Live By The Sword

About a month ago I was looking at Jake Parker's blog and saw he was drawing Samurai. This got me to thinking about the movie "The Last Samurai" and a presentation I saw by James-Micheal Smith, a Gordon Conwell student giving his final presention for graduation. I've been wondering for some time about how to use the gifts God gave me for illustration in ministry, and I thought I would give this a try.

There are a surprising number of references to armor in the Bible. Paul uses the imagery of armor three times; Ephesians 6:10-20; Romans 13:12; 2Corinthians 6:7. With each of these illustrations the point is to lay aside the darkness and sin of former lives, to become a new person. It's really wonderful because the person inside is no different, but that which we put on has a new purpose with a utilitarian nature. The image is unlike the white washed tombs of the Pharisees. We are not meant to be monuments which are to be mourned, and posthumously honored. The armor of God is the light to share God's grace and love with others. That's why when Paul describes it in Ephesians each piece of the armor is a character trait.

The Samurai lived lives of discipline and service. It is said they would "live by the sword, or die by the sword - their own, or their enemies." If we Christians were to live that way what would be the sword in our lives? Paul refers to the "sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God." What if Scripture, and the good news of God's love for the world were our Sword? What if we lived lives "by the sword" that shared the love of Christ before we spoke our first word? What if the death we die is knowing we have finished the race well, or that we have been dishonored and disgraced by the sword of the world which is sin? It kinda puts a whole new twist on "Onward Christian Soldiers," don't it?

Remember What You Seek and Why

Many people are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." This verse is part of a letter written by the prophet Jeremiah to the exiles taken to Babylon, and it is often a "crutch" verse for people when they face difficult struggles in their lives. In my prayer time this morning I was drawn back to this chapter. As I was reading through the chapter verses twelve and thirteen stood out to me. "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart." The last part of verse thirteen all but knocked me out of my chair because it is so similar to Deuteronomy 6:5, and Matthew 22:37. As a Christian walking home I have to remember to whom I am walking and why. I have been blessed to have experiences where I have felt the Holy Spirit draw near and it was an incredible experience. However, with the passing of time feelings fade. This verse is like the hymn "Seek Ye First The Kingdom of God," in that it reminds me I have to stay on task. I have to stay focused. It's hard when there's always other stuff to do. There's always work, and school, and pretty soon Karen and I will have baby too. I am not begrudging the blessings and tasks I have been given. I am saying with all of the busyness in my life it is often difficult to stay focused on one thing. I wonder if God is against multi-tasking.

Good Christians = Good Samaritans

So far a lot of what I have written about on this blog has been facing my own challenges concerning spiritual discipleship apart from studying the Bible for information. The thing I take for granted is helping other people. I use "A Guide To Prayer For All Who Seek God" to get the juices going in my devotion time, and this morning's passage started me thinking about the Good Samaritan. Most people have at least heard of the story, if they haven't heard sermons on the subject. The story is about a man left for dead on the side of the road after being robbed and beaten. Two of his fellow country men passed by and did nothing. Samaritans were considered unclean outsiders. They were the kinds of people good Jews avoided at all cost. However, it was a Samaritan man who helped this Jew. Jesus's message is that as Christians we are all to be like the Samaritan man. I'll be honest. There are some people who grate my nerves. There are people who are so pitiable they are difficult to be around. However, I am a Christian which means there are times I have to make the choice to get over myself, and to put others, even those who bother me above myself. I'm not bragging. I'm ashamed. I wish I did not feel that way, but from time to time I do. I only pray it is enough to push past myself to offer assistance to those people, and that I won't be punished for those thoughts I fight against.

Quick Sand

With Halloween right around the corner it seems appropriate to ask this question. What scares you most? For me it's not Freddie Krugger or Jason, or Micheal Myers (either of them). What scares me most is quicksand. There's this B-movie, "The Replacements," where Gene Hackman plays a foot ball coach to a team of replacements because the regular overly paid NFL players went on strike. After one game Gene Hackman asks the team what they're most afraid of. Some of the players said spiders and snakes, but it was Keanu Reeves character who said quicksand. The explanation was sometimes you make one mistake, and then no matter how hard you fight; no matter how much harder you pedal; you just cannot get out on your own. In churches, quicksand is the road to burn out for pastors. What I have been taught in school is to remember it is God who works things for His will - not me. I cannot save anyone's soul. What they teach us at Asbury Theological Seminary is the importance of our relationship with Christ. But here's the rub. There's no formula for a relationship with God. If I do this, and that every day God will bless me. If relationships don't work that way for your wife or your girlfriend it certainly isn't going to work with God. God isn't some power outlet I need to plug into to be successful. It's frustrating. After all, how do you walk with God if you don't know how to connect? The answer is prayer. 1Thessalonians 5:17 says, "pray without ceasing," which tells me time with God cannot and should not be a pit stop on Sunday morning. What constant connection with God looks like will probably be different for you than for me. Philippians 2:12 tells us to, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." To me that means my relationship with God will be different from yours just as my relationship with my wife is different from your relationship with your significant other. I think the key is to actively try to be in that relationship with God in every breath.

Are We There Yet?

In the second half of the book of Isaiah Jerusalem has been sacked and all of the people of Judah have been carted off into exile in Babylon. Isaiah 61:1 tells us some things which pertain to this walk I am on. The prophet Isaiah has been filled by the Holy Spirit and had his lips cleaned so that he would be worthy to preach God's word to the people (Isaiah 6:1-7). What he says about himself is very similar to something Jesus says. In Matthew 11:2-6 Jesus is approached by some of John the Baptist's disciples and asked if Jesus is the Christ or if they should wait for another. Jesus' reply is to point out the work He has done and not the things He has said, "the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them." Jesus' actions told who he was even before he spoke. Now, I don't have the gift of healing, but I can offer cool cup of water to person who is thirsty. I can share what I have learned about the Gospel to those who are lost and looking for the way home. I can serve in a food pantry, work as an usher in the church, tithe. I can do all of these things - but make no mistake. Christ was not trying to earn His salvation by works. Christ loves his Father and does things to please Him because Christ loves Him. This is the example. I will know I am home when I am no longer surrounded by the poor and needy, when those who were once atheists can see God and love Him, when I no longer worry about how my attempts to share the peace of Christ are perceived. Are we there yet? I wish I was, but I know I'm not. 

Clearing Up The Static

I was reading Dr. Kinlaw's book "Preaching in the Spirit" last night, this line popped out at me. "God doesn't want us to walk with his will; he wants us to walk with him." It's really easy to get stuck thinking, God asked me to do this, or it says in the Bible I should do that, or whatever. We get so caught up in, I have to do this, or God won't be pleased with me if I don't do that, and for some people God will be angry with me if I don't do this thing over here. After reading Dr. Kinlaw's book I don't think God works that way. The more we think that way the more our spiritual antennas fill with static. For me it is a lot like watching a TV set without cable, satellite, or an antenna connected to bring in a signal. The screen is filled with static and we cannot get a clear picture. The key to clearing the static is prayer and quiet time. Of course quiet time that lasts more than two minutes is difficult for a seminary student, a parent, a husband, an American, a human being. I don't know about you, but I get busy - very busy, and it's hard to say no to things so I can have that quiet time with God. He's been there waiting all along. I know He's still walking with me, He's just harder to hear. That's why it's so important to take the time to turn down the volume on all the white noise and spend some time listening to God.

Walking Home

This just dawned on me as I was reading a book in order to write a paper for Foundations of Proclamation.
     "Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him." (Genesis 5:24 ESV)

     Now the Bible does not explain what it means by Enoch walked with God, but its use in this sentence seems to indicate walking with God pleased Him. God took Enoch - he didn't die. I've often wondered why it doesn't lay out a laundry list of what is expected in order to never die. Today it hit me. The whole of scripture is a manual for how not to die. And the reason the Bible is so complex, so full, so rich in meanings is because it is full of people who have tried very hard to walk with God out of gratitude for all God has done. It's like some gigantic inside joke that's so out in the open people trip over it and wonder why.

     Philippians 2 uses these words to explain the process. ¹²Therefore, my beloved,^(C) as you have always^(D) obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for^(E) it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for^(F) his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:11-13 ESV)

     The keys to understanding scripture are not in understanding cryptic passages from here and there, but in seeing the smaller pieces in light of the greater plan, and better understanding the part you are to play with gratitude.