especially blessed can be the irregulars, those who don’t fit in

Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have already received your comfort.
Woe to you who are well fed now,
    for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Luke 6

When reading the gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) one gets the impression that Jesus is especially at home with the misfits, those who are either uncomfortably normal, or normally uncomfortable. I can’t help but think of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. The characters in that story (I confess to having not read the book, but only seeing the film) can be off the wall, out of place, not obvious candidates for what they end up doing, but they band together into a group with a common purpose thrust on them, along with a seemingly mystical touch.

I for one have felt much out of place most all of my life. I have a hard time accepting myself, much less expecting others to accept me, warts and all. So I am amazed if anyone does put up with what is off in me, and still accepts me as a friend. It doesn’t seem to happen often. I am among those who have a cynical bent, and ask the hard questions. Yet I’m also more than happy to simply use that to more and more gently fit into a greater purpose than myself, or anyone else. Together with others.

In this world, if everyone was cool all the time with what is going on, it would be sad indeed. I wonder about a Christianity where everything is great all the time, in which one is always full of joy, and lets nothing bother them. It seems to me that real Christians ought to take seriously the sufferings of this world, and in and through Jesus and his suffering be able to navigate those hard places with the weeping followed by joy (in the morning, as the psalm says).

We need to make room and have a place for those who don’t fit, but may seem to be looking for a home. Can they find it with us in Jesus? Are we helping them to find their place in Jesus? God in Christ has reconciled the world to himself, not counting people’s sins against them, and therefore calls each one to be reconciled to him. And many who are reconciled may not be at home with us, because we fail to see God’s love on them, even Jesus in them. They are often the irregulars, the misfits, those who don’t have, or find much of what this world holds dear. But who are really at home in and through Jesus.

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an attitude grounded in faith

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land,  for we can certainly do it.”

Numbers 13

Chuck Swindoll is definitely one of my all time favorite evangelical preachers and writers. A breath of fresh air. Here is something he wrote which speaks needed wisdom to me:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. … The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude … I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.

more

One thing we can be certain of (click the link, “more”), we will face problems and adversity. That is a given. What isn’t certain is our response to them. Will we bail out? Will we endeavor to face them feeling overwhelmed and in the end completely worn out, so that we barely have enough to complete the task, or we do so gnashing our teeth in the process? Or do we acknowledge the reality, yet persist in the faith that God will be present, and will fulfill his promises to us in Jesus?

All Scripture is written for us (Romans 15:4). The account in Judges is challenging. Of the fourteen spies Moses sent in to give a report on the land, only Joshua and Caleb had faith in God and God’s word. The inhabitants there looked formidable, but their response was not to give into their fears, but press forward, and take the land, since God had both promised and commanded it.

What about us? What about me? Am I allowing myself to live overwhelmed over everything at hand, along with other looming issues, so that there’s barely enough strength, if that, to get through the course of a day? Or am I trusting in the God who fulfills all his promises to his people in and through Jesus, so that my main concern is holding on to faith, and being faithful?

Attitude. Not about believing in myself, but believing in the God who calls us, sends us, and equips us for the mission he gives us in and through Jesus.

concentrating on what is at hand, on one’s calling

Life is full, busy, and actually good, but has its challenging aspects as well. And we see the bigger picture around us, as best we can. There are so many things we can get involved in, and many of them might be good. It is not bad, and actually commendable I think to work at understanding the basics of difficult topics in the world and the discussion and debate surrounding them.

I remember one much respected pastor and Bible teacher who said something like we in Jesus should say: “This one thing I do,” instead of, “These many things I dabble in.” I think we need to prayerfully endeavor to do well at what is in front of us, at the task at hand, and actually guard that. If we spread ourselves too thin, we won’t do as well. But more importantly, we might be taking our eyes off the calling God has for us.

That said, we still need to be open to new things, new directions the Lord might be taking us. At the same time making our priority what God has called us to now, what we are called to love and nurture. As we watch ourselves and keep trying to grow up together with others in Jesus.

the great need in the world today (and everyday, forever)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Romans 1

There is much that’s needed in the world. After all, God put humankind on earth to be stewards of it, caretakers, as well as to enjoy it, and live off of it (Genesis 1-2). There is much that needs to be done for sure, on different levels.

But our greatest need is the gospel, the good news in Jesus. That good news is about our salvation, personally, for sure, but it’s about the salvation and new creation of the entire world, and on every level, the beginning of that to be seen through Jesus in the church, and its completion when Jesus returns and heaven and earth become one in him.

The good news is Jesus himself, in his becoming one of us in the Incarnation, his life and teachings, his death and resurrection, all of this fulfilling God’s call to Israel for the world. His ascension and the oupouring of the Holy Spirit. And the promise of his return. All of that is the good news in Jesus, and to understand it, we have to be reading the Bible from cover to cover. But all we need to enter into it is the faith of a little child. Simply trusting in God’s word to us, that if we believe in Jesus in the sense of submissive trust, we will be saved, and begin to recover our true humanity and calling in him.

Although I made that commitment years ago, I still need that good news in Jesus every day. God’s grace in God’s unfailing love to us in Jesus is present with us always, no matter what we’re facing, no matter what actually happens. Even no matter what we do, but to help us get back on track. The truly one good news that will last forever, in and through Jesus.

being about the Father’s business in the politics of Jesus

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be about my Father’s business?”

Luke 2:41-52

We are upon another US presidential election, but this election, on the face of it appears to be a possible game changer for evangelical participation in US politics. That said, I would hope that the divisions among us evangelicals might ironically actually serve to help us settle into the one true unity we have in Jesus, and in the politics of Jesus that comes through the grace and kingdom of God.

It was the case somewhere that the Christians in that country or area we’re known to be “the quiet in the land.” Now what are we known for? Are we known for our lives impacted by the gospel, and our witness of that? Or when people think of us, do they think about our affiliation with the Republican or Democratic Party, the Christian Left or Right?

Of course we will each decide just how we will participate as American citizens in the political process at the federal, state and local levels. We may be inclined to either not vote at all, vote on some matters and not on others, or as a rule try to vote on every proposal or race. And of course in some traditions the church lends its voice as to what should be our most important considerations in doing such. This certainly has its place of importance.

But by and large, we in Jesus ought to be known as people who are occupied with the gospel, witnesses to its life changing power, as those who are making disciples, and committed to the life and fellowship of the church. And from that, doing good works, both for those in the church, and for others in the world, outside the church. That should be our passion. As Jesus said later, even our food: to do the will of the Father, and finish his work (John 4:34).

Hopefully that would become the primary impact of the US presidential election of 2016 for us evangelicals. And to the degree that it is, that will actually impact the United States for much more good than before, and most importantly, not sully our witness of the gospel.

when it is unthinkable to go (left to ourselves)

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and saveIsrael out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

The Lord answered, “I will be with you…”

Judges 6:12-16

I am slowly over time through many hurdles, but in the crucible of experience finally beginning to realize that it’s the Lord’s word, and precisely his will that makes all the difference. It’s not at all about me, in fact when I can think of myself as completely lost and out of the mix due to this or that, that’s when I can learn the most, and actually find the Lord most present.

One of the keys is to refuse to let what might be at the moment an obsession define us. Gideon let all his shortcomings in regard to how he saw himself define him, so that he was ready to argue with the angel of the Lord, and refuse the calling which seemed quite beyond him and his capabilities. And of course it was. But the point God was making to Gideon is that God would be with him, and God’s will would be done.

Along with the importance of not letting ourselves be defined by our own weakness and shortcomings, we also need to learn to define ourselves in terms of God’s calling and will for us in Jesus. So that we learn to move forward and keep on keeping on in the will of God, when it may seem more futile or with less promise than ever. What we need is the sense, or to hold on to the promise of God’s call. And to remember that the Lord’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:1-10).

 

time is slipping away

Yesterday at the nursing home basically the same congregation was present and it was a rather lively group after the service. I visit afterward and a number gave me words which seemed to be from God to me. Particularly the last man, to kind of end what had been offered before with an exclamation point. Words of encouragement as well as instruction. Though in the message I gave I did not mention myself at all (that I can recall).

I am amazed at how fast time goes. Yes a decade is a decade and it does take some time to get through. But when it’s all said and done you wonder where those ten years went. Ten years from now the Lord willing, I can hardly imagine. It is quite a stretch for me to think I’m as old as I am now, 58. But to think of 10 years from now is something that pushes the button for me all the more that life is short and what I have to do I need to do quickly so to speak, intent on God’s will in Jesus.

I feel a tremendous urgency because I want to somehow finish whatever it is that the Lord has for me to do. I hope it’s in terms of the church and the mission of God in Christ from that.

In all of this I need to live in God’s rest in Jesus. And it’s never about us, but always about our Lord.