Responding to the Call

Most mornings the first thing I do is open my Bible program Logos.  A while back I did and when the program opened, Deuteronomy 32:18 (here at Bible Gateway) was in the middle of the screen and caught my eye.  It is a powerful passage.  Even more so, when you read the context.  

Tonight, I went with my brother to his church in Houston.  A pastor I had shadowed while taking a leadership course in seminary was leading a class on John 15 (here at Bible Gateway).  It was interesting to see how what he said in the 90 minutes that we spent together aligned with what I saw when Logos opened to 32:18.  One of the points he made was that Jesus gives us three callings:

• Come to Me
• Come after Me
• Abide in Me

He pointed out the density of the repletion of the word abide (Greek, μένω) in John 15.  Then he pointed out that John uses the word even more densely in 1 John (here at Bible Gateway).  I just checked, abide shows up 24 times between 1 John 2:6 and 4:16 (here at Bible Gateway).  The speaker’s point was that more people respond to the first two calls than those who respond to the third.

That mirrored my response to Deuteronomy 32:18.  In my journal I wrote, “People who do not choose to abide in His Word are those who have forgotten Him and neglected Him.  Lord, show me how I have neglected you?”

This morning I was talking to a pastor at our church.  I was sharing some quotes from the book, These Words upon thy Heart, I had shared with him that I searched for this book on the recommendation of Prof for 40 years.  It was  worth the search.  Here is one of the quotes we discussed:

“…we truly inherit nothing except what we also discern.  Nothing is ever really ours, however it may be presented to us except we discover its truth and except it prove itself again in our experience…mere acceptance of the conclusions of others… is not the way which we…lay broad and deep foundations.  With eyes bandaged in formulas we see only the aspect of life the formula allows…they grow accustomed to the half light…and with all the colors of it toned down to suit the somber hues of a twilight soul.” (Kuist, Howard Tillman. These Words upon thy Heart.  Richmond, Virginia: John Knox Press, 1947, P 56.)

The point is, we must respond to Christ’s third call.  To not do so is to lead a anemic, muted, colorless, Christian life. 

Self-Perpetuating Command

One of the things that is interesting about the great commission, Matthew 28:18 – 20 (here @ BibleGateway), is that it is self-perpetuating.  As you probably know, the only imperative in the sentence, 19 – 20 (here @ BibleGateway), is the verb make disciples.  The rest of the verbal forms, go, baptize, and teach are participles which derive their force or mood from the main verb.  So, each of those inherit the imperative.

There are some other interesting things about those participles but those are beyond the scope of this post.

What is meant by self-perpetuating is the force of the last participle, teach.  What are the 11 to teach?  “To observe all that I commanded you...” this would include 19 – 20.  So the 11 are to lead people to Christ and teach them all that He commanded them, which would include them doing the same as the 11.

Paul figured that out.  In 2 Timothy 2:2 (here @ BibleGateway) we see echoes of the Great Commission.  But Paul also figured out it was an ongoing charge.  Look at the following passages: 

• 2 Timothy 2:10 (here @ BibleGateway)
• 1 Corinthians 9:23 (here @ BibleGateway)
• 2 Corinthians 11:28 – 29 (here @ BibleGateway)

Paul after his road trip, focused on sharing the gospel.  The three verses above seem to describe his singular focus.  Would it be reasonable to suggest that if we are believers, if we are disciples, apprentices of Christ, that like Paul we should have a similar focus?  After all isn’t that the idea behind teaching inheriting the imperative from make disciples.

It’s Broken

This is a difficult time.  Not just in the US but in several places overseas.  I just read a Facebook post from an acquaintance that shared an article from an independent organization named after a major denomination.  It was a one-sided piece that was presented as a reasoned examination of pastors losing their ministries because of politics.  To suggest that the country is divided, would be an epic understatement, polarized may be more accurate.

I meet weekly with Christian leaders in Morocco, Cameroon, and Ethiopia – more accurately I am scheduled to do so.  In Morocco, while weekly I hear of new believers, the underground churches are meeting, knowing that they could be arrested for doing so.  In Cameroon, a country that has the potential to be both an economic and spiritual gateway to both the French speaking and English-speaking countries in the area since the country is bilingual, one language group is attempting to overrun the other, thus destroying one of their greatest advantages.  In Ethiopia the government controls access to the internet shutting it down to keep people from communicating.  Thus, my comment about being scheduled to meet with a leader there.

It seems that regardless of one’s political leaning today, everyone is either frustrated or angry.  Larry Crabb always said that frustration was the result of a blocked goal, and that anger was the result of a continually blocked goal.  The corollary was that Biblical goals could not be blocked.  As I have pondered that over the years and rubbed his thought against the Scriptural data I believe he is correct.

So, what do we do with all of this?  There are several passages that come to mind that may be of help, consider:

• Psalm 46:2 – 3 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Hebrews 13:8 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Psalm 118:8 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Jeremiah 17:7 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Matthew 6:33 (here @ BibleGateway)

Regardless of what is happening in the country or the world, the Lord does not change.  The Lord can be trusted.  The world cannot be trusted.  It is broken.  All its systems are as well.  Our charge is to cleave to Him and invite others to do so as well.

Saved for Whom

When you consider your salvation, whose benefit, for what reason were you saved?  Do you ever think about that?  Sometimes it seems as if we accept Christ for what He can do for us.  Yes, we get eternal life, but we also expect Him to take care of us here.  In fact, He does.  But are we saved primarily for the good it does for us?

Ezekiel 36:22 (here @ Bible Gateway), seems to indicate that God intervenes in our lives to protect His name.  1 Corinthians 1:30 (here @ Bible Gateway) suggests that it is God who works to bring us to Christ.  That notion seems to be repeated in Philippians 2:12 – 13 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Further we cannot discount John 15:5 (here @ Bible Gateway), we can do nothing apart from Christ.  I would assume that that means, nothing.

So, He invades our lives to bring us to Himself.  He does it for His purposes.  Ephesians 2:4 – 10 (here @ Bible Gateway) underscores this and gives us the reason He chooses to engage in our lives.  We are His workmanship.  He has work for us to do for which He designed us.  Work that was prepared before we were.

What are the implications of all that for us?  How do those passages affect your thinking?

Under Obligation

From time to time I read part of a devotional, The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions (VOV), during my personal devotions.  They are short; two pages.  But I tend to break them up into sentences and reflect on the message.  It seems that some of the Puritans thought when Paul commanded that we imitate him, that meant they were to write sentences like he did.  Some of their sentences are looooong.  I break those up.

Yesterday this was the sentence that I wrote out in my journal:

Send me forth to have compassion on the ignorant and miserable.

I was struck by the depth and simplicity of the thought.  Most of the time these excerpts bring to mind verses that support what I read.  This was no exception.  Five passages came to mind.  The first was Romans 1:14 (here @ Bible Gateway).  It is not my favorite verse.  I am ok with all of it but the last three words.  However, I know that I can’t pick and choose what I obey.  I have trouble with foolish people.  I have found that there are a lot of them.  Yet 1:14 (here @ Bible Gateway) tells me that as a believer I am under obligation to share the gospel with them.  The sentence in VOV, echoes Paul.

Then two passages in Ezekiel, 3:18 – 19 (here @ Bible Gateway) and 33:8 – 9 (here @ Bible Gateway).  When you read those you will see that our obligation extends to the wicked as well.  That the passages are virtually identical, indicates emphasis.  We are exhorted emphatically that we are obligated to share the good news with the wicked.

Then Jude 22 – 23 (here @ Bible Gateway) came to mind.  Jude speaks of the urgency of the matter.  We need to view the Greeks, barbarians, wise, foolish, and wicked as inside a burning building and we are the only one that can get them out.  Fun picture.

Lastly, Matthew 28:18 – 20 (here @ Bible Gateway) came to mind.  You have probably hear messages on this passage.  We are told – well the only imperative in the passage is make disciples.  The other verb forms, go, baptize, and teach are all participles.  Participles get their force from the main verb, make disciples, so they take on the imperative mood of make disciples.  The point of this, is that we are expected to make disciples.  The first step in making a disciple is to lead them to Jesus.

It is easy to justify why we are not sharing the gospel.  I have essentially been under house arrest since last March because of my compromised immune system due to the cancer and subsequent chemo.  But, even before that, much of what I have been called to do focuses me on equipping believers in their study of the Word of God.  So in a sense I am insulated from non-believers.  But I don’t find in Scripture any out.  I am still under obligation to our list of Greeks, et al.  I have to use every interaction with another person as an opportunity to share Christ.  To go forth, intentionally, with compassion.  I am not very good about that.

Stealth Christianity

Ever know someone who wanted to be a stealth Christian?  You know, keep it a secret?  Jesus tried sneaking in somewhere once.

Look at Mark 7:24 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Jesus entered Tyre and wanted no one to know.  He failed, He could not escape notice.

That last phrase challenged me.  Do I escape notice as a believer?  If so, is that right?  Peter tells me that I am supposed to be always ready to give an account to anyone who asks about the hope that is in me.  It seems like Peter expects it to be obvious that I am a believer.  At the moment there is not a line of people at my front door clamoring to understand the hope that is in me.

Jesus, couldn’t meet with friends in a house without folks ripping a hole in the roof to get to him (Mark 2:1 – 13 (here @ Bible Gateway)).  So far, my roof is intact.

I realize that I am not Jesus.  While I have prayed for people to be healed; I do not know of any miraculous healing that resulted from my prayer, well maybe one.  The point is, there seems to be a thread through the New Testament, that our faith should not be a secret.  There are some possible exceptions to that in some countries.  But, the “normal” situation would seem to be that my relationship with the Lord would be obvious to people.

For me, I am not sure that it is.  That is troubling.

Spiritual Discipline – Personal Testimony Analysis

Yesterday we looked at two times Paul shared his testimony.  In both cases there were three elements, what he was like before he met Christ, how he met Christ, what he was like after, as a result of meeting Christ.

The content of the testimony is simple.  The means of conversion is the same.  The focus is on Christ as a person, Lord, one whom Paul followed.

There are several things though that are conspicuous by their absence.  Paul does not share either with Agrippa or with the Philippians how or when he was baptized.  Nor does he mention what church, denomination, or system of theology under which he was converted.  Further, there is no mention of the role of the Holy Spirit, the need for him to be baptized in the Spirit, or for him to speak in tongues.  Paul doesn’t refer to any form of confirmation in his testimony, nor does he mention being allowed to join in a communion.

Those things are important to many, they were not important to Paul when he was given an opportunity to share his faith with Agrippa and wrote about the effects of his conversion to the church at Philippi.

The single focus of Paul’s testimony was that he had met and accepted Jesus as his Lord and savior.

That makes it simple for us.  We share what we were like before we met Christ.  Share how we met Christ and that we accepted Him as He is, Lord and savior.  We share how that has affected our life.

Simple.

Spiritual Discipline – Personal Testimony Content

Yesterday we looked at the importance of the personal testimony. We saw that it is more than an evangelistic tool. I suggested that you look at Acts 26 (here @ Bible Gateway) and Philippians 3 (here @ Bible Gateway) to see how Paul shared his testimony. In both instances Paul shares what his life was like before he met Christ. He then shares how he met Christ. Lastly, he shares what is life was like after he chose to follow Christ.

Steps	Acts 26	Philippians 3
Before	He was a Pharisee who was committed to punish Christians to the full extent of the Jewish law including death. He was on his way to Damascus with authority to continue this practice	Paul describes himself as a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, a persecutor of the church, blameless as to the la
How	Christ stopped him with a bright light on that road blinding him in the process and telling him what He wanted Paul to do.	Upon meeting Christ all that he thought was gain for him, he now counted as manure.
After	Paul accepted what he was told by Christ. He turned from persecuting the church to spreading the message of the gospel primarily to the Gentiles.	He now focused all of his zeal to know Christ Jesus his Lord. He lived to be found in Christ having Christ’s righteousness. His repeats that his focus is to know Christ. He wants to know the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and be conformed to His death. Rather than viewing himself as having made is as he did as a Hebrew. He views himself as one who needs to continually strive to know Christ.

Spend some time considering that content.  It is a really excellent model for your or others personal testimony.  What were you like before you met Christ?  How did you meet Him?  What difference, what are you like after you met Him?

There is more to say about this.  There are some significant things missing from Paul’s testimony.  We will look at that more closely tomorrow.

Spiritual Discipline – Personal Testimony

Note: This is a couple of days late, got sick Christmas Eve and felt bad all day Christmas – So, belated Merry Christmas…

We have been examining the value and means of some spiritual disciplines.  In the past few weeks there is one discipline that has gained much in value for me.  Further, it seems to be a discipline that is neglected in many churches.  That is the personal testimony.

Look at Revelation 12:11 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Look at the context.  The devil and his angels were thrown down to earth.  He accuses the brethren day and night.  1 Peter 5:8 – 9 (here @ Bible Gateway) tells us that this same enemy is seeking to devour us.

What overcomes him?  The blood of Christ and, emphasis here, the word of their testimony.  That is huge.  When the enemy accuses us, makes us feel less than acceptable to our Lord, or tells us that we can’t possibly be redeemed, it is the word of our testimony that overcomes him.

The testimony is much more than a evangelistic tool, it is a first line of defense against the enemy.

So how do we equip someone to share their testimony?  There are two examples of Paul’s testimony in the Scripture.  One is in Acts 26 (here @ Bible Gateway), the other is Philippians 3 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Spend some time looking at those.  Paul’s example is a good one to follow.

Think through how he presented his testimony and tomorrow we will look at how to apply that both personally and in equipping others to share their personal testimony.

He is Risen

On the Death of Jesus

This morning a friend of mine spoke to a men’s group about the crucifixion of Christ.  He spoke in some detail.  He told me at a meeting last week he was going to do so.  It so happens that I heard a similar talk by a Young Life leader sometime around April of 1966.  The Young Life leader’s talk was graphic.  It got my attention and that evening at home I asked Christ to be my savior.

In March of 1986 an article was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), entitled "On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ”.  The article closely paralleled my Young Life leader’s talk.

A few years ago I tracked down a copy of that article.  After listening to my friend’s presentation this morning, it seems appropriate that we should review what actually happened in AD 33 to Jesus.

So, I have uploaded the article and you can read it here.  It is not an easy read.  Which is appropriate.  What Jesus experienced was completely voluntary for the purpose of paying the penalty of my and your rebellion, sin against His Father.  The pain, as I alluded to last week, is indescribable, so much so that a new word, excruciating (literally “out of crucifixion”), was coined to inadequately describe it.  However, the real pain, was the separation from His Father.  As my friend pointed out this morning, of all the possibly million people that were crucified, only one could have stopped it, only one had a choice, and He chose to be crucified.

So, read this.  As I experienced in high school, realize that this was done intentionally, voluntarily, for both you and me.

Hors Catégorie

Pain.  For the past few days I have experienced the most physical pain in the span of years the Lord has allowed me to be here.  Had a cortisone shot between L4 and L5.  The end result is supposed to be good, but the day after the shot was not much fun.

Laying down – which was all that I could do – the pain level was 4 or 5.  If I moved, tried to turn over or, stand up, the pain in my left leg immediately spiked to a hard 10.  Things have settled down.  My left leg is really weak, but that is supposed to clear up in week or so.

This experience got me thinking.  We are looking at Easter.  Good Friday is in six days.  One of the things that Jesus says on the cross in Matthew 27:46 (here @ Bible Gateway), was “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

When we consider what the Bible says about Christ, the pain evident in these nine words emerges.  Christ was unified, one with the Father and the Spirit.  That reality permeates the Gospels especially the Gospel of John (here @ Bible Gateway).  During His time on the cross Christ was separated, ripped away from that relationship.

I am a fan of the Tour de France.  The climbs are rated 1 – 4 with the largest rated HC or Hors Catégorie, “beyond categorization.”  We are asked to measure pain on a scale of 1 – 10, ten being described as “unspeakable.”  It occurs to me that what Christ suffered was Hors Catégorie, beyond categorization.  He did that so that we could be restored to a relationship with His Father from whom He was separated, which caused that Hors Catégorie pain.  He did that voluntarily.  He did that for you and me.

We should probably respond.

Proclaim or Passive?

Look at Psalm 96:10 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Does that seem vaguely familiar?  Compare with Matthew 28:18 – 20 (here @ Bible Gateway).  The imperative in Psalm 96:10 (here @ Bible Gateway) is “Say”: in Matthew 28:18 – 20 (here @ Bible Gateway) it is “make disciples.  It would seem that one precedes the other.

Now look at Isaiah 39:8 (here @ Bible Gateway) and Psalm 78:9 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway).  How does the attitude expressed in these two passages align with Psalm 96:10 (here @ Bible Gateway) and Matthew 28:18 – 20 (here @ Bible Gateway)?  The obvious answer is, they don’t.

Hezekiah was informed that his sons would be taken into exile, signaling the end of the nation.  His response?  Well at least that won’t happen on my watch.  Ephraim is depicted in Psalm 78:9 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway) as and archer, a warrior, an equipped archer.  But when they were needed for battle, they were nowhere to be found.

Are there many like this in the Body today?  Are there those who have been commanded to both “say” and “make disciples” who like Ephraim are nowhere to be found?  Not engaged?

Seems so.

One of the leaders in a church I know quips that many in the church cannot be bothered with engaging in what the Lord wants them to do, because they have a Netflix account.  I’m not sure that their reasons are that compelling.

How do you imagine the Lord will respond to this level of passivity in His people?

Dead Serious

Choosing to engage with others in sharing God’s Word with them is dead serious.  Read Numbers 25:4 (here @ Bible Gateway).

The serious aspect of this – check that – the dead serious aspect, is that the leaders had abandoned the Word of God.

Rather than leading the people to the Lord through His Word, the leaders led them to worship false gods, idols.  The same theme permeates the book of Jeremiah (here @ Bible Gateway).  The climax of that behavior is recorded in Jeremiah 23 (here @ Bible Gateway).

As leaders, and note that as believers all are leaders, the core of what we share with our families, our friends, those in our communities of faith, and those outside the faith with whom the Lord allows us to share the truth, is His Word.

James 3:1 – 2 (here @ Bible Gateway), 2 Timothy 2:15 (here @ Bible Gateway), and 2 Timothy 4:5 (here @ Bible Gateway), support and remind us of this.

Sure there are really good Christian books as those that are really bad.  The Word of God, however, is always good.  It is always appropriate.  It is always true.

In this age there are many who are claiming to have the truth.  They are promoting themselves over the Word of God.  Churches and organizations that were once effective in spreading the Word of God, have abandoned it.

That is dead serious.

Not Void

Isaiah 55:11 (here @ Bible Gateway) is a passage to which I return often.  I have written about it often here.  Many times I couple the verse with Hebrews 4:12 – 13 (here @ Bible Gateway).  It has been, and it still is, my belief and conviction that God’s Word does not return void. 

In part I have been applying that by getting men into the Word and allowing the Word to work in their lives, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  My conviction and experience is if men get in the Word and I get out of the way, the Lord will lead them into truth.

Problem.

I read a lot.  Theological journals and some scholarly works are part of that reading.  I benefit from reading those – caveat: my primary time for input for my walk with God, is time with Him in the Word, I read the journals to understand what they are dealing with, but I do not accept anything I read without validating it Biblically.  The challenge I have encountered in reading these is that I find men who are “scholars” who are espousing some incredibly unbiblical positions.

How does that align with the Word of God not returning void?  How does that align with the Word being piercing?  Why are they not led into truth?

Thinking and praying through this over time I think an answer may be emerging for me.  You may already have figured it out.  But, I am a slow maze learner.  The last portion of Isaiah 55:11 (here @ Bible Gateway) states that the Word won’t return, “Without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

If the Lord’s purpose in a person’s life is to draw them to Himself, the Word will do that.  If it is His purpose to push them away, the Word will do so.  It is His purpose that is important, not mine.

It is a further reminder to me, a rebuke, that I am not in control.  It is His Word, His ministry, His gospel, His choice that matters.  He determines what is void and what is not.  My role is to still get men into the Word and get out of the way and let Him do with them what He desires.

For Your Sake

Have you ever done something really good in order to get noticed?  Or have you ever wanted to know how you performed as you shared something you found in the Word?  Wondered if you made an impact?  Wondered if anyone noticed?  Probably not, but you may know people who have.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 (here @ Bible Gateway) is the last three clauses in one of Paul’s famously long sentences.  This one runs from 1 Thessalonians 1:2 – 5 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Three words riveted my attention this time through.  The last three in the NASB translation:

“…for your sake.”

That prepositional phrase modifies – well, I have been mentally diagraming the sentence for the past several minutes…  It either modifies “proved” or further modifies the phrase “to be among you”.  Not sure without spending a lot of time working on the structure.

The point is, Paul was not there for accolades.  He wasn’t interested in recognition for his service.  He wasn’t looking to gain brownie points from the Lord.  He was in Thessalonica for the sake of the Thessalonian people.

They figured that out.

They figured out that they should have the same attitude as the one who brought them the good news of the gospel.  So, following Paul’s example, they became an example to the surrounding areas, Macedonia and Achaia.

It wasn’t about Paul when he was engaged in equipping the Thessalonian believers.  It wasn’t about them as they shared with their neighbors.

The truth of the gospel, the incredible offer of the absolution, forgiveness of our intentional, consistent rebellion against a holy and loving God; is too valuable to tarnish with a misplaced hunger for recognition for sharing that lifeline to one who is condemned.

Yet it seems there are some who are engaged for their own credit.

Truth be known.  I have fought that internal struggle myself.  Still do.

Don’t Believe – So What?

You may have read or heard in the past few days that the philosophical and scholarly paragon, GQ, has deemed that you would be better served not to bother reading the Bible.

Set aside for a minute that they have, based on Psalm 14:1 (here @ Bible Gateway), which, no doubt they have not read, proven themselves fools.  Instead, take a minute and review 1 Timothy 4:1 – 3 (here @ Bible Gateway) and 2 Timothy 3:1 – 9 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Think through how the GQ editors fit into Paul’s description of the attitude of those of “later times”.

As believers, we tend to get exercised when people reject our beliefs.  Why?  Somehow their rejections seem at some level to call into question the validity of our faith.  But this is not a new phenomenon.  Spend some time reading and pondering Romans 1 – 3 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Specifically consider Romans 3:3 – 4 (here @ Bible Gateway).

Some don’t believe?  Some don’t consider the Bible important?  So what?  That doesn’t disprove, invalidate, trivialize, or otherwise diminish God.  He doesn’t change.  Frankly, their unbelief doesn’t catch God by surprise.  He already knew.

Through the years I have had many tell me that the Bible is irrelevant.  Ok.  I share it with them anyway.  Why?  They don’t have to believe that the Bible is relevant for it to work on them any more than someone has to acknowledge the existence of a sword before it can run them through.  The sword, by the way, is that to which the writer of Hebrews compares the Word of God, Hebrews 4:12 (here @ Bible Gateway); Paul also, in Ephesians 6:17 (here @ Bible Gateway).

So people do not believe and trivialize the Word of God.  Not new.  Not unexpected.  Has zero effect on God or the value of the Bible.  Just reveals their need and condition.

Proclaim What?

A couple of days ago I shared my struggle with the Greek word κηρύσσω (kerysso), I mentioned that when I encounter the word in the text I tend to render the word, “proclaim” or “herald.”  Mark 1:14 (here @ Bible Gateway) is an instance.

Reading through this the other day, after changing preach to proclaim, I asked, what is being proclaimed.  The object of the verb is “gospel”?  The next question, based on the timeline of Mark, was what gospel?  Christ has not died, thus He has not risen from the grave, so what was He proclaiming?

We, or at least I, tend to gloss over words like this that are familiar.  I “know” what gospel means.  However, the exercise of recasting “preach” to “proclaim” led me to question if I really knew what was Christ was communicating here.  So I looked up the word, εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion), in one of the tools I have that allow me to see the meaning of Greek words throughout the classical and koine period.  I found that the word meant, good tidings, good news.  It especially was used in the announcement of an emperor’s accession to the throne.

Consider that for a second.  In the first century that is how the word was used.  Now think about the implications of using that understanding of the use of εὐαγγέλιον in Mark 1:14 (here @ Bible Gateway) along with my rendering of κηρύσσω.

“Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the accession of God to the throne.”

In the context that sheds a different light on Mark 1:15 (here @ Bible Gateway).  It may explain why the kingdom of God is at hand.

However, there are multiple other implications if this is a correct understanding of the language.

The point of all this is not necessarily the meaning of Mark 1:14 – 15 (here @ Bible Gateway), rather, it is a thinly veiled encouragement not to take any of the words in the text for granted.  That does not assume you know the meaning.

This was reinforced this morning when I met with a man to discuss our study on “in Christ”.  But I will share that in the next post.

Second Aspect of Navigating Pain Well

Yesterday we started unpacking some lessons on how we are to best navigate pain, difficult stretches of our lives.  The premise yesterday was that the first thing that we have to have a firm grasp on is the sovereignty of God.

It seems to me that the second thing we have to have settled in our faith is the nature and character of God.  Hebrews 11:6 (here @ Bible Gateway) seems to capture the thought most succinctly.  We have to believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Consider the implications.  To live like that we have to be comfortable, settled really, with not only God’s sovereignty, but that sovereignty, that power, is exercised consistent with a nature and character in which we can, using the book of Hebrews term, “rest”. 

We have to know that we can trust Him. 

There were times in this past year that my prayer in the midst of extremely difficult circumstances consisted of, “I love You, I trust You.”  That was all.  The rest of the time was spent in tears.

There is only one way of which I am aware to understand both the nature of God and His sovereignty.  That is to devour His Word.  There is no other way.  We cannot survive on the work and understanding of others.  We have to have firsthand knowledge of Him.  Our minds have to be renewed, Romans 12:1 - 2 (here @ Bible Gateway).

The only way to do that is by spending much time with Him in the Word, prayerfully.

Navigating Pain Well

[Note: As many of you already have discovered, the flu shot this year was not all that effective – I have been learning that by firsthand experience since early Tuesday morning.  Basically did not get out of bed Wednesday or Thursday.]

The diagnosis of cancer we received two years ago I have written about twice, here and here.

In light of some of the things that we have experienced as a family in the last year, and are in fact still experiencing, reviewing a thing or two may be useful.

We have experienced 4 deaths and three births, and last Tuesday, our extended family experienced another death.  Lee was my wife’s cousin’s first child.  As we have navigated these months, as I have begun to experience some of the minor side effects of the cancer, as I have watched my son learning to be a doctor and a single father after burying his wife of six years, as I have seen another son lose his third child through miscarriage, I have wondered what is the one thing that allows us to walk through times like these and emerge with not just our faith intact but stronger, fuller, and closer to Him?

I listed three things a couple of posts ago.  One of those seems to me to be the most important – in truth they all play a part – but on the first, the sovereignty of God, I would like to share some thoughts.

If we are not settled on who God is, that He is in control, then it seems that we only have two options when tragedy is part of our path.

1. First, we must consider that the tragedy is completely random.  There is no rhyme or reason to how it occurs in our lives.  
2. Our second option, and it is closely aligned with the first, is that God is unable or unwilling to deal with the randomness of tragedy that continually occurs in our world.

Take a minute and read:

• John 1:3 – 5 (here @ Bible Gateway) 
• Colossians 1:13 – 17 (here @ Bible Gateway) 

There are many other passages we could consider, but think through these.  Consider what they say.  By that ask the primary question in reading or studying the Bible or for that matter any book or document, “What does it say?”

John says nothing has come into being that has come into being apart from Him.  Nothing.  Consider the implications of that.

Paul in Colossians echoes John and extends the argument to include that He holds all things together.

If we embrace that reality, if we live in the certainty of what John and Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit penned for us, while it does not ease or diminish the pain or grief, it give us a solid anchor on which to grasp.

This in my floundering estimation is the more important truth.  But there is at least one more.  We will consider that tomorrow (unless the flu reasserts itself – under the sovereignty of God of course).