“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
This isn’t some self-righteous criticism. I actually really like both of these songs. But you see the truth in the verse above if you browse through the comments on these videos.
First up, A Perfect Circle’s “Judith”. The song is about Maynard James Keenan’s mother, Judith, who suffered a stroke when he was 7 and was confined to a wheelchair the rest of her life. Yet, she remained steadfast in her faith. A sampling of the lyrics:
It’s not like you killed someone It’s not like you drove a hateful spear into his side Praise the one who left you broken down and paralyzed He did it all for you…
Oh so many ways for me to show you how your dogma has abandoned you
Next is the Deftones’ “Change (House of Flies)”. This one is interesting. The video is pretty debaucherous which leads many in the comments section to think it’s about addiction or sex. I don’t think there’s any hidden meaning at all when the lyrics explicitly call out the cross:
I look at the cross And I look away
The way this song hits me is as someone who is jealous seeing the change in someone after their decision to follow Christ. In my recovery ministry I’ve seen this first hand, where there’s an attitude of “oh, so you’re too good for us now?” It’s part of the victim, savior, persecutor cycle. “I’ve watched you change, like you never…”
Last night at our midweek service it was pointed out how often the word “proclaim” shows up in the book of Acts. The point was made that sharing our faith is more than just inviting someone to church. So I thought it would be worthwhile to look at exactly what the earliest disciples were proclaiming. For this I’m using the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
But Peter stood up… and proclaimed to them… this Jesus is both Lord and Messiah. (Acts 2:14, 36)
…they were teaching the people and proclaiming in the person of Jesus. (4:2)
Every day… they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that the Messiah is Jesus. (5:42)
So those who were scattered went on their way proclaiming the message of good news. (8:4)
…Philip…proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (8:12)
Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.” (9:20)
He sent the message to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ–He is Lord of all. (10:36)
But there were some of them… who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellenists, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. (11:20)
…they proclaimed God’s message in the Jewish synagogues… (13:5)
And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our forefathers. (13:32)
Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you (13:38)
…we are proclaiming good news to you, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God… (14:15)
But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the message of the Lord. (15:35)
“These men are the slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” (16:17)
“This is the Messiah, Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you.” (17:3)
…God’s message had been proclaimed by Paul… (17:13)
…Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you… When they heard about the resurrection of the dead… (17:23,32)
…I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable… (20:20)
…the Messiah…would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles. (26:23)
proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with full boldness and without hindrance. (28:31)
A couple things I find interesting here. One, how often proclaiming was accompanied with teaching. And two, how often what was being proclaimed was Jesus, period.
Evangelism doesn’t have to be complicated. We only have to proclaim our savior, Jesus Christ. And we need to do so, as that last verse attests, with full boldness and without hindrance. It is good news. Share it.
A weekend ago I attended the 6th Antelope Valley Christian Writers’ Conference. It was my third time attending, and I continue to be challenged and encouraged in my writing endeavors. A theme this time that seemed to be consistent to many of the invited faculty was the priority of Jesus in our lives. Writing as a calling is a challenge, especially if you have another occupation, have family to care for, and/or are otherwise easily distractable. Where do you find time for Jesus in the midst of overcoming writer’s block, doing research, and submitting queries and proposals?
The keynote the first night called our attention to the “writer’s chapter” in Matthew. Matthew 23 to be exact. You are most likely familiar with this passage as the “woe to you!” rebuke from Jesus. But look closely to whom Jesus is rebuking: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees…” (verses 13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29 in the New King James, emphasis added) The charge against these scribes, aka the writers of their day, was hypocrisy- writing one thing but living another. As a blogger and writer-to-be I have to take this seriously. Do the words I type on the screen match the life I’m actually living?
The guard against this, of course, is Jesus. So he continues in verse 34, “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city…” Ok, maybe the last part isn’t encouraging. But what is encouraging is that Jesus sends prophets, wise men (and women!) and writers into the world to spread His message. And in order for writers to be sent from Jesus, they need to start with Jesus.
So I ask myself, “how often do I pray about the blog I have yet to write? How often do I seek spiritual counsel about the topics I’m discussing? Am I writing this for my own vainglory or the Glory of God? Am I trying to become famous, credible, have a large following? Do I spend more time ‘social networking’ than in personal Bible study?” and on and on. Naturally, I don’t like the answer to many of these questions.
My words matter. So I need to be firmly rooted in Jesus and His Word. I need to be about Him, not me. I need to take seriously the truth that the words I type have spiritual consequences. I need to take seriously the warning from James: “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (v 3:1) And as an author I have to recognize the ultimate Author in “Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2)
As my small group concludes Crazy Love, I’m struck by the opposition this book gets. The most common theme I’ve seen is that it swings too far from the “Prosperity Gospel” towards a “Poverty Gospel” (watch the interview of Francis Chan by Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris to see this debate in action) and for some this translates into a “salvation by works” doctrine.
Of course that ruffles the feathers of many. “Saved by grace through faith alone” I believe is a security blanket held on to so tightly than anything approaching a “hedge” such as raising standards or expectations is avoided out of fear of legalism. But what is legalism anyway? Is it works? Why does Hebrews say we should encourage one another? (Good deeds) What are we saved for? (The works God has prepared for us) What is faith if absent of works? (dead as a doornail) So the fruits of the Spirit, evidenced by works isn’t legalism, it isn’t a poverty gospel, it isn’t preaching sanctification through personal sacrifice. At the same time, we’re reminded that such acts if unaccompanied by love are worthless.
In this book, and in his life to be perfectly honest (and I think this is why his views upset the status quo), Francis Chan simply puts his money where his faith is. And he’s not alone. Nor is he alone receiving such criticism.
David Platt just released the anticipated sequel to his bestseller, Radical, called Radical Together. I like the approach- the first book challenges what you are doing on faith personally, and he follows up with mobilizing churches to do the same. But he has to devote an entire chapter (short as it is) to deflect the criticism he received in the first installment.
And the criticism is coming from surprising corners of evangelical celebrity. Jared Wilson, author of Your Jesus is Too Safe (doesn’t that sound legalistic?), raises the above issues and cites similar concerns from Skye Jethani, author of The Divine Commodity and Chaplain Mike at Internet Monk. Now I’m not familiar with all of their writings, and I don’t know them personally, but just based on their public persona and the titles of their books/blogs, you’d think they’d be lockstep behind Chan and Platt. Like I said before comparing Crazy Love to Mere Churchianity, we all see the same problem and are moved to do something about it.
This debate exposes the tension between Justification as taught by Paul, and the Kingdom as taught by Jesus. For more on this, check out this article in Christianity Today. The conclusion is not to start with either Justification or Kingdom, but rather the Gospel of Jesus himself. I couldn’t agree more. After all, Paul instructed us to “follow [his] example as [he] follows the example of Christ” and that our “attitudes should be the same as Christ Jesus”, that Christ is the “chief cornerstone” on which we build our own personal convictions, and to “live as Christ and to die is gain”. (1 Corinthians 1:11, Philippians 2:5, Ephesians 2:19-22, Philippians 1:21)
So now the question becomes, is expecting a Christian (recall the definition has nothing to do with belief, but rather imitation) to live a Christ-like life legalistic? Through the lens of “saved by grace” it would appear so:
In the parable of the four soils, three seeds sprout yet only one is saved. How can we tell the difference? By the one baring fruit.
In the parable of the talents (or bags of gold in the new NIV, blech) the only servant condemned is the one who does nothing. Even the one who does a little is rewarded. Also the reward is proportional to the service.
At the same time, in the parable of the workers in the vineyard, all are rewarded the same regardless of how much work is done. Yet there is still a connection between work and reward.
In the parable of the sheep and goats, Jesus couldn’t make it clearer when he delineates “that which you do for the least of these…” (In fact one of the Crazy Love study guides I found online tried to explain away this passage as only applying to service towards believers at the tribulation)
And I want to remind us of the rich young ruler. He was holding on to something that would keep him from entering into the Kingdom. We all have something we’re holding on to. It doesn’t necessarily have to be money or possessions. Yet just like the wealthy, it is impossible to give it up. “But with God, all things are possible”
Going back to the definition of love from 1 Corinthians 13, legalism versus justification or works versus grace can be resolved simply by establishing the motivation. Obeying Jesus out of fear, guilt, obligation, pressure or people-pleasing is legalism. But obeying Jesus out of love is not.
Love. I think that shows up in Chan’s book somewhere.
We’ve all been there. We’ve read a book that dramatically stirred our hearts, or heard a sermon that cut us right to the core. But then we close the book, or we walk out of church… and nothing changes. The first temptation of a moving lesson, book study, retreat, or in-depth Bible study is to nod your head, pat yourself on the back, give each other hugs and just walk away. It’s like taking a class- you learn the information, you take the test, and then you perform a data dump thinking you’ll never have to use that information again.
Information is taken in is knowledge. Knowledge applied is understanding. Understanding through repeated failure, learning anew each time, becomes wisdom. A simple study leaves us with knowledge, but the Bible calls us to wisdom:
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:1-6)
Yet the source of knowledge from a book is just that, a book. Paper bound and reprinted. Placed on a shelf and sold. Just like a commodity, it is only worth its price if someone is willing to purchase it. How many books sit on the shelves unsold? How much knowledge is being missed out on?
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? [Where is the best selling author?] Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1 Corinthians 1:20)
The second temptation is to make the study, the book, or the author more than they are. A friend recently told me, while discussing this book, “we can be tempted to worship the spirituality of someone whose spirituality we admire, rather than the object of their worship.” He’s right. I didn’t want to admit it at the time, but he is absolutely right. As our group wraps up Crazy Love, it might be tempting to worship Francis Chan, or at least worship what he is doing. Of course, the content of the book should leave no doubt who the true object of our worship should be, but it is a temptation nonetheless.
So we have these two conflicting temptations: treat the study like it was nothing, or make the study more than it really was. Like in Greek philosophy, wisdom is found in the middle.
I have no doubt the first temptation is true. The book’s website boasts “New York Times Bestseller!” and “Over 1 Million Copies Sold!” but are we seeing the transformation in our churches that Francis talks about? Radical, by David Platt, is another in wave of books by young pastors raising the bar of personal discipleship. Also a bestseller. I could go on and on, and you’d think that with all the books, all the conferences, the availability of YouTube sermons, the number of Twitter followers and Facebook fans we’d see something of a transformation. Maybe not to the level of a new Great Awakening or another Reformation, but but I’d hope we’d see more than a few (in the grand scheme) of us bloggers callousing our fingertips writing about it.
At the same time, I know the second temptation is true because I am personally attracted to it. I’m tempted to have stars in my eyes and make Francis Chan into something he is not. I also know this second temptation is true because Francis, himself, sees it. In fact, he sees so much of it that he stepped down from leading the church he founded in-part because people were coming to see him and not to hear the Word of God preached.
So how do we avoid either temptation? First, we need to make sure we’re building our personal doctrine on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) As long as that is true, we can read book after book and be assured of our foundation. We can discern the words on the page using the words of Jesus. Second, we need to continue to return to the Bible as the ultimate source of our wisdom. “There is nothing new under the sun,” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) So no author can add insight that we cannot already find in Scripture. Third, and this is probably the most important, we need to do something. Both of these temptations lead to inaction. The first temptation obviously so, but the second leads to celebrity worship rather than action as you would expect.
Simple formula really. Build on Christ alone. Continue to rely on the Word. And go do something.
***Originally posted March 2, 2010 for Read Across America Day. Reposted last October after a Pew Forum poll showed atheists and agnostics are more knowledgable about religion than most Christians. Reposting yet again because we’re heading into the weekend before Easter and it worth checking out the books at the end to help us focus on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.***
Today is National Read Across America Day. Celebrated on the birthday of Dr. Seuss, events are held all around the country to “motivate children to read.” A worthwhile event and a noble goal.
The American Christian Church needs something like this. Maybe not your priest/pastor/evangelist dressing up as the Cat In The Hat for the Sunday sermon. But something needs to be done in the Body of Christ to encourage reading and studying. Charles “Tremendous” Jones has often been quoted saying, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” Reading was so important to the Apostle Paul that he asked Timothy to “come to [him] quickly” and bring his “scrolls, especially the parchments” while he was believed to have been in prison (2 Tim 4:9,13) While this most likely at least included Scripture, it was just as likely it included Rabbinic teachings given Paul’s education. Paul also taught that the Bible is “useful… so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17)
Our reading shouldn’t be limited to the Bible however, though as a Body we sadly fall short in this area. The number of Christian books are limitless, some of course better than others. I encourage you to find a niche that appeals most to you- history, biographies, theology, apologetics, etc and dig in. Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide lists 166 different categories of books. If you can’t find something you like, well you’re not really trying. It is important to remember though, that books should compliment, not supplement, your Bible study. This is a lesson I have had to learn the hard way a year ago as I felt myself spiritually withering away even though I was reading about a book a month. I was convicted listening to a lesson that reminded me that spiritual books should never take the place of the Word of God. So I have recommitted myself to my Bible study and any book I read is intentionally tied to a specific Bible study.
Not only do we have Read Across America, but it is also almost exactly a month before Easter. If you observe Lenten fasts, you may have given up chocolate or Facebook. Some also add spiritual disciplines to their fasts. If you’re taking this season to dig deeper into your Bible study or read that spiritual book gathering dust on your bookshelf, amen! If not, don’t fret because there’s plenty of time. Many devotionals are written for a month’s worth of study so now is a perfect time leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Put on your tinfoil hat! You know the story, someone in authority makes a claim and you don’t believe it because of your own personal convictions. Experts come out and support the claim, but you still cannot believe it. People who would have an interest in discrediting the claim come out and support the claim, but you still will not believe it. Documents are produced that validate the claim, but you question if they are real. You are convinced there is more to the story.
In today’s Internet Age, you can log in online to discussion forums, user groups, and social media pages to support any idea out there. So it doesn’t take long to find others who believe like you do. They too do not believe the claims being made. In a virtual version of groupthink, you begin to believe these strangers, only because they subscribe to the same skepticism as you. So together you weave an elaborate explanation to dispute the claim. You have now come up with your own Conspiracy Theory.
This scenario played out in my mind when thinking about “birthers” and President Obama’s claims regarding his nationality. Honestly, I haven’t paid much attention to this debate. I figure if there was something to it, someone more credible than Donald Trump would come out exposing it. And so I read this article earlier in the week, mainly because I saw Trump’s interview and couldn’t believe my ears. I clicked the link more out of curiosity than expectation of any real “scoop”.
The article follows the outline of the first paragraph: a claim is made by the President, experts validate the claim, and even someone who would have an interest in discrediting the claim comes out to support it. It’s that last one, from then-governor of Hawaii, Republican Linda Lingle, that got my wheels turning. Here is the quote that got my attention:
“Why would a Republican governor — who was stumping for the other guy — hold out on a big secret?”
In a few days, Newsweek will put out their annual issue questioning some aspect of Christianity by interviewing some hand-picked “expert”. It has become a tradition for them to release this issue right before Easter. There have been articles on Mary, the Jesus Seminar, the evolution of Christology to name a few. But I don’t know if they have dared to tackle the biggest conspiracy theory of them all- the death, burial, and resurrection of this man called Jesus. Which is ironic, because that is what Christians celebrate Easter for in the first place.
There are many conspiracy theories one could attribute to the events 2000 years ago: the “swoon” theory, paying off the Roman guards, the Apostles stealing the body, questioning whether the events even happened at all.
But just like the birther claims, these theories fall apart when faced against expert testimony, documentation, and the inaction of those who would have an interest in squelching the claims. John’s testimony that when Jesus’ side was pierced blood and water flowed out, is consistent with what medical experts would expect to happen to someone suffering suffocation and heart failure. A fact John, nor anyone else at the time, would have had the knowledge to make up. The main characters of the story and the methods used are corroborated by historians. Josephus, a Jewish historian and Roman sympathizer, substantiated the events as described, including calling out Jesus by name, only a generation later. Most importantly, the Romans ruled over Jerusalem with an iron fist. If there was an uprising based on some false claim of someone coming back from the dead, they would’ve done everything possible to put an end to it with evidence to the contrary. Both the Romans and Jewish authorities responded to this fledgling religion called Christianity by putting to death anyone who claimed Jesus rose from the dead because that was the only way they could. They had no evidence to discredit the foundation of Christianity. Yet they were unsuccessful in covering up this conspiracy theory that remains two thousand years later. That’s a lot of staying power for something that’s not true. So maybe there’s something to it.
“…blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29)
***Originally posted December, 2008. I’m reposting because I’m about to scoot to my kids’ Christmas program at school, do some more shopping (ok, I still need to start!), and try and squeeze an almost full day of work in at the office. Sound familiar?***
There are only a few shopping days left before Christmas. You’re likely going to brave the weekend crowds at the mall, scramble to find something off the shelves that have been picked clean, struggle to come up with what to get your in-laws, and all the while forget why you’re doing this to begin with. Then you’ll head home, look at the pile of dishes in the sink and think about the family coming over in just a couple of days and all the cleaning and rearranging of furniture that needs to be done before then. And if you’re like me, you still need to get that last string of lights up on the house and decorate the tree.
Can you relate? Do you feel hurried, stressed, overwhelmed? Do you wish there was just one more week before Christmas? I do. But then I’m a lot like Martha, who in Luke 10 is described as being “distracted by all the preparations that [have] to be made.” (Luke 10:40) But then we forget what we’re preparing for. Yes, we want Christmas to be memorable for our children and we want them to have everything they asked Santa for (within reason). We want to be warm and hospitable towards our family and friends. But what about “the reason for the season?” What about Jesus?
Are we reflecting Christ when we lose our patience at the store? Do we show the love of Jesus to our children when we lose our temper as they try to get into every present that’s already been wrapped and hunt for the ones that aren’t? Are we really being a witness to our families when what’s most important to us is getting everything done?
I write this for myself. My wife reminded me this morning that we needed to take time and get into God’s word, lean on Him in our stress, and not be overwhelmed with our “to dos”. I need to be more like Mary, who knew that “only one thing was needed.” (Luke 10:42)
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.“ (Luke 10:38-42)
Continuing our discussion on Michael Spencer’s Mere Churchianity with Glynn Young and Nancy Rosback. Melissa at In Silence, Humming Softly has also joined the discussion so be sure to check out her thoughts as well. This week we’re on Chapter 18, the final chapter of the book. You can check out Glynn’s thoughts here and Nancy’s will coming later here.
I’m struggling to come up with a reaction to this final chapter of Mere Churchianity that would also be a standalone post. Maybe I’m being sentimental, now that this discussion is drawing to a close, though I have some follow-up thoughts that will come later. I guess I just don’t feel resolved. Sadly, Michael Spencer’s life was cut tragically short. In fact, he didn’t even live to see his book on the shelves. He was struggling with his health as he was making the final touches on this book with his editor (as described in the epilogue). Maybe he knew his time was short, so he got in what he could. The last chapter does seem like a compilation of “these are the other topics I wanted to cover, but ran out of time” as he listed out a series of questions or objections one might have in response to his book. Personally, after spending chapter after chapter describing (very well, I might add) what is wrong with the Church, I don’t see much offered as solutions. And my nature is to want a quick-fix, five-part plan with vision statements and mission goals- the very things Michael pontificated against.
But maybe the story is meant to be left unfinished. Our walks with Christ and our eternal destiny are known only by one, and it not us. We look for answers in this world, hoping that everything will wrap up nicely in a bow. But from our mortal perspective our life, our faith, and our eternal purpose are uncertain. I’m not comfortable with that. And if I take away anything from this book, maybe it should be that I can’t control everything (or anything for that matter). I cannot control my church. I cannot control other brothers and sisters in Christ. I cannot control whether someone I am reaching out to accepts or rejects the message of the Gospel. I cannot control whether mainstream Christianity will ever mold into “Jesus-shaped spirituality”. I cannot control the reactions of the readers of this blog. I cannot control…
But I can control my relationship with Jesus. I can control my thoughts and attitudes to be Jesus-focused. I can control my prayers and with whom I choose to share in fellowship. In other words, I can control my own spirituality to be Jesus-shaped and strive to surround myself with others who share the same passion.
Hah, I guess I have post for this chapter after all.
***************
I also want to share some excerpts from this chapter that I think are worth reflecting on:
First, it is worth noting that Jesus’ condemnations of the Seven Churches in Asia found in Revelation came only a generation after Jesus’ death. In other words, it didn’t take long for these early churches to become “church-shaped” instead of Jesus-shaped. Michael reminds us of Revelation 3:20, “I stand at the door and knock…” The implication is that for our churches to return to being Jesus-shaped, we need to invite Jesus back in as the focus of our church. Ironically, Michael follows up with the admonition to “pursue Jesus-shaped spirituality [that] won’t take you to a building with a sign out front.” (pg 210) In other words, “go and do” to seek Jesus-shaped spirituality. However, I think the lesson we can draw from Revelation is instead to “stay and invite” Jesus in to where we are. That may be too passive, and I see Michael’s point, but I think Jesus-shaped spirituality is not a matter of going to find Jesus, but of inviting Jesus in. You could argue that the former is divisive and rebellious in the context of organized religion while the latter is individualized and subjective.
Second, Michael’s response to the question, “Are you antichurch or antidenominations?” Is worth its own post. And I may go there at some point. But I want to at least quote part of his response. “It doesn’t take a scholar to understand what the New Testament says the church is supposed to be doing. If a church isn’t supporting and growing disciples, isn’t crossing cultures with the gospel, and isn’t encouraging and producing Jesus-followers, I believe you’re entitled to look for a different form of community that is doing these things… Denominational labels will tell you very little about whether the people in a congregation are all about Jesus or are blissfully disconnected from him… I want every Christian to find a Jesus-shaped community that is doing what the New Testament says a church should do… Christians follow Jesus into the world as disciples on the mission Jesus gave us. The best churches facilitate the mission of Jesus and grow Jesus-followers who pursue that mission.” (pgs 212-213, emphasis added)
Finally, Michael closes with a terrific description of Jesus-shaped spirituality accomplishing the above. First, a warning from earlier in the chapter, “You may find yourself far outside the doors of many churches and thrown in with whomever the scapegoats of the hour happen to be. (interesting choice of words since Jesus is literally the ultimate scapegoat) You should expect to be called liberal, emerging, naive, rebellious, and unsaved…Your faith will likely be questioned, and you may experience moments of suffocating doubt and discouragement.” (pgs 210-211) So what do we do? “The Jesus-shaped life is found where Jesus would be found… talking to a single mom… going to India… working in an inner city… leading a worship service…taking in foster kids… counseling… pray[ing] with anyone who asks… starting a church… volunteering to teach… Stretching the influence of the gospel outside the comfort zone of the usual. Being a witness to the church of what Jesus would be doing… And finally, when we come home, we will find that Jesus has made us like himself, and yet, amazingly, we will have remained in every way ourselves.” (pgs 219-221)
I pray that each of us, through our own unique experiences, may one day stand before our Lord Jesus-shaped, shaped by Jesus.
***Originally posted for Veteran’s Day last year. Although the holiday has passed, the message still applies today. Wars are still being fought, physical and spiritual. There are victors and victims in both. One day is not enough to remember this. I also added the clip from one of the most powerful movies I’ve ever seen, To End All Wars. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it.***
[Yesterday was] Veterans’ Day, where we honor and remember those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces. My wife asked me why this holiday falls on November 11. At 11:00 on November 11, 1918, (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month) armistice (or truce) was signed between the Western Allies and Germany ending hostilities on the Western Front of World War I. World War I was called “The War to End All Wars”. We know how that turned out. But the holiday remained and is still celebrated throughout Europe as well as here in the United States.
Pause and think of that for a moment- The War to End All Wars. How we wish that were true. So we honor those who serve in battles across the globe while we enjoy the comfort of our home, hoping that the next battle will be the last.
Now think about Jesus. His sacrifice was The Sacrifice to End All Sacrifices so to speak (ref: Hebrews 10). He fought our sins for us so that we wouldn’t have to fight on our own, and ultimately someday to never have to fight again. But like The War to End All Wars, it was not the end and battles continue. So we honor Christ, who fought and still fights for us, while we enjoy the comfort of our own lives.
While we remember the physical conflicts our Armed Forces are engaged in worldwide, let us not forget the spiritual conflicts that continue in our own lives and the soldier, Christ, who fights alongside us.
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:10-17)