old and new
genesis 4:3-11: “in the course of time cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. and the LORD had regard for abel and his offering, but for cain and his offering he had no regard. so cain was very angry, and his face fell. the LORD said to cain, “why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? if you do well, will you not be accepted? and if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
cain spoke to abel his brother. and when they were in the field, cain rose up against his brother abel and killed him. then the LORD said to cain, “where is abel your brother?” de said,”i do not know; am i my brother’s keeper?” and the LORD said, “what have you done? the voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. and now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”
i am finally taking old testament survey at school. i have been trying to avoid it for quite a while, but it finally got me. as you would expect we started out in genesis, and i the story of cain and abel struck me in a way that it never did before.
i came to the realization that the first manifestation of humanity’s fall was jealousy, resulting in murder. simple, i know. but, this realization made a lot of things click for me. it allowed to understand salvation on a much deeper level than i had before.
so, here’s a quick idea of what i’ve been coming to understand…
the world the way we made it:
God creates everything good. we decide we can do as well, if not better without God. we bring death to a creation designed for life by choosing our own way.
violence and death run rampant in the realm of humanity (and in the animal kingdom).
humanity is bent on self-preservation. all we care about is ourselves and all we desire is our own happiness, no matter the cost to anyone else.
a now for something completely different:
enter Jesus. a new kingdom. a new way. a new death. a renewed life.
“you have heard that it has been said…but i tell you!”
in Jesus, God most powerfully displays for us his intentions for humanity. God’s blessing is now opened up to the whole world, and we are called to extend that blessing to everyone.
this new and completely different way, this salvation that we have come to know, is not just a rescue from a nebulous afterlife. it is a here and now life changer. it doesn’t place a stamp of approval on the old way of doing things. it gives us new goals and new peace that we can’t help but bring to others.
we are new people, with new attitudes and a new heart bent on love instead of self-preservation. this new and opposite way changes us into people who place others before ourselves (including our enemies).
there is no hiding from those who love this new way. they are lovers to their death, even if their death is caused by those who know not this new way.
apart from Christ there is only the way of death. the way of self-preservation. with Christ there life. that’s a kingdom i want to be a part of.
the rest is for the birds.
-dave-
our f word
luke 23:34 – and Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
here, while Jesus is dying on the cross, he asks his father to forgive his killers for the ignorance of their actions.
haven’t we always been taught that we have to ask for forgiveness from God before we can receive it? why then does Jesus ask his father to forgive his killers, despite the fact that they crucified him with no remorse?
through Christ, i’ve come to find that the most shocking and earth-shattering thing you can do to another person is what Jesus did. forgive them. whether they deserve it or not.
forgiveness is central to the life of a follower of Christ. it leads us to love neighbor and enemy alike, since we know that we are nowhere near being worthy of the forgiveness we continually receive.
imagine, if you will, that someone close to you has ripped you off, lied to you, told lies about you or turned their back on you. would it not be far more Christ-like to offer forgiveness to them (prior to them asking) than to seek revenge in-kind?
we are called to a revenge far more powerful than eye for an eye. forgiveness is our greatest act of revenge.
-dave-
mustard seed kingdom
mark 4:30-32 30 “and he said, “with what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? it is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
everything in this world is done to the max. $500,000,000 movies, 110 story buildings, double-decker planes, mega-churches, etc. Jesus came announcing something totally different.
Jesus gave us a way out of the empire. he gave us a way to escape the onslaught of massive production and hype. the lowest of the low are exalted in this mustard seed kingdom. everyone who is seemingly meaningless and insignificant will be called great and mighty.
i love this upside-down kingdom that is the polar opposite of what we have been taught to be the way, the truth and the life.
the way is not the pursuit of happiness.
the truth is not whatever our “leaders” tell us.
the life is not the path to money, power and fame.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. his kingdom is one that teaches us to love in an extravagant and unrelenting way. it is one that teaches us to judge ourselves over others. and it is a kingdom that brings a peace that cannot be understood or explained.
this kingdom calls us to die so that we can live. to be small so that he can make us big. may we find that death and embrace the suffering that the messiah embraced for all of us…
be as small as you can be.
-dave-
legislate this
John 8:2-11 (esv) - ”Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
i have always loved this passage (as has every other person who has ever read it) but until recently, i had never thought of it in light of the culture we live in today.
as we all know the two hot-button issues of our time in america are abortion and gay marriage. i’ve heard argument after argument about why these two “issues” should either be allowed or banned according to the law of the land. it’s gotten old quick.
however, i’ve found (in my own life) a solid reason to choose the way of Christ over the power of legislation…
aren’t we all guilty of breaking at least one of the laws of our land, never mind God’s law?!
have not all of us at one time or another gone over the speed limit?
have not all of us at one time or another lied?
have not all of us been angry with our brother or sister at one time or another (matthew 5:22)? have not all of us called someone else a fool?
have not most of us lusted after another woman or man despite our commitment to another to be faithful until death do us part?
have not all of us sought revenge?
we are all guilty of breaking the law, yet we continue to place other people’s flaws and mistakes above our own. it’s easy to legislate morality when you don’t struggle with the moral issue being debated.
many times, when we legislate against girls who are considering abortion or gay people who are seeking to marry, we lose any chance at loving them the way Christ would have us love, and showing them mercy the way Christ would have us show mercy. we have become the accusers (like the scribes and pharisees who thought they were obeying the Law of Moses) rather than the liberators. the judge and jury rather than the defendant. i think it’s time we got back to the cause of Christ, rather than the cause of the Law.
since we have been freed from condemnation because of God’s love, how much more should we be showing that kind of kingdom mercy and grace to all those dirty lawbreakers in our own time and place?
we don’t have stones anymore. they’ve been replaced with votes.
let him/her who is without sin among you cast the first vote.
-dave-
Let the horse do the work
“I want you to take your hands off the reigns and trot over the bars without holding on.” The instructor said.
“You want me to do what?” I looked down at her perplexed from atop a beautiful, large horse. I hadn’t ridden on a horse in over 20 years and I had only been on this one for about 15 minutes.
“You’re leaning forward with your shoulders, using your own power to keep you up.” She replied. “You need to sit back more and allow the horse to do the work.”
I’m a sports guy, I’ve played them my entire life. The instructor went on to explain that in sports you are trained to lead with your shoulder and in horseback riding it’s the complete opposite. There’s this large, powerful horse underneath you, and if you try to hard to control him you never end up going the right way.
Reluctantly I let go, and went trotting over the bars laid out on the ground. My arms stretched out wide, I felt so unstable and was terrified I was going to go flying off.
“Go again.” She said.
Sometimes we feel like we are so wrapped up in sin that there is no way out. I’m in to deep we say. And we start pulling on the reigns in panic. We pull and we tug, and we twist, and when we look up we realize we aren’t where we wanted to be.
In John 8 the Pharisees bring a women caught in the act of adultery and throw her at Jesus feet. We all know the story, Jesus stoops down and writes in the sand and says “if any of you are without sin, cast the first stone”.
There’s a disappointing point in this story: “At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time”. Who knows what Jesus wrote in the sand, maybe He was pointing out their sins. But don’t you wish that verse said “At this, they were grieved, and repented and they wept with Jesus”?
We are so conditioned to not want to hear the truth and we fight it when we are (Galatians 4:16). We argue, “I can do what I want, God forgives all sins.” While that is true, God’s grace is not permission to live like the world. If we continue to keep pulling the reigns we’re not going to head down the path the Lord has for us.
Just like my instructor, Jesus didn’t say hey go work on that, fix your life, come back and then we can talk. No! He talked to her right then and there, broken and naked, full of sin. My instructor didn’t condemn me but correct me and guide me. In the same way, Jesus did not come to condemn, but convict(John 3). Satan is the one in your ear condemning you, mocking you, and making you feel like you can’t get out.
As the Pharisees all walked away they left her in the best place she could be: alone with Jesus. And at that moment, alone with the Lord, is where He gives us direction. “Go and sin no more” He said.
I was left alone with my instructor. I could have chosen to keep my hands on the reigns and try to ride it out but she was only trying to allow me to grow and learn. And as I let go and allowed that strong horse to carry me I was a little terrified but when it was over I was proud of my accomplishment and stronger than before.
1 Peter 5:10 says “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you”. You may be going through a trial right now. Maybe you are terrified to let go. But know that as Peter says, after you suffer the Lord will perfect you, establish you, strengthen you, and settle you.
Rely on the grace of the Lord. It’s not because we deserve it, it’s because He loves us and wants to give it to us. His grace is sufficient because His power is made perfect in our weakness. When we learn to let go and expose our weakness the Lord shows us His power to get us through what we thought was impossible.
As I rounded the circle and trotted back towards the bars for the second time, I spread my arms outstretched and let go. My mind raced with fear of falling but I pressed on, trusting the horse to do what he does time and time again, and when it was over I was strengthened.
As Christians we sit on the back of Jesus, the most powerful place we could be, but we don’t trust Him when we get in difficult situations. We pull and tug and try to use our own power but it just sends us in circles. When we finally let go and let Him lead us He delivers us from our trials and takes us to greener pastures(Psalm 23).
the God of peace
“peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication.” – derek webb
“nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. it is a sword that heals.” – martin luther king jr.
“eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.” – gandhi
“do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” – paul the apostle
“love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who abuse you.” – Jesus
Get off your butt
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ~2 Corinthians 12:9
Any one who’s ever been in a relationship long enough or who is married has seen this scenario. You both are exhausted, you can barely keep your eyes open. Maybe you’re lounging on the couch or falling asleep in bed. And then men, you hear “Honey, could you get me a glass of water?”
Perhaps if your relationship is young you jump up and grab that glass of water or whatever she asked for. But the day comes later on when you’ve been together so long that the voice in your head wants to tell her “Your legs aren’t broken, I’m tired.”
See, the Bible tells us to die to self(1 Peter 2:24) but inevitable our selfish nature creeps back in. When we started out as new Christians with our baby relationship we wanted nothing more than to please the Lord. ‘Yes Lord!’ ‘What now Lord?’
We eventually hit that brick wall of Satan. We’re tired and down-trodden. We just need to rest, we want to close our eyes for just a minute and recover. And we look up and say “I’m thirsty”. Jesus said ‘whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst’(John 4:14)
While I might selfishly make my girlfriend or wife get her own glass of water, as Jesus bride he never will say ‘Nah, I’m tired too man. I’m helping 6 billion people here. Get your own water.’ What an amazing revelation! I wanted to quickly look at two things to ponder as we go about our day. One for men in particular and one for us all.
Ephesians 5:25 says ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her’. I love this because you know what? It means I need to get off my lazy butt and get that glass of water. It means surrendering my life for the sake of my wife. It means loving when I don’t want to love, it means striving when I want to give up, and it means sacrificing when I want something else. Because if we look at the love of Christ for the church we need look no further than the foot of the cross. Where he bled and died and gave up his spirit for each and every one of us.
Romans 8:28 – 39. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him(28)… If God is for us, who can be against us?(31)… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(39). Read those 11 verses and tell me you aren’t amazed at the love of Christ.
We can hit that brick wall. We can be broken, tattered, left for dead and know that ALL things work together for good. We know that God is for us. We know that Jesus is at the right hand of the father interceding for us. We know that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. And we can get back up and fight with him right along side us.
resurrection
hola friends and bloggers,
i was watching cnn last night, and what do you know, shane claiborne was on. he was talking about how he and his friends have been combatting the healthcare crisis in america. it was a brief, but very interesting spot on “the situation room” (which i had never seen before last night).
while the story about how they are tackling the issue of healthcare reform was interesting, i was most struck by one comment that he made to the reporter who was following him around. while walking through what used to be a crack house he said that he and his community “practice resurrection.”
that’s just cool to me. it made me realize that we are all in the resurrection business. we are in a constant state of dying to this world and to ourselves and being made alive in Christ, and we have been given the gift of sharing our resurrection lifestyle with those who are living broken and fragmented lives around us.
this means getting dirty. we have to be in real, life-giving community in order to see our own wounds and the wounds of those around us. the “isolated community” (as tdags calls it) found through facebook, twitter, myspace, blogging or even sunday morning church services will never be the answer to our cry for resurrection. we have to come together and speak the truth of Christ’s resurrection into eachother’s lives.
in this way, we will see our brokenness begin to fade away. we must live our lives together, without pretense, centered on the redemptive power of Christ’s resurrection, or we will die in our disease.
-dave-
if Jesus is not who he says he was
i will stand up for my own rights
i will fight for what i deserve
happiness and self-fulfillment will be my main pursuits
i will despise neighbor and enemy alike if they infringe upon my ability to seek happiness
i will destroy my brother for personal gain
i will die for the material
i will love and honor myself above all else
if Jesus is not who he says he was…
i will seek wealth
i will seek power
i will seek strength
i will repay evil for evil.
-dave-
why does God allow satan to live?
this little excerpt is taken from John Piper’s blog (you can read the rest here):
Why does God allow Satan to live?
…before I answer it, let’s make sure that we agree that it is true that God could take Satan out anytime he chose. Because I think there are some who would say, “He really can’t, because of some rights (or authority, independence, free will, etc.) that Satan has.” But the reason I know God can take Satan out without turning me into an automaton or breaking any rules is because he is going to take him out. He is going to throw him in the lake of fire.
And the question is, “Why didn’t he do it yesterday? If he had done it yesterday I wouldn’t be tempted the way I am today. The Bible says, ‘Lead me not into temptation.’ Well, the best way not to be led into temptation is to take the Tempter away! Isn’t it? Take him out! I’ve got sin in my life plenty enough to make me struggle. I don’t need Satan on top of my sin making my life more miserable. So God, take him out! You have the right and the power to take him out. You’re doing nobody wrong when you take him out. Take him out!”
here’s my first problem (of many) with this article: “if he had done it yesterday i wouldn’t be tempted the way i am today.” while this is true in some respect, it puts on display that which Piper, an elite reformed theologian, places the most emphasis: his sin. is there something wrong with this picture or is it just me?
when i was reading this i thought he might say something like, “if he had done it yesterday pain would cease. there would be no more murder, no more hate, no more thievery, no more orphans and widows, no more poverty, no more deceit, no more tears, etc.”
this is really bothersome to me. not only does this kind of thinking play directly into the hands of individualism, it is not representative of a holistic, Biblical model of redemption. it is not all about ME and MY SIN!
we are redeemed. we will most certainly continue to fall short, but that is the beauty of being in relationship with God through God’s Son! since we are redeemed, we have been given the distinct privilege of sharing the greatness of the Gospel with those who are dying. God has freed us through the incarnation of God’s Son, and through his submission to death. he freed the captives. therefore, we are already free from Satan’s power on us so that we may have a hand in freeing others (through the power of the Holy Spirit of course).
Jesus Christ has already unhanded Satan and has endowed us with the power of God to extend the love of God’s kingdom throughout this broken world.
so, my foremost concern is not that Satan would be destroyed because i fall from time to time, but that he would become powerless so that those who are broken inside and out will more swiftly and easily come to find life in Christ.
Piper goes on to explain why he believes God allows Satan to live and does so without use of scripture to support his claims. despite this fact, Piper claims that if we disagree that his reasoning is in fact the way God handles pain and suffering “we will reject God, we will reject the biblical testimony, and we will perish forever in Hell.” strong words.
is it possible that not believing in God’s ordination of suffering at the hands of Satan will result in our eternal demise,” as Piper claims? does God really have a “long leash” on Satan (which insinuates God’s hand is in every awful thing that happens in this world)? what do you think?
-dave-
