Ah, the scene by the Red Sea. Charlton Heston... faky special effects... gotta love it.
But what a scene it must have been. When we read about things like this in the scripture we often just kind of fly by and read the story and move on. We have read it before and its not really new, and its really cool and all that, but, let's face it- nothing new. But when we think about the whole event on a little deeper level, we find that it must have been quite a scene. Can you imagine? Standing there on the edge of the sea- walls of water on either side- and your leader says, "Wagons Ho!!!" I have to admit, I would have been hesitant to walk out there in the middle of that sea basin. But what a show. I hope we get to see the replay when we get to heaven.
We also see the concept of a hard heart play out in this scene. Here are Pharaoh and his whole army standing at the edge of the sea, seeing their economic well being walk away. And now you are faced with a choice. Do you go after that economic security or do you come to the point of saying, "enough- let it go." Remember that God had already made it painfully clear that He was fighting for Israel. Many of the Egyptians even said so. But even with all that had gone before, Pharaoh chose to pursue. And here we see how a hard heart dulls perception. It seems pretty clear to us that the old "Rope a Dope" is in play here. God is drawing them in just to spring His trap. But, that is the insanity of sin. When we are buried deep in our sin and our obsessions, we do not think clearly or logically. And such was the case for Pharaoh.
I do like the part that tells of how God caused the Egyptian army to fall into confusion- in part by making the wheels come off of their chariots. The HAS to be where we get the term, "the wheels came off". How may times have we heard it on SportsCenter- "And then we come to the third quarter and that is where the wheels came off for the Pacers" Well, OK, the Pacers don't have their wheels on this year period.
The other aspect of this passage, (Ex. 13-14), that is so meaningful to me is that idea we find in Ex 14:13 when we read,
13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Wow. It says so much.
When God saves, He saves completely. The Egyptian army embodied everything that had worked against Israel for the last 430 years. Slavery, oppression, hardship, pain, loss of identity.. it is all tied up in the nation of Egypt. But God says in this passage, (paraphrasing), "Once I am done with what I am about to do, you will NEVER be bothered by this adversary again." That is not to say that the nation of Israel was problem free or sin free for the rest of their existence, because they were not. But, any other difficulty that came their way came by the choices they made. They brought on their own trouble, as do we.
I think that what we see by the sea is still true today. We find ourselves slaves to our routines and habits and customs and societies and choices and sins. If we are willing to allow God to perform His rescue by his design, and not interfere, and trust, and be still, then we can leave our adversaries behind, never to be seen again.
That sounds pretty cool.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Passover Pasta...
I have put down the camera long enough to try to write a bit of a blog post. Nothing like a new baby to rejuvenate your photography habit.
Really not a whole lot to add tonight- the interruptions to the sleep routine are having their effects on the thinking processes. On Sunday we had a bit of a discussion about the tenth and final plague- the plague of the first born. The lasting symbolism is not lost on us- this is another prototype of the messiah, the sacrificial lamb. But, as we discussed on Sunday, there are some other good tidbits that come from the account.
This plague is the final blow to Pharaoh's resistance, and a final judgment upon the gods of Egypt. Here, once again, we see God saying, "I am the one true God." Not only did this display of power show the Egyptians that their man-made gods were impotent, but the it also showed the people of Israel that the God of Abraham is the all powerful God. There need not be any doubt about God's sovereignty. And the same it true now. Can you imagine the day that is coming when God shows His power in ways that will make the plagues look mild? There are a lot of folks walking around thinking that God has moved on to other things because they don't see Him in action. But there is a day coming. A day on which everyone will see the power of God. Like those days in Egypt.
Another interesting aspect of the first born plague, at least to me, is that God made the provision for others, (gentiles), to be saved from the avenger and to partake in the Passover that was established. We know from the book of Exodus that some Egyptians went with the Israelites when they left. Any "outsider" had to be circumcised to take part in the Passover, but there was a means by which the grace of God could come to all who were willing to respond. It is no longer about circumcision, but there has been provision made for all to experience the grace of God. Jesus Christ, the passover lamb, has "opened the life gate that all may go in." Grace was offered through the blood of the lamb on that night in Egypt. Grace is offered through the blood of the lamb now.
Through all of the plagues and especially in this last plague we see the character of God. He shows grace to those who obey. He punishes those who continue in their defiance. He provides for those He chooses. He is above all man-made gods. And He can part the sea. Which, by the way, will be our next stop.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Really not a whole lot to add tonight- the interruptions to the sleep routine are having their effects on the thinking processes. On Sunday we had a bit of a discussion about the tenth and final plague- the plague of the first born. The lasting symbolism is not lost on us- this is another prototype of the messiah, the sacrificial lamb. But, as we discussed on Sunday, there are some other good tidbits that come from the account.
This plague is the final blow to Pharaoh's resistance, and a final judgment upon the gods of Egypt. Here, once again, we see God saying, "I am the one true God." Not only did this display of power show the Egyptians that their man-made gods were impotent, but the it also showed the people of Israel that the God of Abraham is the all powerful God. There need not be any doubt about God's sovereignty. And the same it true now. Can you imagine the day that is coming when God shows His power in ways that will make the plagues look mild? There are a lot of folks walking around thinking that God has moved on to other things because they don't see Him in action. But there is a day coming. A day on which everyone will see the power of God. Like those days in Egypt.
Another interesting aspect of the first born plague, at least to me, is that God made the provision for others, (gentiles), to be saved from the avenger and to partake in the Passover that was established. We know from the book of Exodus that some Egyptians went with the Israelites when they left. Any "outsider" had to be circumcised to take part in the Passover, but there was a means by which the grace of God could come to all who were willing to respond. It is no longer about circumcision, but there has been provision made for all to experience the grace of God. Jesus Christ, the passover lamb, has "opened the life gate that all may go in." Grace was offered through the blood of the lamb on that night in Egypt. Grace is offered through the blood of the lamb now.
Through all of the plagues and especially in this last plague we see the character of God. He shows grace to those who obey. He punishes those who continue in their defiance. He provides for those He chooses. He is above all man-made gods. And He can part the sea. Which, by the way, will be our next stop.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
But I Don' Want Pasta.....
For whatever reason, Sunday just seemed rushed and disjointed. I am sorry about that. I think there was just a lot going on that morning and we were kind of rushed in our analysis of the passage. So, I want to offer a few more thoughts here and then we will move on next Sunday.
First, a few reminders to set this up a bit. We talked about Moses' response to the burning bush. He received a mission there, and there were three specific parts to the mission as God described it. Moses was to go to the elders of the nation of Israel and tell them that God saw their suffering and was about to act to bring them out of slavery. Second, Moses was to go to the King of Egypt and tell him to let the Jews go to the desert and and worship. Third, God gave instructions about how the families would take silver and gold with them and thus plunder the Egyptians.
As God was spelling all of this out, Moses offered several responses. I think that as we look at his responses, we see that his resistance to God's prompting, like onions and ogres, had layers. But there is a thread that runs all through his response as well. Let's check it out...
Before I start with this a want to say that I am offering this as just a pure analysis. It will sound at times a little harsh and perhaps a little negative. I want to be sure to say that, in the same circumstances, I would have reacted way worse than Moses. If the things I write here sound critical, it is because I am just looking at what was going on and not really including the whole idea that says, "Well, what would you have done if it was you?"
Moses had five layers of reaction to the burning bush incident. The first two came as questions that he asked God.
1. Who am I?
The real question here is "Why me?" Moses concept of his ability to perform the tasks was based on his own evaluation of his own ability- not what God might do with him. I understand, but the truth is that Moses was inwardly directed. He was focused on self.
2. Who are you?
I would have asked too. But I have to wonder why Moses asked. If he was beginning to picture this whole thing- going to the elders of Israel, going to Pharaoh, going to the Jews, saying all these things- he may have wanted an answer when everyone starts asking, "Where is this coming from?" I can't be sure, but I am guessing that at least part of Moses' reason for asking this question was because he was sure he was going to look pretty foolish in front of a lot of people and wanted to be able to "pass the buck". He wanted a name for who was behind this. He was pretty sure that no one would believe him, and he didn't want to look bad. At least to an extent, he was focused on self.
3. "What if they don't listen?" (4:1)
This is really the same question. This is really, "I don't think this is going to work." or "I don't trust what you already told me." Or even, "I don't believe you." And wow, was God patient with Moses. God gave him the signs of the stall and the leprous hand and the water turning to blood, (very plague like, don't you think?) Moses is still not buying it.
4. "I am not eloquent..." (4:10)
Again with the self. Still inwardly focused. Still not getting that this is about God's ability and power and not his own.
5. "Please send someone else..." (4:13)
This is really nothing but, "I don't want to." God has nullified every excuse and it boils down to this- "I don't want to." Years later Jesus would talk about how any true disciple must take up the cross of Christ and deny self. That is the very point at which Moses was standing when he was standing by the burning bush. The challenge was before him and he had to decide what to do with it.
The initial reactions of Moses are not what we would call exemplary. He was focused on himself and was resistant to what God was suggesting. But now, in 2010, when we look back on Moses, we hold him in extremely high esteem. And, I believe, so does God.
So I guess the old adage is true, it's not how you start, it's how you finish. The thing that I love about reading this kind of story is that it gives me hope. Let's see, focused on self... yea, that's me. Resistant to God's plan, um... me again. Has trouble believing that God can really do all those wonderful things we ME? Guilty. I am not so different from Moses. Moses is not so different from me.
So I think that we can take heart. We are humans full of weakness and failure. But when we manage to take God at His word and let Him do His thing, oh my. Who knows what might happen?
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
First, a few reminders to set this up a bit. We talked about Moses' response to the burning bush. He received a mission there, and there were three specific parts to the mission as God described it. Moses was to go to the elders of the nation of Israel and tell them that God saw their suffering and was about to act to bring them out of slavery. Second, Moses was to go to the King of Egypt and tell him to let the Jews go to the desert and and worship. Third, God gave instructions about how the families would take silver and gold with them and thus plunder the Egyptians.
As God was spelling all of this out, Moses offered several responses. I think that as we look at his responses, we see that his resistance to God's prompting, like onions and ogres, had layers. But there is a thread that runs all through his response as well. Let's check it out...
Before I start with this a want to say that I am offering this as just a pure analysis. It will sound at times a little harsh and perhaps a little negative. I want to be sure to say that, in the same circumstances, I would have reacted way worse than Moses. If the things I write here sound critical, it is because I am just looking at what was going on and not really including the whole idea that says, "Well, what would you have done if it was you?"
Moses had five layers of reaction to the burning bush incident. The first two came as questions that he asked God.
1. Who am I?
The real question here is "Why me?" Moses concept of his ability to perform the tasks was based on his own evaluation of his own ability- not what God might do with him. I understand, but the truth is that Moses was inwardly directed. He was focused on self.
2. Who are you?
I would have asked too. But I have to wonder why Moses asked. If he was beginning to picture this whole thing- going to the elders of Israel, going to Pharaoh, going to the Jews, saying all these things- he may have wanted an answer when everyone starts asking, "Where is this coming from?" I can't be sure, but I am guessing that at least part of Moses' reason for asking this question was because he was sure he was going to look pretty foolish in front of a lot of people and wanted to be able to "pass the buck". He wanted a name for who was behind this. He was pretty sure that no one would believe him, and he didn't want to look bad. At least to an extent, he was focused on self.
3. "What if they don't listen?" (4:1)
This is really the same question. This is really, "I don't think this is going to work." or "I don't trust what you already told me." Or even, "I don't believe you." And wow, was God patient with Moses. God gave him the signs of the stall and the leprous hand and the water turning to blood, (very plague like, don't you think?) Moses is still not buying it.
4. "I am not eloquent..." (4:10)
Again with the self. Still inwardly focused. Still not getting that this is about God's ability and power and not his own.
5. "Please send someone else..." (4:13)
This is really nothing but, "I don't want to." God has nullified every excuse and it boils down to this- "I don't want to." Years later Jesus would talk about how any true disciple must take up the cross of Christ and deny self. That is the very point at which Moses was standing when he was standing by the burning bush. The challenge was before him and he had to decide what to do with it.
The initial reactions of Moses are not what we would call exemplary. He was focused on himself and was resistant to what God was suggesting. But now, in 2010, when we look back on Moses, we hold him in extremely high esteem. And, I believe, so does God.
So I guess the old adage is true, it's not how you start, it's how you finish. The thing that I love about reading this kind of story is that it gives me hope. Let's see, focused on self... yea, that's me. Resistant to God's plan, um... me again. Has trouble believing that God can really do all those wonderful things we ME? Guilty. I am not so different from Moses. Moses is not so different from me.
So I think that we can take heart. We are humans full of weakness and failure. But when we manage to take God at His word and let Him do His thing, oh my. Who knows what might happen?
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Burning Pasta...
The lasting image in my mind from our session last Sunday is the image of the burning bush. We talked about some other things, but that image of the burning bush remains for me. There is just so much that happened there and so much that it means to us!
I could not help but come away from that passage thinking that all of us have a burning bush of some sort. Ours is not a shrubbery, (all you Monte Python fans out there, I know what you just said in your mind...), on fire in the middle of the desert. But think about it. Moses was first drawn to the bush out of curiosity. He did not even expect an encounter with God. But once he drew close to the bush, he found that he was in a place far different that what he thought. He was in a place that was set apart- holy. And it was holy because God was there. You have to wonder how many times in his years in the desert Moses may have walked past that very same bush. But this day was different. It was different because God was there.
How did you come to know God? What drew you? What made you stay? How did your life and direction change after that process? I think that for us the "burning bush" might be a series of things- people, events, encounters- that all add up to a life changing, course altering influence. And sometimes it is good for us to look back and identify those people and events and things that make our own personal burning bush.
The other enduring thought I have from Sunday is the whole matter of the questions Moses asked at the bush- "Who am I to do this?" and "Who are You? What is Your name?"
Who am I? Who are You. God's response to the questions says so much about living with Him.
We talked about how God did not really answer the "Who am I" question. Moses question was really an expression of doubt- in himself and perhaps in God. But I think that we would agree that it does not really matter how we assess ourselves or how anyone else assesses us- if God is with us, our own human frailties diminish into insignificance. Its loaves and fish. We are not enough to do anything on our own, but when God does the math and multiplies our skills times His spirit, well, there is some new math going on there- and you can't measure it with ISTEP.
And then there is the "Who are You?" question. Moses wanted to have a name- what do you call yourself? Again, God's answer says so much. The thing I keep coming back to is that by answering "I Am", God once again established Himself as the Creator- the unmoved mover, the One who needs no help. He is all present tense. I was fascinated to go to the Fellowship Center service after Sunday School and hear Justin talk about how we all have an "I was..." or "I used to be..." All of us do. We have all changed. But God doesn't. He never WAS anything. There has been no change in character, plan, or strategy. As He was in the beginning, He is now and He ever shall be.
Amen.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
I could not help but come away from that passage thinking that all of us have a burning bush of some sort. Ours is not a shrubbery, (all you Monte Python fans out there, I know what you just said in your mind...), on fire in the middle of the desert. But think about it. Moses was first drawn to the bush out of curiosity. He did not even expect an encounter with God. But once he drew close to the bush, he found that he was in a place far different that what he thought. He was in a place that was set apart- holy. And it was holy because God was there. You have to wonder how many times in his years in the desert Moses may have walked past that very same bush. But this day was different. It was different because God was there.
How did you come to know God? What drew you? What made you stay? How did your life and direction change after that process? I think that for us the "burning bush" might be a series of things- people, events, encounters- that all add up to a life changing, course altering influence. And sometimes it is good for us to look back and identify those people and events and things that make our own personal burning bush.
The other enduring thought I have from Sunday is the whole matter of the questions Moses asked at the bush- "Who am I to do this?" and "Who are You? What is Your name?"
Who am I? Who are You. God's response to the questions says so much about living with Him.
We talked about how God did not really answer the "Who am I" question. Moses question was really an expression of doubt- in himself and perhaps in God. But I think that we would agree that it does not really matter how we assess ourselves or how anyone else assesses us- if God is with us, our own human frailties diminish into insignificance. Its loaves and fish. We are not enough to do anything on our own, but when God does the math and multiplies our skills times His spirit, well, there is some new math going on there- and you can't measure it with ISTEP.
And then there is the "Who are You?" question. Moses wanted to have a name- what do you call yourself? Again, God's answer says so much. The thing I keep coming back to is that by answering "I Am", God once again established Himself as the Creator- the unmoved mover, the One who needs no help. He is all present tense. I was fascinated to go to the Fellowship Center service after Sunday School and hear Justin talk about how we all have an "I was..." or "I used to be..." All of us do. We have all changed. But God doesn't. He never WAS anything. There has been no change in character, plan, or strategy. As He was in the beginning, He is now and He ever shall be.
Amen.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Nomadic Pasta...
Previously on Closer Walk...
Imagine those words being spoken by Keifer Sutherlin with kind of a raspy voice... Ah the return of 24 is not far away! Ooo Rah!
Last Sunday we started our study of the book of Exodus by amassing a good amount of data from our previous experience with the book and then we began to break it down a bit. Each one of us has our own unique set of experiences that have brought us to where we are right now. And as we come together to study God's word we bring our own unique perspective. For some, the biggest thing about the book of Exodus might be the fact that it shows God's provision for His people. Someone else might say that the biggest thing for them is the way the book shows the continuity of God's plan. Others may say that in the transition from slavery, (Egypt), to the promised land, (Canaan), that we see a description of ourselves- once slave to sin- moving in the direction of the promised land.
The beauty of it is that we would all be right. God is so big and His word so all-encompassing that it seems we never come to the "end" of it.
We talked briefly about how the book can be organized into 4 periods in Israel's history. For the benefit of those not there on Sunday and for our coming discussions, let's review those:
The Period of Bondage (Chap 1-2)
The Period of Deliverance (Chap 3-12)
The Period of Discipline (Chap 12-18)
The Period of Legislation (Chap 19-40)
As we work out way through the book, we will look at events and highlights of each period.
One last thought for this weeks entry... I cannot help but notice the similarity between something that happened in the beginning of Exodus and something that happened in the beginning of Acts. Those in power in Egypt began to be afraid of the Israelites and decided to try to squash them. Chapter 1 of Exodus tells of how despite these efforts, God's people multiplied like crazy.
In Acts, we see what happened in post-crucifixion Jerusalem. The pharisees thought they had squashed this "Jesus Christ" thing, only to find that it would multiply like crazy.
The tighter they squeeze, the more God's purpose slips away.
I think that it will always be that way.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Imagine those words being spoken by Keifer Sutherlin with kind of a raspy voice... Ah the return of 24 is not far away! Ooo Rah!
Last Sunday we started our study of the book of Exodus by amassing a good amount of data from our previous experience with the book and then we began to break it down a bit. Each one of us has our own unique set of experiences that have brought us to where we are right now. And as we come together to study God's word we bring our own unique perspective. For some, the biggest thing about the book of Exodus might be the fact that it shows God's provision for His people. Someone else might say that the biggest thing for them is the way the book shows the continuity of God's plan. Others may say that in the transition from slavery, (Egypt), to the promised land, (Canaan), that we see a description of ourselves- once slave to sin- moving in the direction of the promised land.
The beauty of it is that we would all be right. God is so big and His word so all-encompassing that it seems we never come to the "end" of it.
We talked briefly about how the book can be organized into 4 periods in Israel's history. For the benefit of those not there on Sunday and for our coming discussions, let's review those:
The Period of Bondage (Chap 1-2)
The Period of Deliverance (Chap 3-12)
The Period of Discipline (Chap 12-18)
The Period of Legislation (Chap 19-40)
As we work out way through the book, we will look at events and highlights of each period.
One last thought for this weeks entry... I cannot help but notice the similarity between something that happened in the beginning of Exodus and something that happened in the beginning of Acts. Those in power in Egypt began to be afraid of the Israelites and decided to try to squash them. Chapter 1 of Exodus tells of how despite these efforts, God's people multiplied like crazy.
In Acts, we see what happened in post-crucifixion Jerusalem. The pharisees thought they had squashed this "Jesus Christ" thing, only to find that it would multiply like crazy.
The tighter they squeeze, the more God's purpose slips away.
I think that it will always be that way.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
A Little Christmas Pasta...
Twas the night before the night before...
Here is hoping that this blog update finds you all well and increasingly enjoying the Christmas holiday. We have managed to squeeze in a bout of the 24 hour stomach bug for Mel this week, but she seems to be much better today and we are hoping for a clean bill of health the rest of the way through the break.
As always, I very much enjoyed the discussion on Sunday. I wasn't sure I wanted to do a Christmas discussion, but as it turned out I am glad we did.
As always, again, there were a few things I think are worth mentioning that we did not get to.
I want to go back to the whole idea of the angels appearing to shepherds. We did talk on Sunday about how shepherds were held in very low standing at the time. They were not even allowed to offer testimony in a court of law because of their social standing. And God, who often does such things, chose those who could not testify in a human court to bear witness to the birth of His son. And they did so! Luke tells us that they went their way telling everyone what they had heard and seen. And so, these common shepherds were the first to tell others about the Good Shepherd. Coincidence? I think not.
It has also been speculated that these sheep in the care of the shepherds on the hill may well have been sheep that would later be sold to Jews who needed a sheep for their sacrifice. That is not recorded in the scripture, but t was common practice and is not outside the realm of possibility. It would be just like God to do that as well- to play with the details and have the shepherds leave their sheep to go and see the sacrificial lamb.
In thinking about the fact that this kind of account of Jesus' birth is only recorded in Luke, and even then not to a great extent, there is another interesting principle in play. It is know as the "Principle of Proportion". The principle of proportion simply states that the more important parts of the story get more coverage in the scriptures. Luke is the only one to give a birth account and in comparison, the amount of "ink"given to the birth does not nearly compare to the amount of attention given by Luke and all of the gospel writers to the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord.
It is interesting how the world can get all cozy with the idea of a baby in a manger, but wants nothing to do with an innocent man, beaten and hanging on a cross, to save all mankind. The beginning of the story, as wonderful as it is, is nothing without the end.
But it is a remarkable thing- that the rescue plan set in motion by the God of the universe began with the birth of a baby.
Unto YOU is born THIS DAY in THE CITY OF DAVID, a SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Here is hoping that this blog update finds you all well and increasingly enjoying the Christmas holiday. We have managed to squeeze in a bout of the 24 hour stomach bug for Mel this week, but she seems to be much better today and we are hoping for a clean bill of health the rest of the way through the break.
As always, I very much enjoyed the discussion on Sunday. I wasn't sure I wanted to do a Christmas discussion, but as it turned out I am glad we did.
As always, again, there were a few things I think are worth mentioning that we did not get to.
I want to go back to the whole idea of the angels appearing to shepherds. We did talk on Sunday about how shepherds were held in very low standing at the time. They were not even allowed to offer testimony in a court of law because of their social standing. And God, who often does such things, chose those who could not testify in a human court to bear witness to the birth of His son. And they did so! Luke tells us that they went their way telling everyone what they had heard and seen. And so, these common shepherds were the first to tell others about the Good Shepherd. Coincidence? I think not.
It has also been speculated that these sheep in the care of the shepherds on the hill may well have been sheep that would later be sold to Jews who needed a sheep for their sacrifice. That is not recorded in the scripture, but t was common practice and is not outside the realm of possibility. It would be just like God to do that as well- to play with the details and have the shepherds leave their sheep to go and see the sacrificial lamb.
In thinking about the fact that this kind of account of Jesus' birth is only recorded in Luke, and even then not to a great extent, there is another interesting principle in play. It is know as the "Principle of Proportion". The principle of proportion simply states that the more important parts of the story get more coverage in the scriptures. Luke is the only one to give a birth account and in comparison, the amount of "ink"given to the birth does not nearly compare to the amount of attention given by Luke and all of the gospel writers to the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord.
It is interesting how the world can get all cozy with the idea of a baby in a manger, but wants nothing to do with an innocent man, beaten and hanging on a cross, to save all mankind. The beginning of the story, as wonderful as it is, is nothing without the end.
But it is a remarkable thing- that the rescue plan set in motion by the God of the universe began with the birth of a baby.
Unto YOU is born THIS DAY in THE CITY OF DAVID, a SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
A Plethora of Pasta...
Good stuff last Sunday! We discussed the portion of Luke 9 in which we find Peter's great confession and some of Jesus' teaching on the cross- the cross of Christ, and the cross of the believer / follower. (Luke 9:18-26)
I especially enjoyed the discussion we had about who you say Jesus is. Remember the questions Jesus posed to the disciples- "Who do the crowds say I am?" and "Who do you say I am?". Those are the questions he asked then. But it is interesting to ask those same questions now. It is interesting to sit back and take note of how the rest of the world reacts to Jesus, and it is good for us to verbalize our own thoughts on the subject every once in a while. I consider it an honor to have the chance to hear people like all of you express your heart and speak of who Jesus is. I don't know how it is for you, but sometimes when I read scriptures like that I can just see Jesus looking straight into my eyes and asking me the question- "Who do YOU say I am?"
Immediately following Peter's confession in the passage, Jesus began to talk of all that he would have to endure, and he began to talk about the cross of the believer- the cross we all must take up daily. On Sunday, we did not really get to talk about that part of it- taking up our cross. I would like to offer a few thoughts here and, as always, comments and discussion are welcome!
First I have to say that while we have to we have been directed to take up our cross daily, (Luke 9: 23), whatever we have to endure that is associated with our "cross" is nothing compared to what Christ endured. Try as we might, we cannot grasp what Jesus has suffered. I would never dare to compare anything I experience to what he did. But having said that, there is a cross for the believer, and I think that it is characterized by a handful of properties.
1. Although different, the believers cross is directly related to the Cross of Christ.
The cross Jesus bore came complete with a full compliment of shame, guilt, pain, anguish, hardship... the list goes on and on. I already said that nothing that we bear compares to Jesus' sacrifice, but because our cross is related to his cross, it will come with its share of hardship and pain as well. We need not think that taking up our cross daily ends with morning devotionals. If we truly follow, at one time or another, there will be pain. I don't think I am telling you anything you don't already know.
2. The cross of the believer is more than external
We sometimes see our cross as those external things that come our way- sickness, accident, family turmoil, etc. Sometimes we say, "well, that's just the cross I have been given to bear." I won't argue that external things are part of it, but I think if we stop there, then we do not understand the full meaning of the cross. The full meaning of the cross has to include the internal as well. Luke 9 says we must deny ourselves.
1 John 3:16 says:
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Romans 12:1-2 says
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The cross is not the cross unless it includes an intentional setting aside of the self.
3. The cross of the believer is based on this principle: "to lose your life is to save it."
We all have thoughts and feelings about our security. We look out for the future and try to make wise decisions now so that we will be "OK" later. Nothing wrong with that. But the best way to be spiritually secure is to stop thinking about ourselves. It is an interesting thing to consider approaching each day by saying, "as long as I genuinely give myself to others for the sake of Jesus, I don't have to worry about anything."
I don't know about you, but I am not as good about that as I would like.
4. The cross is repulsive and will never be attractive to the world.
Let's face it. On the surface, from a strictly human view, this whole "deny self" thing sounds pretty bad. It is not something that will ever look attractive to the world. It is only through divine assistance that we come to any understanding of this cross. We can only accept this with God's help. On my own, I would size up this whole "Jesus" thing, and walk away. Which is exactly what many people have done- both then and now. Praise God that He has given me enough understanding to make the cross attractive to me.
There is a beauty to the cross, but I cannot see it with my own eyes. It is only because God breathes life into me each day that I can catch a glimpse of the glory of the cross, and make the decision, every day, to take it up, and walk.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
I especially enjoyed the discussion we had about who you say Jesus is. Remember the questions Jesus posed to the disciples- "Who do the crowds say I am?" and "Who do you say I am?". Those are the questions he asked then. But it is interesting to ask those same questions now. It is interesting to sit back and take note of how the rest of the world reacts to Jesus, and it is good for us to verbalize our own thoughts on the subject every once in a while. I consider it an honor to have the chance to hear people like all of you express your heart and speak of who Jesus is. I don't know how it is for you, but sometimes when I read scriptures like that I can just see Jesus looking straight into my eyes and asking me the question- "Who do YOU say I am?"
Immediately following Peter's confession in the passage, Jesus began to talk of all that he would have to endure, and he began to talk about the cross of the believer- the cross we all must take up daily. On Sunday, we did not really get to talk about that part of it- taking up our cross. I would like to offer a few thoughts here and, as always, comments and discussion are welcome!
First I have to say that while we have to we have been directed to take up our cross daily, (Luke 9: 23), whatever we have to endure that is associated with our "cross" is nothing compared to what Christ endured. Try as we might, we cannot grasp what Jesus has suffered. I would never dare to compare anything I experience to what he did. But having said that, there is a cross for the believer, and I think that it is characterized by a handful of properties.
1. Although different, the believers cross is directly related to the Cross of Christ.
The cross Jesus bore came complete with a full compliment of shame, guilt, pain, anguish, hardship... the list goes on and on. I already said that nothing that we bear compares to Jesus' sacrifice, but because our cross is related to his cross, it will come with its share of hardship and pain as well. We need not think that taking up our cross daily ends with morning devotionals. If we truly follow, at one time or another, there will be pain. I don't think I am telling you anything you don't already know.
2. The cross of the believer is more than external
We sometimes see our cross as those external things that come our way- sickness, accident, family turmoil, etc. Sometimes we say, "well, that's just the cross I have been given to bear." I won't argue that external things are part of it, but I think if we stop there, then we do not understand the full meaning of the cross. The full meaning of the cross has to include the internal as well. Luke 9 says we must deny ourselves.
1 John 3:16 says:
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Romans 12:1-2 says
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The cross is not the cross unless it includes an intentional setting aside of the self.
3. The cross of the believer is based on this principle: "to lose your life is to save it."
We all have thoughts and feelings about our security. We look out for the future and try to make wise decisions now so that we will be "OK" later. Nothing wrong with that. But the best way to be spiritually secure is to stop thinking about ourselves. It is an interesting thing to consider approaching each day by saying, "as long as I genuinely give myself to others for the sake of Jesus, I don't have to worry about anything."
I don't know about you, but I am not as good about that as I would like.
4. The cross is repulsive and will never be attractive to the world.
Let's face it. On the surface, from a strictly human view, this whole "deny self" thing sounds pretty bad. It is not something that will ever look attractive to the world. It is only through divine assistance that we come to any understanding of this cross. We can only accept this with God's help. On my own, I would size up this whole "Jesus" thing, and walk away. Which is exactly what many people have done- both then and now. Praise God that He has given me enough understanding to make the cross attractive to me.
There is a beauty to the cross, but I cannot see it with my own eyes. It is only because God breathes life into me each day that I can catch a glimpse of the glory of the cross, and make the decision, every day, to take it up, and walk.
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
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