The Source of All Things

Ever get that feeling, deep down, that something is missing.  It gnaws at the pit of your stomach, almost as if you are hungry, but food won’t satisfy the feeling.  With the agitation, you pace back and forth, nothing seems to settle you down, and if you would allow yourself, you might abandon everything, hoping, in someway, to find relief.

We were created to be satisfied, to find contentment in the Creator, but as sin has ravaged the landscape our ability to find what we deeply desire, more often than not, eludes us.  Posting on Facebook, some friends have observed, “Trusting God completely means Faith that he knows what is best for your life,” “Don’t confuse your path with your destination. Just because it’s stormy now doesn’t mean that you aren’t headed for sunshine,” and a quote from proverbs 29:26, “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”  All of these observation have a basic understanding in common, “God is the source of all things.” 

Understanding the concept of God as source is important if we are to find satisfaction in life, in both the good and the bad times.  In the beginning (Genesis 1 and 2) we see that God is the source of creation, He breathes into man a life giving spirit, and he walks with him in the garden.  There were no nagging doubts about roles and purpose.  God gave life, He assigned responsibilities, and He sustained all that was, and it was good.

Knowing God as the source of all things gives us a place to return when we are looking for answers.  Knowing God as the source of all things gives us security when life becomes unstable.  Knowing God as the source of all things gives us hope, because what he declared good in the beginning, though marred and obscured by sin, is still good today.   When we get those gnawing feelings they are signs of something missing, they are God given, not that we would lose hope, but that we would seek satisfaction in Him, to find answers in His good will, and find rest in His love and grace. 

It isn’t easy, because sin has deceived us into believing that our way is best, that we can find satisfaction and contentment in other things, or that running away will bring us the peace we are seeking.  And because we can’t see tomorrow we tend to worry, and miss the opportunities that we have today.  That is why Jesus said not to think about tomorrow, for today is enough to be concerned about. 

A friend’s husband went into the hospital this week, another’s mom had a stroke, another lost his job, and still another is trying to figure out where he fits in the world of churches.  All of them will wrestle with fundamental questions of God’s goodness and will.  If they seek answers apart from God’s revealed word, the gnawing feelings they have inside will never be satisfied.  They will find themselves further from the source of all goodness and peace.  In my own daily search for deep meaning and satisfaction, I think it best to go straight to the source.  I’m just saying……

Restoration

When Rebecca and I were first married, we bought an old desk at an auction.  It needed a lot of work to be restored.  There were layers of paint where previous owners covered up the deteriorating look of the original wood.  It wasn’t easy scraping off the old paint, we used paint thinners and removers, I bought a scraper and even then it that took many hours, and lots of muscle to peal away each layer.  When we finally reached the wood it was a beautiful cherry wood desk, with tongue and grove drawers.  I sanded the wood, trying to remove scratches and dents inflicted upon it from years of use.  When it was finished it didn’t look too bad, but being the first attempt at refinishing, I was not able to bring it back to its original luster.

Eph. 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  We are God’s refinishing project.  In the beginning God created, in Christ He is recreating, making right what man banged up and destroyed.  We had been sold to sin, buried under years of paint and neglect.  On the cross he paid for our sin, bought us out of darkness and slavery, and now has begun the process of stripping away the layers of our attempts to restore ourselves.  Not an easy undertaking, but with God all things are possible. 

If in the beginning God was the source, people created for relationships, God was the boss, and we all had roles, how has the new life in Christ begun to restore us to that condition? 

God is the source: Colossians 1:16b -18. “All things have been created through Him and for Him.  17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” In Christ we are once again brought into a relationship with the Father, where we understand that we are not the source of all good things.  James 1:17 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” 

Relationships:  Gal. 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  The things that have separated us from the time of the fall are brought together in Christ.  We can now enter into loving, caring, relationships, because we have a new perspective of what is important.  Instead of seeking our own will, we seek the will of God, and the good of others.

God is the boss:  Rom. 6:17 “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed.”  Since the fall, man has shunned God, and set himself up as the arbiter of what is right and good.  In Christ, we come to understand once again that God is the boss, and that his rules are meant for our good.  We come to realize that God is for us, and if God is for us who can stand against us? 

We all have roles:  1Cor. 12:4   “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”  Ever since the garden men and women have fought over the right to be the one in charge, but dominance was never God’s intention.  He has given different roles to men, women, and children.  In Christ our roles become honorable, they become respectable, and they become an extension of who are.  Most of all, our roles are tied to our gifts, and those gifts are from God and are good.

As God strips away the layers of false teaching, thinking, and behaving, He begins to reveal an image, one that bears his stamp.  This life is about the restoration process, about the process of transforming us into the image of Christ Jesus, “Col. 3:10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.”  I’m just saying….

Sad Day For Chick Fil A

I have been reading a lot of posts and articles about the recent storm that has come about because of Dan Cathy's statement supporting a traditional view of biblical marriage. I have to say that I am pulled. On the one side I want to stand up and declare with all those who participated in the "appreciation" day that all people have a right in this country to express their views without the interference or threats by the government to close or disallow businesses that do not conform to their politically correct views. I also am pulled to delcare that the Word of God stands and that practicing homosexuality is a sin and supporting those who take thier stand publicly dispite the backlash. On the other hand I want to stay out of the controversy because it doesn't seem to build bridges to reconciliation and the gospel.

From the gay and lesbin perspective this particular controversy is about an organization that contributes financially to other organizations they believe are hate groups, and driven to deprive them of their 'right' to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. From the conservative Christian perspective it is about the right of a business owner to express his views without government backlash.

Gays and Lesbians hearld the mayors of Boston and Chicago as chapions of their cause for self determination and freedom of sexual expression and marriage. Conservative Christians hearld Dan Cathy and Chick fil a as a becon of truth in a morally bankrupt society.

There is a third group, those who desire dialogue, understanding, and love. But this can only go so far, because in the end it comes down to what one believes the Scripture says about homosexuality and marriage. If I believe literally what the bible says then I can listen and talk all I want, but in the end I can no more agree with the gay and lesbian perspective than they will with mine, no matter how loving we want to be.

Can we live side by side in tolerance? Tolerance isn't accepting the beliefs or behavior of someone, but dissagreeing and living together in a civil manner. Gay and lesbian organizations want acceptance, and anything else is considered bigoted and hatefilled. Acceptance means allowing those with whom I disagree acess to my work place and my place of worship without feeling bad about the differences. Tolerance means that there will always be tension and exclusion at times, but that we will treat one another with dignity and respect.

Homosexuals are welcome in our church, but we would not support public displays of their behavior, or allow into membership anyone who is practicing homosexuality. I am sure that I would be welcome to attend gay and lesbian gatherings, as long as I didn't pull out my bible and begin preaching what the bible says about their lifetyle, nor would I be accepted into membership of their organization knowing what I believe. These tensions and exclusions are normal and I accept them.

The deeper controversy revolves around practices and institutions that are civil in nature. In a secular society can one group of people discriminate against another, and deprive them of rights afforded to another group, i.e. marriage. In a secular, deomocratic, socieity whose definition of marriage is the right one? Answer, the one who has the most votes. But our constitution is such that it protects the rights of the minority from the unjust weilding of power of the majority. That is why there is so much tension and arguing. Gays and lesbians wonder why we, as conservative Christians, are so upset with their desire to live in a married relationship with someone they love. Conservative Christians see it as a water shed issue, and that defining marriage as anything other than a man and women will lead the country further away from its Christian roots and eventually ending up like Europe -- the new dark continent. Conservative Christians also see it as a way for the government to impose practices that violate their beliefs and conscience. In other words if Gays and Lesbians can marry then I, as Christian employer, will have to pay for benefits that support their lifestyle, or face discrimination accusations. Or would a Christian adoption agency be forced to place a child with a legally married gay couple. It would be easy to say that these things would never happen, but we all know that someone is always looking to push into areas for the sake of their own agenda.

There is no reconciling the differences between these two groups. The tension will always remain, and as history has proved, the stand for moral truth will lose out in a free and diverse society. So how do I respond? Jesus said that we are not to respond to hate with hate, but with love. So what does it mean for a follower of Jesus to respond in love? It means standing firm on the word of God, speaking the truth in love, sharing the grace of God in a way that offers hope, and allowing only the gospel to be offensive. In the end we need to relize that no matter how loving we are those who reject the truth will always see us as homophobic and we will always see them as Chritophobic. We also need to underand that no matter what happens politically or socially, in the end Christ will return and the glory of God will reign. We don't need to judge, sin is judged already, what we need to do is point people to God's grace. If they respond the angles will rejoice. I'm just saying..

When Things Go Wrong

Spiritual growth is our goal, but as with most things, growing in our spiritual life takes hard work and discipline.  What was meant to be natural in the beginning has become a chore.  Why is that, why, after a beautiful beginning, has the condition of the world become so desperately far from God?

Last week I mentioned that in the beginning God was the source of all creation, man was created for a relationship with God and people, each of us has a role, and God is the boss.  However, all that changed the moment Adam and Eve turned God’s program upside down.  The forbidden fruit in the garden wasn’t to deny Adam and Eve of anything, but rather a test of their resolve to trust in God’s goodness.  The serpent (we know him as Satan) placed a question in their mind, is God good?  If he were, the serpent queried, why would he withhold anything from you?  As soon as Adam and Eve stepped outside of God’s set boundaries they set into motion a consequence that has affected us ever since.

God as the source.  The serpent tempted Adam and Eve to be like God, to be the source of their own knowledge, the source of their own moral choices, and the source of what they could or could not do.  In that instance they said they didn’t need God.

Relationships.  Man was made for a relationship with God and with people.  Their choice severed that relationship.  No longer would their relationship with God be the same.  There was now a barrier between them, but it also impacted Adam and Eve’s relationship.  They began to blame, accuse, and foster distrust.  God’s curse was a mirror of what was to happen when people didn’t live according God’s plan. 

Roles.  God had given roles to man and woman that created order and satisfaction.  After their sin those roles no longer were a joy but a burden.  Women would be subject to their husband, and they would continually try to usurp man’s responsibility to lead.  It would be a constant strain.  God’s role as head of the home would be replaced by lusts, possessions, and power.

God is boss.  The fall into sin did cause man to feel guilt over their, confession, and repentance.  Instead man, in his arrogance, has pushed God away, thinking that his own way is best.  Meaning, purpose, contentment, peace satisfaction, joy, and happiness are sought everywhere but within the framework God’s law, rather in his effort.

What was meant for good has been turned upside down.  All one has to do is look around and see the devastation that permeates the world.  Wars, immorality, abuse, broken marriages, homosexuality, self-indulgence, hatred, and greed are not the exception but the rule when sin reigns. 

From our perspective we hope that we would have made a different decision than Adam and Eve.  Yet, each day we chose the same course as our forbearers.  We need something, someone, who can return us to a state that would allow us to chose a different course.  There is hope, God has not left us alone, He, in His grace, has made a way.  I’m just saying….

In The Beginning

Growing is a process, and that process is often riddled with difficulty, hardship, and frustration.  Yet the outcome of growth is good and full of hope.  Growth is painful, always has been, but its pain is endured for the prize that it brings.  Sin, however, has caused the natural process of growth to be more difficult than God had intended.  In order to grow the way God desires we need to step back and take a look at God’s perspective from the beginning.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).  God is the source of creation.  He is the source of both the spiritual and material, and He is the source of all life.  “Then God said,” and out of what didn’t exist came into being all of creation, and He declared it good.  He gave life to the plants and breathed life into the crown of His creation – man, “The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).   Man became, not of his own volition, but from the grace of a loving creator.

But not only is God the source, he created man for a purpose, to have a relationship with God and with those like himself, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18).  He placed them in an environment that encouraged intimate fellowship, communication, interdependence, and love.  He walked with them in the garden, talked with them, and helped them to discover who they were in Him.

Yet, they weren’t the same; God, man, and woman.  They were not only different physically they had different roles.  God was the creator, source, and sustainer.  Man was the head, the leader, and the provider for his new family.  The woman was his helper, supporter, encourager, and eventually the bearer and caregiver of their children.  Roles were important for social order, not to exert superiority but to efficiently divide responsibilities.  God set these parameters and each found fulfillment as they lived out their roles the way God intended. 

In the beginning there was no question as to who was in charge; God was the boss.  As the creator He alone had the right to decide what was good and what was evil, what were the man’s responsibilities and what were the woman’s.  “But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat”  (Genesis 2:17).  God in his goodness provided for all the needs of his new creation, and only prohibited them in one area, “Don’t touch that fruit, or you will die!”  It was the ultimate test of authority, to establish a rule that had the potential to be broken.  Who is the boss, was the question.  Live within the bountiful garden that I have given, with all its beauty and provision, or disobey and die.  Who is the boss?  Who had the right within Himself to declare good and evil? 

There was nothing sinister in God’s placing a choice before them, if it hadn’t been the fruit it would have been something else.  Adam and Eve had an opportunity to grow close to one another, find satisfaction in their roles, enjoy their creator, and to live life in abundance.  It was an environment that we all long to return, because deep in our hearts we know it was good.  Yet, paradise was lost, and the process of growth interrupted, and the results were devastating.  I’m just saying…

Spiritual Growth and Formation

I have been doing some thinking and reflection about the nature of spiritual growth.  We talk about it in the church, but failure, stagnation, and immaturity seem to be more common then the development of the fruits of the spirit.  The following passages have been central in guiding me in my own understanding of spiritual formation.

Matt. 28:18-20 “Go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you 1always, even to the end of the age.”

Col. 1:28 "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ."

Heb. 6:1   "Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,"

Tim. 1:5 "But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

There are common threads that run through the scriptures that these passages highlight.  Spiritual growth comes from Teaching, Teaching about the Godhead, obedience, action, and process.  Evangelical Christianity is good at teaching, but most of us have become educated beyond our ability to apply.  We know a lot, or at least we think we do.  We have sat under preaching, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, Christian radio, Christian television, books, and even personal devotions, but if you are like me you find yourself struggling, daily, to live out the kind of life that is “worthy of the Lord.” 

Yet, if God wants us to grow, then why am I still wrestling with the same issues that have plagued me since becoming a believer?  Why is my progress spiritually more like walking backwards?  Over the next few weeks I will be blogging about the spiritual growth process, and looking at what is necessary for spiritual growth to take place, and why, when I seem to desire it most, I fail in the process.

Three broad themes will help guide us as we take this journey together:

In The Beginning – How it was suppose to be.

Out of the Garden – How the fall affects our growth

Being Made New – God’s reclamation process

Spiritual growth is not an option for the believer.  If we are not growing, progressing in our faith, then there is a disconnect between the Father and us.  My hope is that together we will renew a process that began at our conversion, and leads us into a deeper relationship with the Father, in the Son, through the Spirit.  I’m just saying….

So Now You Have A Doctorate!

     1,036,800 minutes of intense study, 518,400 minutes of research and writing, 60 minutes of grueling defense, and 5 minutes to deliberate and accept me into the doctoral club.  Now what?  That’s the question that has been posed to me, and one that I have asked myself.  Most people pursue an academic degree to further their career or increase their income.  For me, as a pastor, it doesn’t achieve either of those goals. 

     I enjoyed the academic rigor, the intellectual stimulation, the challenge to accomplish something difficult, and the joy of having reached that goal.  But I have to say, as with every adrenaline rush, there is a crash. Of course the return home from my on campus defense was met with a flurry of activity as we prepared for an outreach event at church, which was a tremendous success. 

     A friend of mine from college posted a song by Karen Carpenter that said it all, “Rainy days and Monday’s always get me down.”  Monday, yesterday, was my crash; I probably listened to that song five times.  There was an empty feeling that was, at times, overwhelming.  It was as if all that I have to show for my effort is a peace of paper (and I don’t even have that yet). 

     God did not create me to stand still.  I am constantly looking to the horizon, looking for that next adventure, the next challenge, and the next adrenaline rush.  I am slowly motivated.  That means it takes me a while to get going, but when I do I am focused, and even driven at times.  There is so much to be done, so much to accomplish, so many lives to impact, and such a small window of opportunity.

“I know the plans I have for you,” God said, “plans for hope and a future.”  As believers we should always be forward thinking.  The past gives shape to our lives, it reminds us of God’s faithfulness, but it is still the past.  If we remain there, glorying in the things once done, then the future will be lost, and our present wishful thinking.  It reminds me of the Star Trek Nexus; a place where time stands still and all of yesterday’s dreams are played over and over again.  It might feel good, but it isn’t real.

     I don’t know how God will use my newly earned degree.  But I do know that I can’t stand still.  I know the gospel needs to be preached.  I know that people need to be led.  I know that a new generation of leaders needs to be developed.  I’m just saying…..