One of my favorite Easter songs.
Tag: Lent 2014
Lent Day #22 | Peace
The bottom line is we will never fully understand who Jesus is in his fullness. We can experience his fullness, but wrapping our minds around it is not possible.
There are many names given to Jesus in the scriptures. Names that speak to what he provides. Names like savior, healer, teacher and friend. There are other names that speak to how he sustains us in our own journey. Names such as the bread of life, guide, living water and the true vine. These are all significant and good. As a matter of fact, we need all of these names so we can continue to expand our understanding and appreciation of who he is. There is no one name that fully encompasses the greatness, majesty and totality of Jesus. This is why those of us who have been redeemed are is such awe of him.
The bottom line is we will never fully understand who Jesus is in his fullness. We can experience his fullness, but wrapping our minds around it is not possible. It would be like a seahorse comprehending an ocean, thinking that in knowing the part it has seen the whole. However, the attempt is what gives rise to our joy and satisfaction in his ability to fulfill his promise to save us!
In the entirety of the bible there is one superlative that stands out to me. It rises to the surface because of the calamity and conflict that seems to emerge so frequently in our time. One of the signs of Jesus glorious return is the “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6) around the world. As every nation develops strategies and weaponry to combat terrorism, civil unrest and outright conflict, Jesus stands at the apex of history as the only one capable of bringing true and lasting peace. The prophet Isaiah declared the coming of this peacemaker when he said,
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, ESV)
What is it about Jesus that allows the scripture to speak of Jesus as the prince of peace? How can Jesus accomplish this feat?
Will he disarm the armies of the world?
Will he broker peace agreements between warring factions and feuding neighbors?
How exactly is Jesus qualified to bring about the end of this animus that seemingly exists in every culture?
Paul made an interesting statement in his admonition to the Corinthian church. Listen to how he connects Jesus character and disposition toward the world and the method we, those who follow in his steps, wage war against the enemies of God’s kingdom.
1 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:1-6, ESV)
Peace does not take place because the weapons of warfare are removed. Peace comes when the motivation to war is excised from the human heart. Only the Gospel can do that because only the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims the message of the Prince of Peace. The longer it takes the church to realize the power it wields as bearers of the Gospel of Jesus, the longer it will take for true peace on earth to come.
Lent Day #21 | Security
Our perception of God should be of utmost importance because we draw our identity from what we believe about God.
One of the many theological debates that bears its head from time to time has to do with our security in Christ. Many millions of words have been penned in the last two thousand years on the subject, so a couple hundred more will not hurt anything. If anything, I hope to bring some Gospel clarity to this important issue.
When we talk about security we have to determine two elements of the issue. First, we have to ask ourselves who is doing the securing? And second, we have to ask ourselves, how capable is this individual in accomplishing the job? If we can answer this question then we have gain significant ground in the conversation. This idea and topic is important because how we answer it will determine how we view and approach God. Our perception of God should be of utmost importance because we draw our identity from what we believe about God.
So, let’s look at the first question: Who is doing the securing? There are essentially two positions here. Either I am doing the securing or God is. If I am doing the securing, then there will always be the risk that I may falter in my task. Maybe I get distracted or am attached and weakened. Personally, this idea does not sit well with me because I know my failures are not a possibility, but an eventuality. Therefore, this option is wrought with peril. The testimony of the scripture provides us with a reason for hope. Peter, in his first letter, writes the following words.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [1 Peter 1:3-5, emphasis added]
The beauty of our faith is that God has taken full responsibility and ownership of our redemption. He has not left anything up to chance. This is a wonderful promise. The fact that we will fail and falter does not negate God’s ability in keep what he has purchased through the costly sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We are secure not because of any virtue in us, but because of the power and virtue of the Creator of all things.
But, what about the second question? How capable is God in keeping us secure? Jesus answers this question for us when he tells the Jews who had gathered around him.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” [John 10:27-30, emphasis added]
Now, I don’t know about you, but there is a confidence in Jesus’ words that speak volumes to his capability to keep that which he see as his. The question that we must ask ourselves is this: Whose voice are we listening to? The answer to this question will determine the confidence we can have in Jesus’ power to save us and keep us secure.
Lent Day #20 | Repentance
Repentance is not something to get better at over time. It is a pivot point in our lives.
This is a word far too often used by those who have not fully understood its meaning (or even experienced its reality). The underlying reality of this word has escaped many of us because we have thought of it in degrees rather than as a simple, completed whole. What does this mean? It means we think we have more time to “get it right,” when the truth of the matter would frighten us. Repentance is not something to get better at over time. It is a pivot point in our lives.
The original intent of repentance has been described a change of mind. We are not talking about a curious thought crossing through our minds or something to just sit and mull over. When we encounter the truth of the Gospel of Jesus we have a choice to make. We can turn around or we can keep moving forward. Repentance is turning away from anything and everything not in line with God’s word and will. This is what God is expecting and calling us to. We must turn from sin, not with the indifference of an distasteful odor, but with the intentionality and seriousness of a death inducing threat.
Maybe this is the problem. We have lost our fear of sin and thereby lost our fear of God. As I write this I am moved by my tendency to minimize my sin because I know how marvelous God’s grace is. This may be what Paul meant when he said the following in Romans 6.
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
What I have come to see is that repentance is not a one time choice. It is a constant act. One requiring the heart and mind to work toward holiness. What we have to see is that the only reason we do this is due to the work of the Holy Spirit of God as he moves us to such an act of obedience. As we move to closer Easter we must seek as clear an understanding as we can of what it means to be a citizen of God’s kingdom. My prayer is that you will join me on this journey.
Lent Day#19 | The Leap of Faith
Faith in God is a leap, but it’s of a different kind. Faith in God is a leap into the truth of God’s word and promises.
Growing up, one of my father’s favorite movies was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The story followed the adventures of Indiana Jones and his father as they searched for the Holy Grail, or the cup Jesus used during the Last Supper. It is a fictitious story, but it was entertaining and had some interesting moments, causing you think. One of the more poignant events in the film was when Indiana Jones faces the “Leap of Faith” from the lion’s mouth. You can watch the clip below.
What makes this moment interesting is that Jones’ is stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he does not go forward his father will die. If he does go forward, he faces the possibility of falling to his death. These are not simple choices. However, Indiana Jones makes the choice to go forward and discovers that there is a land bridge, hidden by an optical illusion. As in all analogies, they all break down at some point.
Faith in God is a leap, but it’s of a different kind. Faith in God is a leap into the truth of God’s word and promises. It is neither blind nor uncertain. Faith is a choice and a lifestyle. We choice to trust in God and we must live out the consequences of this choice everyday. Too often, we think of faith like Indiana does, as a win-lose proposition. Nothing could be further from the truth. Faith is always win-win because regardless of what happens next, God will receive the glory.
Lent Day #18 | Recreation
I have occasionally described myself as one of the most productive lazy people I know. It’s not that I am truly lazy, I am just not going to work harder than I need to. I am going to work smarter so I can move on to the next task.
I have occasionally described myself as one of the most productive lazy people I know. It’s not that I am truly lazy, I am just not going to work harder than I need to. I am going to work smarter so I can move on to the next task. One of the characteristics I have noticed as I have gotten older is that I do not have a difficult time putting things down. What I mean is, when its time to work, I work. When it is time to stop, I stop. When it’s time to play, I play.
I have been a dad for over seven years. During this time I have realized how valuable time is. It is the ultimate non-renewable resources. Because of this I must do a better job of managing myself so I do not miss important moments in my children’s lives. I am still working on this. Thankfully I have a wife who is courageous enough to tell me when I am absent-minded about the time I have with my daughters.
In the scheme of things, what I will remember are those times when we were together, spending time enjoying each others company. This is what recreation should be. We should strive to re-create our hearts and minds with those moments that will have a lasting impact on the quality of our lives. A balance in the quantity and quality of our time with those who put something back into our lives is the goal. We can not forget what really matter. We can not ignore our responsibility to put something back into the relationship banks of those we love.
God has given us the ability and the capacity to enjoy recreation. Do not miss another opportunity!
Lent Day #17 | Rhythm
If there is one word that does not describe me, it would be rhythm. I can walk and chew gum. I can a great variety of activities that require coordination, but I can’t dance or keep the beat of a song. This reality makes for a frustrated guitarist! But, I pick along as best as I can (pun intended!).
One of the lessons that I have learned in the course of my faith journey is that faith has an ebb and flow. There are highs and there lows. The most constant reality is change. How we handle the changes that will come determines the richness of our experiences. It is quite fortunate for us all, that wisdom and age (normally, but not always) grow together. Lent has become one of the harmonies of my life. It is a reminder of the passage of time, but also the possibility for growth.
As in all things, superstition and abuse can take something useful and distort it and even destroy it. I, however, want to see this season of preparation and contemplation for what it is–an opportunity to turn my affections toward God. This does not mean that sin has ceased to creep at the door. Rather, my awareness of sin and its effects is heightened and brought into stark relief against the sacrifice of Christ on Easter. Every year, this time comes and we have another change to take steps toward deeper faithfulness and obedience.
The power of the Christian calendar is in its intentionally drawing our attention to God’s work in the world through the church. Can this calendar become a crutch or even a hindrance? Yes, it can. The task is working toward a balance and a consistency in our faith walk. Rhythm. Finding it and remaining faithful to it is one of the keys to a life lived with God.
The famed G. K. Chesterton found a unique way to describing our problem and our predicament. It has always captured my imagination and I share it with you in the hope that it captures yours.
“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” (emphasis added)
Third Sunday in Lent | “He’s My King”
Is He Your King?
This is the full version of the popular sermonette by S. M. Lockridge
Lent Day #16 | Simplicity
We live in a world that is full of new and exciting things. The speed at which information is created is increasing at break-neck speeds. There was a time when it was possible to know everything about a specific area of knowledge. In today’s world, disciplines are so specialized it is amazing we can say we know anything at all.
What is amazing to me is this, in Jesus we find simplicity as the unifying reality of existence. Jesus did not need the newest and best toys to be happy. Companionship and enjoying the everyday experiences of life were sufficient. God has a way of taking the ordinary artifacts of life and transforming them into something extraordinary. A rock, a stick, a net. It simply did not matter what it was, it became something significant and meaningful in Jesus’ hands.
As I continue to walk in faith I hope to find a way of living more simply. Is there something I must let go of? Is there someone I must engage and rebuild a relationship with? Is there something I must do, that I have left undone?
These and many more questions I ask myself as I get older. As the days in my life pass. I pray I make the most of each one.
Lent Day #15 | Silence
Silence. It is a quality that is uncomfortable to be in. Many of us have never been in a space where complete silence has been achieved. I think if we were ever put in a situation where were would have to be completely silent we would not know what to do.
I came across an interesting article about an anechoic chamber, supposedly the quietest place in the world. I think what stood out as I read the article was how complete silence can affect our perception of what is happening. In the chamber all sound is deadened, but as your ears adjust you being to hear the sound of your heart and lungs; of your blood as it travels through your veins and arteries. I have never experienced this, but I wonder what that would be like.
Silence can be unsettling. I have had opportunities to get in a quiet place a few times in my life. It was not easy. It took some time to focus my mind, but in the end I found myself turning my attention toward God. I think what I found most interesting during these times of silence is how difficult it was to gather my thoughts and focus my attention. It was as if in the silence there was nothing serving as a boundary and I was the one creating the boundary of my conscious thoughts.
I would encourage you to take some time and seek God in silence. You may find it is more difficult that you would have anticipated.