Scary things…
What could be more appropriate on Halloween than a list of scary things? Of course, since the name of this blog is “The Assembling of the Church”, these scary things may be a little different than they appear:
- A being with multiple heads. I’ve heard it said that a creature without a head is a monster. I think an organism with multiple heads is a monster as well.
- Self-mutilation. It is scary to me to think of people who will wilfully harm their own body. You know what I mean, and I’m sure you’ve all witnessed it: people who are perfectly willing to hack off an arm or a leg, or remove their spleen, all the while crying, “It’s merely a flesh wound”. This is scary.
- Insenstivity to pain. This is another scary thing to me. Can you imagine living life without knowing when you are hurt. Imagine having an arm or leg or spleen that is shriveling up and dying, and yet you do not realize it. Although I’m sure that if you had this problem, you would pay extra attention to the parts of your body to make sure that none are hurting.
- Fratricide. My brother often made me angry, but I can’t imagine killing him. I mean, sure, he was wrong often, and I was never wrong. But, I would not have killed him just for being wrong. And, the words that I said to him don’t count as murder, right? Fratricide is certainly scary.
- Ghosts. I don’t like ghosts. I mean, they look real, but they’re only spiritual. There’s no physical substance; they can’t actually do anything. What good is something that is only spiritual which can’t affect the physical?
- Zombies. Zombies scare me. They act like they’re alive – they move and make noise even though the noise is mostly moaning and groaning and grumbling. But, they’re not actually alive. Instead they only move based on their dead instincts.
- Vampires. Vampires are very smooth, but they don’t add to life, they suck the life out of people. Vampires are fun to watch and incredibly good to the ego. But when it comes down to it, they’re dead and they kill other things. This is scary.
- Werewolves. These guys act like normal people, but then, at certain times, they turn into something completely different. They act different. They talk different. They hang out with different types of creatures. Then, they go back to their normal existence when the special time is over. This is scary.
- Haunted houses. These are special places where the spiritual realm exist. You have to be careful when you go into these places, because they make people do weird things; things they wouldn’t normally do outside the haunted house. The good thing is, it seems the spiritual things rarely venture outside the haunted house.
- Masks. These are truly scary. I mean, the face on the outside is scary enough, but who knows what the face underneath looks like? The face underneath is the one that I’m scared of.
So, what scares you?
The Churches of Revelation – Smyrna
The second church addressed in Revelation is the church in Smyrna:
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’ (Revelation 2:8-11 ESV)
There are some differences between this letter to the church in Smyrna and the previous letter to the church in Ephesus. Primarily, Jesus does not mention anything that he has against the church in Smyrna. Apparently, the church in Smyrna was under persecution, and more persecution was to come. However, Jesus promised that the persecution would have a limited time duration.
What does Jesus say about the church in Smyrna? 1) He knows about their tribulation and poverty. 2) He knows that they are actually rich. 3) He knows that they have been slandered by some who claim to be Jews.
“Tribulation and poverty” are very strong terms, pointing to oppression and extreme poverty. Because of these strong terms, we should understand their “riches” as being spiritual wealth, not physical wealth. Similarly, “slander” is a strong term usually translated “blasphemy”. Those who blaspheme the church in Smyrna claim to be Jews – perhaps Jewish Christians? But, by their actions they show that they are truly follow Satan, not God.
What does Jesus want the church in Smyrna to do? 1) He does not want them to fear. 2) He wants them to remain faithful.
He wants them to face their current situation and the upcoming persecution with courage and faith. This seems to indicate that the opposite of faith is fear. He does not tell them to repent as he did the church in Ephesus. He did not tell them to attempt to avoid persecution. Instead, they are to remain faithful and fearless in the face of persecution.
What does Jesus promise the church in Smyrna? 1) He promised further persecution. 2) He promised that some would be thrown into prison. 3) He promised that some would be tested (tempted?). 4) He promised that the additional persecution would only last a short time. 5) He promises a crown of life.
These may not seem like good promises. But, notice that Jesus does not threaten to remove the lampstand from the church in Smyrna. I wonder which the church in America would choose: a threat to remove their lampstand, or a promise of persecution. We treat persecution as if it is harmful to the church, but in reality Scripture shows just the opposite. As Paul exhorted the churches, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God”. (Acts 14:22 ESV)
Today, it seems the church is more willing to compromise than to face persecution. Do not misunderstand what I am saying. I am not talking about political disagreements or the possibility of paying property taxes or having people disagree with you. I am talking about the loss of health, wealth, comfort, and even life. We are very good at loving ourselves and taking care of ourselves. We are better at loving ourselves than we are at loving others, and thus, than loving God.
Around the world, there are many church that are facing persecution. Jesus has promised them a crown of life if they remain fearless and faithful. I wonder if the church in America is closer to the crown of life or the loss of a lampstand. Similarly, it seems that we should not pray for persecution to end, but instead we should pray that those who are under persecution to stand faithful and without fear.
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The Churches of Revelation Series
1) Introduction
2) Ephesus
3) Smyrna
4) Pergamum
5) Thyatira
6) Sardis
7) Philadelphia
8) Laodicea
9) Summary
Sacred Times and Places
Phil at “Square No More” recently posted a blog called “The Christians and the Pagans Meet for Samhain” as part of the Halloween synchroblog. He says:
Sacred spaces, and sacred times are not terribly important to me. One day is like any other, and one place like another. Some of you reading this will be appalled to hear that the Vatican is no more holy to me than a dumpster. Now this does not mean that I do not appreciate fine Cathedrals, or beautiful Abbeys and Chapels. Rather it means that I believe God can manifest His gracious presence anywhere He so chooses, and He is not impressed by places and times, but instead by humble human hearts…
Yet, human hearts often attach greater importance to one place, or time over another, and I believe that there is a God in this universe Who loves people so desperately that the Divine presence of love, grace, and power will appear to those who yearn for it. Sometimes that search for God in sacred times and spaces yields results not because God honors the place, but the yearning hearts which go there.
I believe that Phil is making a distinction that is very beneficial, and one that we should consider carefully. From Scripture, we know that God does not dwell in buildings and that God is not more present at certain times and days. Yet, we cannot neglect the fact that throughout history people have come into the presence of God in specific places on specific days at specific times. When these occurrences become regular (as in Sunday mornings, for example), it is easy to believe that this time (and certain places) are somehow more holy than others.
Since God’s presence is not limited to certain places and times, why do some people sense his presence or meet with him primarily at certain places and times? By Scripture, we know that this is not an indication of the limit of the presence or activity of God. Instead, as Phil points out in the quote above, finding God primarily at certain places and times is more of an indication of when and where people are actively seeking God.
Even though God is present in all locations, on all days, at all times, and in all situations, people are not always seeking God’s presence and they are not always listening to his voice. People are not always attempting to live by the Spirit of God, in spite of the fact that the Spirit of God is always present. Even those who are followers of Christ are intermittent in the desire to hear and heed the voice of God.
Thus, discipleship in the area of seeking God and following the Spirit of God should take a two-pronged approach. First, we should recognize that people are not always seeking God. Therefore, we should recognize when people are seeking God and encourage them during those times. If someone believes that God is especially present at a certain place, on a certain day, and at a certain time, then we should encourage them to focus on God in that situation. In reality, the person is admitting that they have finally tuned into God as he has been communicating with them. The communication from God did not begin in that moment, but the reception by the individual may have begun in that moment. We should be ready to encourage listening and obeying at that moment.
Second, however, encouraging someone to listen to God at special places and in special times should not be the extent of our discipleship in this respect. As people hear from God and begin to obey him during special occasions, we should teach and demonstrate that God also communicates at other times and in other places. Primarily, this discipleship takes the form of teaching people how to hear the God who is already communicating. Of course, in a person’s life, there are many voices vying for attention. So, in order to teach people how to hear from God at all times and in all places, we should help them recognize the various sources of interference, including the systems of this world, demonic forces, and even their own desires, lusts, pleasures, goals, dreams, etc.
So, there may be sacred times and places in the sense that there may be times and places where people are more likely to attempt to hear God. However, there are no sacred times and places in the sense that God is especially present or especially communicative. As we teach people who God is, as we disciple them as followers of Christ, we should include encouragement to listen for the voice of God at all times and in all places.
Strength and Prosperity?
Before I published my previous post about the Amish (see “Learning from the Amish“), I should have read Dave Black’s latest article called “The Astounding Power of Poverty“. In seminars, in person, and on his blog, he is consistently calling followers of Jesus Christ to humility and reliance on the strength of Christ. This article is no exception:
Of particular interest to me is the Adam-Christ contrast in Paul’s “Last Adam†Christology, a recurrent topic in my lectures. I hope my students do not get bored by the repetition of this theme, as it describes a fundamental truth of New Testament Christianity: believing men and women are to minister to each other within a system of flexible relationships with leaders serving, servants leading, and change and progress always coming from “below†and through the consent of the followers. This is why my New Testament course is nicknamed “Becoming New Covenant Christians,†since the New Testament announces the most radical political thought ever to strike the human mind: the astounding power of spiritual poverty…
We see this fundamental theme operating also in Paul’s magnificent writings, where weakness becomes strength, down becomes up, and poverty becomes wealth. Look at the way he develops this concept into a major theologoumenon in his letters. For some reason, possibly because of the false accusations of his opponents, Paul elevates poverty of spirit into a badge of honor and the chief evidence of his apostolic authority. The concept of “high love†in Paul (= servant-leadership) is problematic unless we understand that the apostle accepted the hierarchical notions of his day but radically redefined them. There’s an implied contradiction, of course, in saying that leaders are servants, but the painful paradox is precisely what the New Testament teaches and the early church practiced. This mystery was well explained by the late Corrie ten Boom when she stated, “Look inside and be depressed, look outside and be distressed, and look to Him and be at rest.†This intimate assurance that Christ can be trusted is our security. It resolves the dilemma of our insignificance, our mortality, our futility. Gradually we become aware that God takes unimportant nobodies, fills them with His Presence, and empowers them to live lives of unhypocritical love (Rom. 12:9). Our growing awareness of, and confidence in, the adequacy of Christ constitutes the unshaken rock upon which our faith stands.
This is the point in which I must continue to learn and grow: “the adequacy of Christ constitutes the unshaken rock upon which our faith stands”. If my faith stands on my knowledge or abilities, then it will crumble. If my faith stands on structures and organizations, then it will falter. If my faith stands on the leadership of men and their plans and visions, then it will fall.
If I do not recognize and respond to the adequacy of Christ – the sufficiency of Christ – that Christ is all that I need in all things and all situations and all times – then my faith is resting on something or someone other than Christ. I said “recognize and respond” for a reason. It is easy enough to verbalize the adequacy of Christ; it is quite another thing altogether to live according to the adequacy of Christ.
However, looking back over my life, I can see what happens when I depend upon Christ and what happens when I don’t. I thank God for his faithfulness in those times when I am not abiding in Christ and trusting him fully. I also thank God for those glorious moment when, through his Spirit, I actually rely on Christ and though the world flails against me, I find contentment and satisfaction in the One who is sufficient in all things.
This is where I want to grow. I want to recognize and respond to the adequacy of Christ. Then, I will know what it means to shun pride and embrace humility, to respond to others in brotherly love and hospitality (love of strangers), to build up my brothers and sisters, to demonstrate the love of Christ to those outside his family, to worship, to live abundantly.
Learning from the Amish
Last Summer, my family travelled to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – Amish country. I have never been around the Amish – and in reality, I still haven’t. However, in the small towns of Lancaster County, PA we were able to observe – even from afar – the impact that the Amish lifestyle had on the surrounding area.
Now, please do not misunderstand the purpose for this post. I am not idolizing the Amish, nor am I stating an agreement with all of their beliefs and practices. In fact, I know very little about their beliefs and practices. However, since I think that all believers can learn from one another (see “Learning from one another“), I believe we can learn from the Amish, as well.
Primarily, I think we can learn about rejecting pride and embracing humility from the Amish. Consider this from the Wikipedia article on the Amish:
Two key concepts for understanding Amish practices are their rejection of Hochmut (pride, arrogance, haughtiness) and the high value they place on Demut or “humility” and Gelassenheit (German, meaning: calmness, composure, placidity) — often translated as “submission” or “letting-be,” but perhaps better understood as a reluctance to be forward, self-promoting, or to assert oneself in any way. The willingness to submit to the Will of God, as expressed through group norms, is at odds with the individualism so central to the wider American culture.
I think it is interesting that this author recognized submission to the Will of God as expressed through group norms as a characteristic that places the Amish at odds with “wider American culture”, and I would add, wider church culture. But, to me, what differentiates the Amish from other Americans and other American Christians is the emphasis on rejecting pride and embracing humility.
Even within the church, rejecting pride and embracing humility is not always seen as a positive thing. We still like to place our Christian celebrities on a pedestal, and then we gasp and kick them when they fall. We will submit to others when we agree with them, and submit to the will of God when we can analyze it, explain it, and recognize the personal benefits. We’re humble when it benefits us, and we’ll be glad to point out our humility.
Am I exaggerating? Perhaps a little. But generally, Christians are not know for their humility. This seems contrary to Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians:
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:1-4 ESV)
Paul then holds up Jesus Christ – the only one who has a right to pride and boasting – as an example of humility, servanthood, and submission to the will of God. We do have encouragement in Christ, we do have comfort from love, and we do have fellowship (participation) in the Spirit, so why do we not demonstrate the type of humility that we see in this passage. Perhaps we are not walking in what we have from God?
I think we can learn something from the Amish in this regard. This doesn’t mean that we have to drive carriages and shun electricity. But, perhaps we can shun pride and pushing our own agenda, and instead embrace humility and an attitude of service toward one another.
Then again, perhaps I’m the only one who thinks this is a problem. Do you think the American church has a problem with pride and humility? If so, then how do we begin rejecting pride and embracing humility?
… but God sent me
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20 ESV)
In my previous post, I stated that they don’t need me, meaning that those outside the family of God need God himself, not me. In the passage above, I think Paul reveals the other side of this coin. While the world does not need me, God has sent me into the world as his ambassador, his representative.
As God sends me (and his other children) into the world, he sends us on a mission of reconciliation. This is interesting to me. God does not send us on a mission of condemnation, but reconciliation. Just as we have been reconciled to God, we have been give a service and a message of reconciliation to take to those who are not reconciled to God.
We implore… but God reconciles. We speak… but God transforms. We engage… but God brings into relationship with himself.
They don’t need me; they need God. I know God. They need the God that I know. I introduce them to God through a service and message of reconciliation. Through my service and message, God reconciles the world to himself.
They don’t need me; they need God. They don’t need me; but God sent me.
They don’t need me…
… and [praying] also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:19-20 ESV)
Paul recognized himself as one called to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, and yet he needed other to pray that he would carry out his calling.
Paul knew that God had called him to speak in Rome, and yet he asked for prayer for boldness.
Paul proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ in cities all around the Roman empire, and yet he asked for prayer to do what he ought to do.
Paul had the knowledge, the training, the experience, and the testimony, and yet he asked for prayer.
I’m glad that Paul asked the church in Ephesus to pray for him. I’m glad the he asked them to pray that he would have boldness to speak the gospel. I’m glad the he recognized that his knowledge, training, experience, and testimony would not provide what was necessary to bring people into God’s kingdom.
I also have knowledge, training, experience, and testimony. But, I also need prayer, because I need God, and those I speak to need God. I can give them words and I can give them service, but I can’t give them what they need. They don’t need me, even if God chooses to use me. They need God.
Bursting the Christian bubble: update 1
Last Monday, I published “Bursting the Christian bubble” as part of a synchroblog called “What Would Jesus Do With The Church” (WWJDWTC). (See this post or this post for details.) For this synchroblog, the authors were supposed to actually do something in relation to their post over the course of a month and report on their progress with updates. This is my first update.
So far, my family has done more to reach outside the “Christian bubble” than I have. Last week, while I was working, my family went to a nursing home with some friends who go every week. They were able to read with the residents, then spend time talking to them and getting to know them. We’re hoping that this will soon be a regular visit for our family. Visiting the nursing home will give us an opportunity to share the love of Christ with people who have very little contact with others.
Also, one night last week I was asked to substitute teach for another professor. So, I did not go to my son’s football practice that night. While my wife was at football practice, she was able to talk to some of the parents more than we are usually able to talk to them. One father in particular opened up to her about some of their struggles. I’m particularly excited about this because we are probably closer to this family than to any of the other families from the football team. I can see how God is building a relationship there.
Those are all the updates for now. I can see how God is using these opportunities to continue to move us outside of the Christian bubble and into the world around us.
Our daily bread…
As part of Jesus’ model prayer, he prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread”. (Matthew 6:11 ESV) Literally, the word translated “daily” means something like “what is necessary for today”. Thus, Jesus was teaching us to ask God to provide us with what we need to exist today. In the following sections of Matthew 6, Jesus continually reminded his followers to trust God to provide what we need for today.
Similarly, James taught us:
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? (James 2:15-16 ESV)
Again, if someone is lacking in the necessities needed that day, and we have the means to meet that need, then are to provide for them. Apparently, we have more than is needed for today; someone else has less than is needed for today; so we take from our excess (that is more than is needed, not more than is wanted) and give to our brother or sister.
Something happened this week that helped me see that we don’t know what it means to ask for or to share based on “necessities”. We still think luxuries are necessities.
There was a major water main break in a town just north of us. This water main was part of our county’s water system. The county lost 1.5 million gallons of water and had to replace the water main. This is a devastating loss in the middle of a drought – at least, they’re calling it a drought.
Because of the drought and possible contamination due to the water main break, the citizens of our county have been instructed to boil their water. Also, citizens have been instructed not to use water unnecessarily: i.e. do not water lawns, do not wash cars, etc. Many restaurants have been closed for the last few days because of the water restrictions and because they cannot boil all of the water that they use.
The news has been constantly covering this story. They have interviewed almost every person in the county, except us. Everyone who wants to complain about the water restrictions and the closed restaurants and the dry lawns and the dirty cars has been given a microphone and 15 seconds of air time on the 6 o’clock news. We need our water…
But, we still have water. This is not a problem of necessity. We have water. This is a problem of luxury and convenience. Instead of being grateful for having water just by turning on the faucet, we are complaining because we have to boil it. Instead of grateful that we are not dying of thirst, we are grumbling because our yards (I mean, our lawns) are brown. Instead of being grateful that we do not have to walk miles to find water, we are angry because we can’t wash our cars.
We are pathetic. We do not know what it means to be in need. We do not know what it means to be grateful for having our needs met. Therefore, I do not think we know what it means to meet someone else’s needs.
Good news! The water restrictions have been lifted. Now, we do not have to boil our water. People can return to their favorite restaurants. Lawns will be green and cars sparkling clean by tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps, now, we will find it in our hearts to give a glass of water to a person who is truly in need. But, probably not.
God have mercy on us.
Plowing, planting, watering in the barn?
Rick Meigs at “The Blind Beggar” published a post called “Modern Church Farmers“. This post is very timely for me, on several levels. Primarily, Rick’s post reinforces God’s conviction for me to step outside of this Christian bubble that I’m living in (see “Bursting the Christian bubble” and “Reaching beyond the bubble“).
Rick says the following concerning Luke 10:1-12 and modern church practices:
If the farmer worked like the current church, he would:
Plow in the barn;
Plant in the barn;
Pray that it would rain in the barn;
Harvest in the barn;
and,then burn down the barn and call it revival!Let me contrast this with what you find in the passage.
We go into the neighborhoods. We share peace and where it is returned we dwell. In this dwelling among others, we first share hospitality (best around a meal), then we minister to needs including a focus on healing (physical, relational, physiological), then we bring the kingdom message.
As I said, this is the kind of encouragement that I need right now. I’ve learned what it means to build relationships with other followers of Jesus Christ – even those who are different from me. But, what about unbelievers?
I’m going to continue to disciple brothers and sisters in Christ, and I will continue to be discipled by brothers and sisters in Christ. But, plowing, planting, watering, and harvesting in the barn just will not cut it… it is time for me to spend less time in the barn, and more time in the fields.
By the way, did you know that you get dirty when you work in the fields?