mean to "preach the Kingdom of God?" We know what teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ is pretty much, but, the Kingdom of God? Not so much, I'm afraid. I don't what to separate Jesus from the Kingdom, but it seems that more is meant here than that they are the very same thing. Of course, everywhere Jesus goes, His Kingdom is manifest, but what does that really mean?

The Kingdom seemed to be a pretty big deal to Jesus. Matthew 4:23 says, "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people."  He taught his followers to pray, "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 5:10).  He sent the Twelve out and told them "As you go, preach this message: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:7-8). So many of Jesus' parables were about the Kingdom, as well. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed . . . yeast . . . a treasure. Jesus preached it. Paul preached it. We are told to preach it ("And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole word as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" - Matt. 24:14).

So, if it was that big of a deal, then what is it? How much teaching do we hear on the Kingdom of God? How many of us really know what it is? A simple definition would be that a Kingdom is wherever the King reigns and rules. When Jesus said "the Kingdom of God is within you" (Lk. 17:21), He was speaking of the place where His Spirit would reside and where He would reign and rule. When the gospel of the Kingdom is preached, it is meant to bring people and all creation under the reign and rule of the King, Jesus Christ. We are not to just preach, teach, and obey a gospel that allows us to be unchanged within and that just gets us into heaven. The gospel of the Kingdom is to be all encompassing. It is to touch every aspect of our lives and bring redemption to dead places within us, our families, communities, culture, and world. We are to literally pray that God's Kingdom would come and that His will would be done on earth, just like it is in Heaven! Do we really pray that way? Do we live that way? Do we preach that way?

I think that what Jesus and Paul meant by the gospel of the Kingdom is a whole lot bigger than what we hear in our churches. What do you think the gospel of the Kingdom is, and how can we see it in our lives and the world around us?

We've been going through T.W. Hunt's study, The Mind of Christ on Wednesday nights and it has been incredible. It is a very clear study on how to put on the Mind of Christ, take thoughts captive, and reflect the character of Christ in all that we think, say, and do. Many are being confronted with wrong motives, struggling relationships, and bubbling pride. Often, it is hard to see the root causes of many of our problems, and it is easier to gloss over them through rationalizations and excuses. We don't think that our pain or struggles really has anything to do with US, and self righteousness can easily replace Christ's righteousness and dependence upon Him as our life.

A couple of weeks ago, as part of our study, we ran across this gem of a passage in James 4:1-3:

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from the desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

That passage hit me like a ton of bricks. When I fight and quarrel with others, it has nothing to do with them, but it has everything to do with me. You can disagree with people and strive for justice in unjust situations. That is Godly. But, much of the strife in our lives has to do with us wanting to get our own way or to get something out of someone that is better left alone. It is motivated by our own desires. We want respect from others, so any slight is a provocation to battle and hard feelings. We want to get our way, so anytime someone supersedes us, we lash out. Our whole culture is built upon pride and arrogance, and those same attitudes often characterize our churches and denominations. But, it takes two to fight. Jesus did not succumb to this sin, because the world had no hold on Him. He strictly looked to the Father for His identity and sufficiency. He did not look to man for anything, so He had no reason to fight for respect, position, or to get His way. He entrusted Himself to God.

How many times have you been hurt by someone and then lashed out? What were you fighting for? Love? Respect? Position? To protect yourself? If we would take those desires to God instead of letting them battle within us, how much more peace would we have? What do we gain from fighting for victory over others? Does it make our relationships better? Our marriages? Our churches and families? What if we gave those situations to God and looked to Him and asked Him to meet our needs? What if when we were hurt or overlooked we brought our pain and rejection to God who bore it upon the Cross? We would be healed and filled with peace and power enough to bless those who curse us! We might actually begin to live out the Sermon on the Mount.

I know that I have written a lot about SBC issues the past week or so. But, the core of the problems that I have been talking about is relational. If we really knew each other, we could trust one another, even with some differences. If it were possible to sit down and talk to one another without trying to get our way, we might be able to hear from the Lord on issues. But, we all want our way. We grasp power and use it as we see fit. The Word of God no longer speaks authoritatively because we rationalize our actions and declare that we are in the right. At the end of the day, it is our selfishness that guides us, rather than genuine care for others or fidelity to Scripture and the Holy Spirit. The same problems pervade our churches, homes, and communities.

Why do we argue, fuss, and fight? Because of the desires that rage with each of US! My desires. Your desires. We must submit these to the Lord and allow Him to be preeminent. We must surrender to Him and ask Him to move and work as He sees fit. This doesn't mean that we should not stand up for what is right, whether that be personally or communally, but it does mean that we should always submit our desires to the Lord in every situation. Not our will, but His will be done. If He is truly sufficient in our lives, then why are we always looking to other people or things to meet our needs?

I've started a preaching series on the life and ministry of Jesus in the Gospels. On Sunday, I preached through The Sermon on the Mount. Yep, three chapters of Matthew in around 40 minutes. I wanted to look at this most incredible message from a big picture view, instead of breaking it apart into a million moralistic pieces. We often get hung up on certain aspects of this message and we make a new law out of it. Generally, we end up using this new law against others, instead of letting Jesus' powerful words do their work in our own hearts.

I remember when I first really came to the Lord in college and I read this message over and over again. At first, I set out to do it, thinking that I could just align myself with Jesus' words on Kingdom living. Poor in spirit? No problem! Meek? Merciful? Peacemaker? Sure, I can do that. No anger, lust, judgment, or revenge? Uh oh. Pray for my enemies? Give to those who abuse me? Go the extra mile? Turn the other cheek? Wait a minute! Do good for God alone instead of for credit before man? Look to heaven instead of worldly gain or fame? Don't worry about anything? Now, you've gone from preaching to meddling! I found that the harder I tried, the more I came up short. At one point, I felt like hurling the Bible across the room. "I can't do this, God!" Sometime later it dawned on me: That's exactly the point.

Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount to show the religious people and the self righteous ones that true Godly righteousness was a matter of the heart, not of outward performance. He said that their righteousness must surpass that of the pharisees. He said that our inner motives and thoughts mattered as much as our actions. He said that it wasn't enough to not do evil, but we had to do good, not just to our friends but to our enemies. The Sermon on the Mount is the greatest example of Jesus' call for a renovation of the inner life. In short, he described what Kingdom living looks like. We can see how much we've actually let Jesus take control of our lives by how closely we resemble what Jesus called us to in that message. You see, He doesn't call us to do this on our own. The life He describes is His life and only Jesus can live this message through us. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20.

What if we all lived out this message? What if we made it our life's desire to have Jesus live through us in this way? How different we would all be! Think about how much arguing, strife, and dissension would go away! Think about how Christ would be glorified in us. We wouldn't have much trouble being salt and light, would we? The Sermon on the Mount is a description of the life that we cannot live on our own. It shows us why we need a Savior and why we must live by the Spirit with a new heart and mind. It describes the life that only Christ can live through us. May we read these words and fall on our face in humility and dependence upon the Lord.

How would our lives change if we took these words seriously? How would our families, churches, workplaces, and cities change? Our culture? Perhaps, living out and helping others live out these words is what Jesus meant when He told us to make disciples of NATIONS. But, it starts with us, doesn't it? If we can't take it seriously, then how can we expect others to?  

Paul said, in the Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 2-4,

2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

This passage makes me think of many of the problems that have erupted in the SBC recently. It also makes me think about how we do church and live out our lives. Is Christ our focus? Are we passionate about Jesus, or about ministry? Do we love Christ, or love our churches, positions, and ministries? When I frequent Christian web sites and blogs, I rarely see Jesus mentioned. There was a paper put out recently by Dr. Malcolm Yarnell of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary that many of you have already seen and commented on, where he gets all excited about the Baptist Renaissance at Southwestern. He mentions "baptists" 68 times in the article, and Jesus or Christian only 7 times. I know that the point of the article is how great it is that SWBTS is getting back to it's strictly Baptist roots, but if we are taking time to exalt our denomination, church, or ministry in a way that leaves out Jesus or uses Him to accomplish our own purpose, we are in error. If only we could have a renaissance of simple and pure devotion to Christ in the SBC or in our churches. Or, in our hearts.

What else has grabbed your attention? What are you using Jesus for? To have a better life? To grow your church and/or ministry? To give you what you want? To help you with evangelism or missions (those things, as good as they are can miss the point if we see Jesus as a means to an end)? Is He looked to so that you can prove your theological points? That would at least be something, because we rarely even refer to Christ in all of our religious talk, unless to say we are Christians or we are doing this to honor Jesus Christ. I wonder how honored He really is, when we use Him to further our own ends.

Jesus cannot be owned by us. We cannot use Him to make ourselves feel better, to have a better family or personal life, or to have a more successful ministry. He is not to be used to win theological arguments. He is to be worshipped because He is worthy of our praise and we are to be devoted to Christ alone. Jesus is not a method for church growth so that we can feel better about ourselves and be "successful" or "effective" in ministry, nor will He give our blessing to our triumphal pronouncements of how right we are on everything. Devotion to Christ demands humility because we begin to understand how amazing He is and how dependent upon Him we are - for everything.

Our church is growing right now at a fairly rapid pace. And, I don't know why. Of course, we have wonderful people who love the Lord, but what I mean is, there is no method that we are using. I can't look at 3 steps to church growth like I was taught in seminary and in the books I've read and explain why people are getting saved, growing in their walk, inviting others to church, and gathering in small groups to disciple one another. I've tried to figure it out and I can't. Well, there goes the book I was going to write and the church growth conference! All that I can say is that we continue to lift up the name of Jesus and trust the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of our people. He is doing it. God is at work all around us and people are responding. They are taking submitting their own lives to the Lord and something supernatural is happening in their lives, that is actually natural for the Christian. We are just simply looking to Jesus and letting Him do what He wants. It is quite liberating, actually.

I guess I am learning that we cannot own Jesus. We can't get Him to work for us, no matter how many prayers we pray or how much we obey so He will bless us. The New Covenant requires that we live our lives in RESPONSE to His gracious initiative.  It means that we are free from striving and trying to earn God's blessing because He has truly paid the price for our sins and He gives us new life in Him. He was free, yet took our burden, so that we could be free. Do we believe it? Or, do we continue to construct our own burdens that we try and lift so that somehow, someway, God might bless us. Well, He already has - in Christ. But, we are too busy running after other things to notice.

I leave you with some poignant lines from a Rich Mullins song, "You Did Not Have a Home,"

Well you had no stones to throw
You came without an ax to grind
You did not tow the party line, No wonder sight came to the blind
You had no stones to throw
You had no stones to throw
And You rode and ass' foal
They spread their coats and cut down palms
For You and Your donkey to walk upon
But the world won't find what it thinks it wants
On the back of an ass' foal
So I guess You had to get sold
'Cause the world can't stand what it can't own
And it can't own You 'Cause You did not have a home
Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man

May we all be reminded of the simplicity of devotion to Christ in all things. May He receive the glory.

It's the last day of October, the 31st to be exact, so I thought I'd return to the blogosphere. I took a self imposed blog fast for the last half of the month and I made up my mind not to comment on other blogs or write a post of my own. It was refreshing to not feel the need to publish every thought that was rolling around in my head.  For a week of that time, my family took a much needed vacation to the sugary white beaches of Florida's Emerald Coast (where the picture of the sunset came from). The rest of the time has been immersed in 2007 planning, budget meetings, the Fall Family Fun Night, and ministry.

Another reason why I took a break is because I wanted to clear my head and reset a bit in regard to my writing.  The idea of Downshoredrift is that God is at work all the time, moving us closer to Him. It's like when you are in the waves at the beach and you think you are in front of your umbrella and chair, but in reality you have moved down the beach and you didn't even realize it. That's called Downshoredrift.  Well, God is always at work to draw us to Himself and sometimes, it is so imperceptible that we don't realize it unless we are really paying attention.  I want to continue to write about that and keep giving praise to God.

Sometimes, we can also drift away from God.  One decision leads to another, and before we know it, we have grown lukewarm or have compromised ourselves. It can happen so quickly, that we do not even realize it. Fortunately, grace is greater than all of our sin and coldness of heart, and like a life guard, God rescues us from the waves that would tear us apart.

So, Downshoredrift embodies the movement of God in our life and it also characterizes the battle that we are in to keep our eyes open and to stay aware regarding truth and lies. I want my writing to be both pastoral and prophetic, so that I can call people to the loving arms of their Father God, and also warn against dangerous paths that we might be headed down. Downshoredrift has become a powerful metaphor for me, in that it describes the full range of emotions and activities that present themselves in our daily lives. Fortunately, God is always at work and His grace is sufficient. He is more than enough. I want to live with my eyes wide open and see God at work and give Him praise. I don't want to miss a thing.

So, God has been at work! Caelan, my 1 year old son with cancer, seems to be getting stronger every day as he gets over the effects of his radiation. His appetite is up and his blood counts have been higher. Thank you SO MUCH for your prayers! God is faithful!

God is really working in our church as people are growing in their relationship with the Lord and others are coming to Christ. God is adding to our church in awesome ways and we are reaching out in our workplaces and neighborhoods like never before. We had a big Fall Festival type gathering on Sunday night that was probably the biggest event we've ever done, and there was a lot of joy. So, praise God!

I have been reading about the continuing issues in the SBC in regard to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This continues to grieve me and I'm going to be writing quite a bit about it later this week and in the future. But, I know that God is up to something and I pray that we all submit to Him in this.

We are facilitating several trips to South Asia next year, and I might be going on two of the three. We'll see, but there are some really incredible opportunities opening up for us. I'll keep you posted.

Well, it was good to reintroduce myself! Let me leave you with this verse, Job 42:4-6:

4"You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
       I will question you,
       and you shall answer me.'

5 My ears had heard of you
       but now my eyes have seen you.

6 Therefore I despise myself
       and repent in dust and ashes."

May we all have encounters with God this week that moves us from the realm of hearing about Him to truly experiencing His presence for ourselves. May we all be brought low before the magnificence of Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe. May we trust Him completely and throw our lives into His care with reckless abandon. May we see the Lord and worship Him.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. What do I base my righteousness on? Am I righteous because of my performance or because of Christ's performane? Am I righteous because of my holiness or because of Christ's? Most of us with any theological upbringing at all would affirm that it is all Christ. But, we live like it is all us. And we judge like it is all our neighbor. What do we do when we sin? Do we ignore it and justify it and say it's no big deal because of grace? That's the position of the antinomian (without the law). Or, do we beat ourselves up and try harder? That's the position of the legalist. Both are wrong and both lead to death. And, we put death on others by what we condemn and/or affirm. No, there's another way. The Gospel Way.

Jesus is my righteousness. I am righteous because of Him. His righteousness is objectively true outside of me, not based on anything I do, but based on His finished work. It is all by the grace of God's initiative. I access this righteousness by faith. This is what we've been talking about in Philippians on Sunday's. Phil. 4:9:

9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Our righteousness is in Christ and He works it through our life as we grow in Him and come to know Him. But, He never stops being our source of righteousness. It is all Christ all the time.

Do we really believe this? Do we minister this to others? What do we do when a brother has sinned? How do we disciple people? This is a critical issue, but we spend our time just trying to get people to live better lives instead of helping them put their faith in Christ to be transformed by Him. There is precious little Jesus in our religion and a great deal of us. Jerry Bridges has a GREAT article about this in this months Modern Reformation. Check it out. It's called The Discomfort of the Justified Life.

John Piper has an interesting perspective on Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East from 2004 that is worth reading for all who are trying to get a handle on the on going crisis from a Biblical perspective. I went to the Middle East last summer for a couple of weeks and ended up in Jerusalem for a couple of days at the end of the trip. In preparation, I studied quite a bit on the theological, historical, and social issues behind the conflict in the region from the Jewish, Palestinian, and Arab sides. I am coming to some conclusions that have strong implications for foreign policy, global missions, and eschatology and am working on a massive post that I will link here but will host at my other site, writings.downshoredrift.com.  Read the Piper article as background material for what is coming. It should be interesting.

Matthew 11:28-29

28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

What do you do when you get tired? How do you know when you are just worn out? I haven't been blogging that much lately, because, even though I've been in town, I 've been pretty much swamped. And I'm tired. It's been a difficult 4 months since we first learned about Caelan's cancer. We've been back and forth to Birmingham (well, Erika has as of late) for chemotherapy for the last several months, and praise God, he has done so well. Now, we're getting ready for radiation. We found out that there is a good chance that his right side that will receive the radiation will be shrunken compared to his healthy left side. That was hard to hear, but we are praying that God cause bone and muscle to grow miraculously. He has done it before, we'll believe in Him again.  In a week and a half, Erika will be going to Birmingham every day for a month and that is also pretty scary for the overall functioning of our family.  Overall, however, we are doing well and are so blessed and continue to praise God. But, a bone weariness has set in right now and I'm feeling it. Erika is too.  Please pray especially hard for her as she is carrying the brunt of all of this with the trips to Birmingham and the emotional strain. She is an amazing woman and I am so blessed to have her.  Pray also for me that I would be a better husband to her and find ways to take things off of her.  We knew this would be hard, but we are really starting to feel it right now.

So, I've been thinking about the above verse. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Yep. That's me of late. That's us. Weary and burdened. I'm real big on rejoicing in the Lord and turning my cares over to Him, but even when I do that, I still find that stress and weariness are there. It is good to know that Paul went through the same thing in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12:

7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

So, I think the key is not to try and alleviate your weariness or your stress, but freely admit it. Go to Jesus, not just to feel better but just because He is there and He loves you. Find your rest in Him, where you are accepted, loved, and forgiven. I have found that the level of frustration in your life is exactly the same as the difference between your expectations and reality.  When you make peace with the situation and trust God, even in your weakness, He is there to see you through.  In your weaknesses, ask Him to be strong for you. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is admit that we are tired and that we cannot make certain things happen. Admit that everything doesn't depend on us. Admit that we are not in control. Then, hook up with Christ and allow His peace and life to flow through all your broken, tired places. Rest in Him and allow Him to be strong through you.

Well, that's what I'm doing right now. I'm admitting and confessing my deep need for a Savior. I'm admitting that I don't have what it takes, I'm not strong enough, I don't have all the answers, and I don't love the way I should. But, I take heart because I know Someone who has all that I need. I see Him at work all around me and I invite Him in to breathe life into this weary soul. Tomorrow is a new day. May I wake up rejoicing in the Savior who makes me whole.

Here's an article by Bible.org called "From City Councilman to Caveman:  What a Difference a Day Makes."  It is about Lot and how he got into the trouble he got into in Sodom as well as later on in the cave.  It takes a little while to read, but it is really insightful and I was really challenged about our position concerning living in the world but not of the world.  The author states that we either live too closely to the world and partake of it as Christians and therefore compromise, or we retreat completely to seclusion and lose our witness.  The answer is not found in either position, but in being a Sojourner with the Lord like Abraham was and living by faith in God.  Ultimatley, we each need a transformation of the heart that goes beyond outward influences and ties us deeply to the Lord as our source and our guide.  I found this article by reading the commentary on the OneYearBibleBlog and following the link. 

For those of you who are reading the Bible through this year I want to commend you.  The Genesis readings are especially speaking to me as well as the reading from Matthew today about trusting God for our provision.  I hope that you are getting as much out of it as I am.  For those of you who are not, I want to encourage you to begin today!  You can start at January 1 and double up for awhile until you catch up.  It does not take too long and the benefits are enormous! 

God bless each of you.  My class notes for 2 Corinthians and my sermon notes for Sunday will be up tomorrow, although you can take a look at my blog from January 6 for a preview of this Sunday's notes.  Have a great week and remember to rejoice in the Lord at all times!  He is worthy of our praise!

A neat thing about yesterday's Bible reading that I never saw before:  In Genesis11:26-12:9, Terah took his whole family, including Abram and Sarai to Canaan.  They had set out to go to Canaan. When they came to Haran, they stopped there and that is where Terah died. Haran means a dried up place, a place of desolation. Canaan means to humiliate or humble. Haran was a great commercial center because it was the center of three trade routes and connected with the Tigris and the Euphrates. Perhaps Terah, after setting out with his family and his son Abram who had heard God's call (Gen. 12:1 - "The Lord HAD said to Abram . . ."), decided to stay in Haran where there was a commercial enterprise. Perhaps it seemed good to him. At any rate, it was a place of desolation and there he died. His son moved on into the promised land. This parallels the first generation dying off before the Israelites could cease wandering and enter the Promised Land. How often do we take up camp in a place that seems comfortable and do not go on with God where He is calling us? How often do we stop in the place of desolation that seems affluent but only leads to death, instead of going on to the place of humility, which is actually our promised land because, "God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time" 1 Peter 5:5,6. When we keep journeying to the place where God will show us, even though we have to leave things behind, we humble ourselves and allow Him to lift us up.

This happens over and over again in Abram's life as he give Sarai away on two different  occasions.  But, God sees the end of our days and kept revealing Himself to Abram. By the end of his life, he was willing to even sacrifice Isaac, knowing that God can raise the dead. Perhaps I make too much of the Haran-Canaan comparison, but it is very interesting.

As I am reading through the Bible the past couple of days, this reading plan is really giving me some amazing insights.  I have always seen the Bible as an incredible narrative of God's plan, the Fall, Redemption, etc. But, just reading the parallel accounts of Genesis where God created the universe and man with the plan of being in relationship with us and how we destroyed that; and Matthew where Jesus comes to save us from our sins - well, it is just really impacting me.  In the first few chapters of Genesis, man is running away from God as fast as he can.  From the Fall in the Garden, to blame being passed, to anger, to murder, to rejecting God, to total destruction during the Flood because of the evil of man - it is a pretty intense situation, and pretty hopless as well.  The picture to the left is from 9/11 and shows people running from destruction, but in the same way, God's creation (man) ran from the only one who could save.  I think that deep down we know that we are sinful and a holy God causes fear because we know that we cannot be with Him.  We know that something in us has to change and that is more than we can take.  No one wants to die.

Fast forward to Matthew, and you see a different picture, although filled with similar violence.  God is now running after us.  Mankind has reached the end and cannot save himself.  God comes to us in Jesus Christ to save us from our sins.  Violence erupts as Herod has all of the boys 2 and under around Bethlehem killed.  Mary and Joseph flee to Egypt.  Angels.  Shepherds.  Proclamations of Salvation and Hope.  The despair of the past is breaking and the light of God is shining in a dark world.  The waters that destroyed the earth in Noah's Flood now point to the salvation of the world in the baptism of Christ.  John the Baptist heralded the way of the coming of the Lord.  He called everyone to repent the same way that Noah did. Some listened and some rejected.  To go along with these readings, Psalm 3:8 says, "From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people."  That is truly what happened when Christ came.  The curse of sin and separation from God was taken away.  God came running after us so that we would not have to run from Him.  He calls us again to the waters, this time not to judge and destroy, but to bring life from death.  Yes, death is what awaits each of us and the holiness of God requires it because of our sin, as is shown in Genesis.  But, because of the coming of Jesus, it is His death that we enter into, and we die to ourselves so that we can live a new life.  It truly is an amazing Gospel that blazes from every page of the Bible.  We ran from God - God ran after us.  Are you letting God catch you today?  Have you been apprehended by your Savior?  Stop running and surrender to Christ.  Bring the darkness of your life into the light and let Him redeem and restore what you once thought was lost.  Live the way you were created - in God's image as God's child.

I started reading the Bible through in a year and I was impacted right away.  I was reminded of God's design in creating the world and the cosmos and I was amazed at His power.

  Genesis 1:17 said that God put the sun, moon, and stars in the sky to give light to the earth and to govern both day and night. I don't think that I've ever thought of it that way. With astronomy showing us the vastness of the universe, it is easy to get lost in it and to feel totally insignificant. But, the Bible says that God put them there to "serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth"(vs. 14-15).  It feels rather self centered to think that God did all of this for us and to show us His glory, but that is what it seems to be saying.  What a Creator. 

Matthew 1 and 2 shows us God incarnated as a human child, come to save us from our sins and redeem us.  Immanuel - God with us.  Jesus, our Savior.  Not only did He create the world, but He loved us enough to come and rescue us after we got into a total mess of sin, death, and bondage to Satan.  If He only created but never incarnated, we would not be able to worship Him or know Him.  What an amazing Savior.

Psalm 1 and Proverbs 1 showed me the path of life. Psalm 1:2,3 says, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by steams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."   This is a promise to the Lord for me, that when I meditate on his law and allow it to speak to my heart and transform my thinking, He will bless me and prosper me.  The only blessing worth having is what God gives and I want Him to transform me.  He is so good to show us the way of life.  Proverbs 1:7 echoes this when it says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."  When I fear God, meditate on His Word, and allow Him to form my heart, my way is sure and steadfast and I find life, wisdom, satisfaction, and blessing in Him.  Amen, may it be. 

That was a powerful time of meditation on God's Word this afternoon.  It really reoriented me to see Him as my Source, Savior, and Sustainer.  Don't worry.  I do not plan to write a commentary on my Bible study each day.  I just wanted to get started with some reflection and encourage each one of you to journey through the Bible with me this year.  May God bless you and keep you.