No Great Commission

Have you been called to fulfill the "Great Commission"? Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen" (NKJV). These two verses have been an anchor for the spread of the Christian faith, in general, and a particular verse of importance for evangelicals. It is a verse I have heard expounded upon from my college days even up to today. I was told that our Lord, God's Son, had given a command to GO and preach the gospel. One cannot stay and go at the same time, thus I was to leave where ever I was and launch out into the world and take the Gospel to every part of the earth. Evangelism was said to be key to the promotion and distribution of the Christian faith. "So when and where are YOU going? Where has the Lord called you to GO?" was delivered by a variety of preachers and missionaries. This was often followed by horrifying statistics of how many people were going to hell because of my slow response to the call to "Go".

Now, to be fair, there was the caveat that not everyone was called to a cross cultural "going". However, in one way, shape, or form Jesus was telling you to get up and get going. After all, didn't the Apostle Paul warn in Romans 10:14-15 about the desperate need to go? "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" The Lord already sent so if you do not go they will not hear, will not believe, will not call upon the Name and will be lost for all eternity. And it is your fault. Well, being a rather subdued personality with a gift to teach I always felt really short on the evangelism thing. Sure people came to faith through my teaching of God's Word. Lives have been changed, addictions broken,and  families restored. But, that confrontational evangelism "go" thing has never been me. Then I took a closer look at Matthew 28.

The words translated as verbs are "go", "make", and "baptizing". The Greek text shows us that "go" is an aorist passive participle. Aorist is the least definite verbal ending in Greek. It can be a simple past however, it tends to be indefinite in its translation, not really something to build a commission upon. Passive is something done to you and participles are pretty easily understood by adding an "ing" ending. "Make" is to teach or instruct. It is an aorist, active, imperative. This is the only command we find in these verses. We are commanded to teach or instruct the nations how to follow Messiah. Then we are to be baptizing them, present, active, participle. So we should be actively baptizing people all the time. Our Lord's instruction to His disciples was pretty simple. As you go through your life, directed by the Spirit of God (remember you are passive here), you are commanded to teach those around you to be disciples. In Verse 20 we find that the word translated "teach" is a present, active, participle . This means you are to consciously actively, continually be offering instruction concerning everything the Lord has commanded. When they determine to become disciples of Christ we are to direct them to make a public display of their desire to be Christ's disciple through baptism. (By the way, the "go" command in Mark 16 is also passive so there is no command there either).

Now how do we fulfill these instructions? Fortunately, God left directions that everyone of the twelve, and whomever else was present, would know. It is passage they all have memorized and recited thousands of times as they grew up. It is found in Deuteronomy 6:5-9, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

We begin by loving God with all of who we are, mind, soul, and strength. Second we put all of God's words, commands, and statutes into our hearts. We integrate them into our lives. Third, you teach them diligently to your children. You are to put them on display when you sit in your house (what you watch on TV), when you walk by they way (how you treat the check out clerk at the store when no one has been there to help you find the item you needed), when you lie down (bed time prayers), and when you rise up (How do they see you approach each day with the Lord?). Everything your hands do reflects God's Word, everything you think demonstrates His truth in your life, They mark how you live in your city and in your home. Pretty practical stuff. Live like you say you believe.

When you do this be prepared for 1 Peter 3:15 to become true in your life, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." If you live separated unto God your behavior will be noticeable, maybe even irritating, to the people around you. So be prepared to give a clear, loving, gentle, answer as to what the Lord has done for you and what He can do for them as well. Begin to teach them of the Way, the Truth and the Life so they can come to the Father and know life eternal.

So you have no need to feel guilty for not going or not being that confrontational evangelist you may have been told to be. There isn't really any imposing "Great Commission" being held over your head. You are not responsible for every person who has not heard. You are not responsible to "go" anywhere, unless the Lord so directs you to go, (that passive thing kicks in here). You are responsible to live. To be who God made you to be. Your thoughts and actions need to be reflective of His thoughts and actions. We need to think about what answer to give concerning the hope within us so when people ask we are prepared.

Having read this post you will now be on your way with the rest of your day.  God is not commanding you to go anywhere, but as you go where ever today might take you be aware of the opportunities to be teaching and developing relationships. Living in such a way that the hope in you is on display. The Lord will give you the opportunity to be making disciples as you are going. Oh, if that is a bit intimidating, remember He will be with you always, even to the end of the age. 

Do You Believe In the Supernatural?

Do you believe in the supernatural? My guess is that most who read this would respond in the affirmative. There is more to this life than just the tangible stuff we absorb with our senses. We attempt to act as if the supernatural is real. We pray and we sing praises to a Being that is a bit beyond our cognitive abilities. Many accept the Scriptures as a revelation from this supernatural Being and that He desires for us to have a relationship with Him, not just an awareness of His existence. Belief in the supernatural has been around from the very beginning, from the time man first entered the world. The supernatural has had its influence upon every culture and society at some point in time. For those who hold a belief in Yahweh and His Son, Messiah Jesus, the supernatural should be an understood reality of daily life. The wonder of the supernatural should pervade our normal routine activities, making them anything but normal and routine. However, for many of us that is not the case. Life can, indeed, become very routine and seem boringly predictable. Should we just accept the norm and live that way? If we really do have a personal relationship with a supernatural God it seems that life should be more.    

When we look to the Word of God and read the accounts of the people there, life has a greater vibrancy than what we often experience. From God coming to walk in the garden in search of Adam to His conversation with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, David and the ongoing list of interactions with the people of God. Those in Scripture see a connection between God and much of the normalcy of life. If there is a drought the question is asked of some supernatural involvement. The kings and prophets wondered if God was communicating to them through these natural events. Now I know that we live in a fallen world and that Paul tells us in Romans 8:22, " the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now," so some of what we see is the evidence of the weight of sin on creation. However, is it wise to chalk everything that happens around us to just be rationally explained away?

Our culture is Greek by nature. We are steeped in rational thought. Our search for understanding leads us to believe that everything can be explained if we just understand the facts or the underlying scientific principals behind things. Storms are explained to us through charts and diagrams and computer models so we understand why they form and how they may track. The same is true for earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. We can come up with a rational explanation for it all. We can even enter vast amounts of data into our computer programs and produce a computer model of what the climate will be one thousand years from now. It can all be explained if we just have enough data. The same is true for illness and economics. We have evolved to a point where the supernatural has little to do with ordinary life. Rationalism has become our answer to the unknown and unexplainable. Just give us a little more time and we can figure it out.

The challenge for those who believe in a supernatural God Who reveals Himself to us is to maintain balance. Accepting, even anticipating, the supernatural in our day to day lives while also knowing  the simple truth that world events can have natural explanations. We do not need to proclaim Gods judgement after every storm (and often the claim that the end of the world is at hand). God does not punish people with cancer and illness. That is one thing we can learn from Job. On the other hand I give a nod to President Trump for his proclamation for a national day of prayer on September 3, 2017 in response to the devastating hurricane that crippled southern Texas. A call to ask for help from the Supernatural One was refreshing in the midst of our rational explanations of colliding atmospheric conditions.

I have known people who saw the supernatural in everything. Usually giving credit, or perhaps blame, to the devil and his demons for everything from insomnia to "stolen" parking spaces. Every sniffle needed to be prayed over and every good dental check up was a victory over the cavity demon. They found the books by Frank Peretti (This Present Darkness, and Piercing the Darkness) to be close to inspired texts rather than works of fiction. By the way, they are an interesting read and do remind us that there is an unseen supernatural world around us. Just remember they are fiction and you do not need to start praying for the good angels to win. I believe God has that covered. My point is that we tend to swing to extremes. There is honest danger in seeing supernatural warfare consuming every moment of your life. However, there is also danger in living in a rational world. We can fail to see God's warnings. We can miss opportunities to give Him praise or be encouraged to pray.

I have had more than a few incredibly close calls while driving. I am sure that diagrams could be drawn and an understanding of physics and kinetic energy could explain my survival. However, some of those instances left me with a intangible feeling of a presence beyond the rational. An emotional adrenaline rush? Perhaps, or it really was a touch of the supernatural? In truth all these things we see as rational explanations simply highlight the hand of the supernatural. Wind currents, high pressure systems, physics, all those rational computer programs are based on discovering what has always been there. Placed in motion by an intelligent, supernatural designer. One could argue the point; however, the rational thinker knows that the possibility of such complex systems evolving from nowhere is a significant leap of faith.

We are surrounded by the supernatural. From creation, to protection, to weather reminders that we are not in control. We have the opportunity every day to see the hand of God among us.  Let creation proclaim His wonder. Be honestly thankful for His daily protection. If you drive in New York any day without someone driving into your car it is pretty much an act of God. The food we enjoy, the sights that we see, even the technology we employ has a foundation in the hand of the supernatural if we see it.  Don't let your rational thoughts rob you of knowing His supernatural presence. As Francis Schaffer wrote, He is there and He is not silent, the question is, are we listening?

No Sacrifice for Sin?

Has anyone ever told you that the offering of Jesus was made to cover your sins? Has anyone ever suggested that the Old Testament sacrifice for sin is a picture of Christ's sacrifice? However, did you know that there is no sacrifice for most sin in the Old Testament? If you were an Israelite and sinned against God, if you willfully disobeyed one of His commandments, there was no offering available to cover your sin. God's revelation to Moses provides a great deal of instruction and certainly gives directions for a variety of sacrificial offerings, however a relative few actually deal with sin. There are thank offerings, free will offerings, offerings of the first fruits, redemptive offerings for the first born males, specific sacrifices to cleanse the priests along with wave and incense offerings. Leviticus chapter 4 deals with sin offerings. Perhaps it has been a while since you read the chapter. Perhaps in your reading you did not notice a very important word.

It would be helpful if you took time to read verses 2, 13, 22, and 27 of Leviticus 4. The surrounding verses give details as to how to prepare and offer a sin offering. If you have read the verses did you notice each instance of sin has the word "unintentional" preceding it? The Lord knew that His people had just come out of Egypt following a sojourn of over 400 years. They had been slaves for a significant part of that time. They held their own culture, to an extent, but the rules and regulations for life as a slave was dictated by Pharaoh. Thus, upon their deliverance, God graciously gave them instructions and directions as to how to best live. They were not optional. However, they were pretty inclusive as to every aspect of life so it would have been fairly easy to unintentionally violate God's Word. Again, by His grace the Lord provided a way to have those unintentional sins forgiven. However, He offered no sacrifice for intentional sins.

If that is indeed the case there must be no hope for all those Old Testament folks. Well, you might say that Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, took care of that. Except that day was a time of national repentance rather than a personal sin offering. The reality seems to be that many of us are deeply ingrained in traditional Christian or Evangelical thought. We believe we are in the dispensation or time of grace unlike the time or dispensation of the Law. We are saved by grace and free from the Law. Those Old Testament people had to keep the Law as a means of salvation. Grace finally came to us through the cross. The only problem with that way of thinking, is that it does not line up with Scripture. Paul makes it clear that no one keeps the Law. Everyone has fallen short. So does that mean there is no hope for the people before the time of Christ? Does that mean we will not see Moses, or David, or Abraham, Isaac or Israel in glory? What was Moses doing on the Mount of Transfiguration  with Jesus if He did not make it to glory?

Perhaps the story of David's sin can help. David sinned intentionally. He did not accidentally commit adultery with Bathsheba. He did not unintentionally have Uriah, one of his loyal mighty men, killed. He did not bring Bathsheba into his bedchamber unknowingly. He is guilty of intentional sin. There is no Levitical  sacrifice available. In contemporary terms David is toast. He is without hope. The punishment for these crimes is death. But look at what Nathan tells David in 2 Samuel 12:13, "So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die." How can that be? How could the LORD put away David's sin? Why won't David die? The only reasonable answer is grace. Like the grace He extended to Noah. The grace He extended to Abraham when Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him for righteousness. Abraham, David, Noah, saved by grace. Hmmmm I wonder how many other Old Testament people were saved by grace after they violated Torah?

We are told that we need to pray and ask forgiveness and maybe confess our sin and and we will be forgiven. It is hard to find that formula in the Bible. The message of John the Baptizer, Jesus the Messiah, Paul, Peter, and the writer of Hebrews was repentance. Forgiveness comes through confession and repentance. Prayer, or speaking, confessing,our sin with repentance may be the avenue we choose to use however, just praying for forgiveness is not a Biblical concept.  Turning away from our intentional sin with a desire to not commit that transgression once again is the pattern we find no matter which Testament we look to. The sacrifice and shed blood of God's Son, Messiah covers sin. It always has. Repentance and believing, faithfully following, trusting that what the Lord has said, gives us a relationship with Him and His Son by the power of His Spirit. It is all by grace. It is now. It always has been.

It seems that the artificial division we place between those Old Testament saints and those of the New is just that, artificial. Moses, David, Hezekiah, and the untold multitudes of the Old Testament repented, had faith in Yahweh and were saved by grace. So were Peter, James, John, Paul and the rest of our New Testament heroes. So was I. How about you?                

The Job Effect

 My life is filled with good things. I have a healthy and supportive wife who loves me and is always there for me. I have seven remarkable and gifted children (I do not have two "in-laws" they are all my God given treasures) and am blessed with, soon to be, four grandchildren. I have food, shelter and too much stuff. I type this on a convenient laptop computer that cooperates with me, most of the time. Then, at the time I choose to post these ramblings, it will make these words available to be read by anyone around the globe. I have friends near by and those who are still close even though the miles are extensive. I am attached to extended family with supportive and encouraging "In-Law" parents. and many folks I minister and serve with. I even have those who give sacrificially, to encourage me and meet the needs of my family. The Lord has provided exceedingly abundantly in more ways that I can document here. However, there is more to my life than these God given wonders.

Life also has times of finding ourselves in the shadows. Grays and darkness contrast the joyous colors of the mosaic that is life. In recent days I have gained a deeper appreciation for a man named Job. My thoughts have mingled with the record of his life and I have found some company in the darkness. I have never been through all he suffered and often I do not qualify for the description in verse 1 " that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil." Neither am I confident that I always share in his quiet confidence, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" (Job 13:15). I do, on occasion, have a vulnerability that drys my soul and causes me to wonder if the Job effect is God's visitation on my life. I write from my own perspective today, but perhaps you can relate to my thoughts when the Job effect visits you.

In numerous places in the Psalms, the testimony is given,"I cried to the Lord, and He heard my voice, and delivered me". However, there are times when it seems that is not so. I do not see the answer I long for. I have not lost sons or daughters, I have not lost oxen and donkeys to the Sabeans, I have not lost camels and have no servants to be killed. My occasional sciatic twinge hardly compares to a covering of painful, oozing, sores that have no remedy. I sit in an air-conditioned office, not on a pile of ashes with a broken pot to scrape my sores. So how, in the midst of this bounty and kindness, can my soul be troubled?

If you did not notice I skipped Job 1:16. "While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” Do you see what is recorded here? It is God who took away the sheep. Not the Sabeans or Amalakites, or raiders from the east. The fire of God took them away.

I am a shepherd, a pastor, a teacher to a flock. I did not ask to be. It is not what I do. It is who God made me and called me to be. I cannot call myself blameless or fully upright before the Lord. I do fear, and respect God much of the time but to say evil thoughts never cross my brain would be an untruth. I am an imperfect shepherd. But I love the sheep. There have been times when I did not want to, times I wanted to lash out at the stubborn, divisive, destructive members of the flock. Times my thoughts were far from gracious toward those who blatantly desired to bring harm to me and, even worse, my family. I have grieved over those who sought their own way at the expense of the rest of the flock and God's ministry. After wreaking as much havoc as possible they left without a thought for the bleeding and wounded souls they left behind. In times like these I cried out to the Lord but it did not feel like He heard my voice. There are quiet moments when the pain still haunts my spirit and pokes at the tender spots of my mind. However, I know He is still faithful. He never leaves, He never forsakes. These times have been few, yet still too many when I know the pain and grief it brought to God's heart. To see His children act this way must be more grievous to Him than I can begin to imagine.

Generally speaking, I survive these times and move on with a confidence in the Lord that only His Spirit can provide. He really does bring healing to a wounded heart. Seeing the sheep go through such damaging and unnecessary times can leave ones soul feeling like you have been caught in a bout between Rocky and Apollo Creed. Yet, those events are ones you can chalk up to sin, rebellion, misunderstanding, pride and the nasty old nature that hangs around our necks more often than we may care to admit. In all these things God is there. In all these things God gives strength and the ability to forgive and move on. My personal Job effect comes from the slow bleeding of prayers that seem to go unanswered. It is having to watch a family slowly self-destruct. They choose to refuse to follow God's simple instructions for reconciliation and blessing. Pride and shadows of the past bleed their relationship dry and divorce now seems to be a welcome escape. They fail to see the truth that the bleeding will not stop after the papers are signed. The Job effect visits me in the sudden loss of one who is closer than a brother. God simply took him. It also comes the midst of hours of prayer, crying out to God to heal the broken. Those so dear to me that are suffering from some disease that slowly, painfully sucks away life. Yet, the disease progresses. I believe God has a purpose. I believe He has a plan. But, I still wait to hear His voice and see the answer that never comes. I feel as though I have been deserted, left alone in the shadows.

Like many pastors I honestly love the sheep. In a very real sense they are my life. I desire to see them grow strong in their understanding of God and His Son, I pray for them to know the joy of His Spirit and to discover and use their God given gifts and abilities to further His Kingdom. Like most shepherds, I desire the flock to grow, to reproduce and become stronger and more effective in ministry. I witness a world where the thing I love most, outside of God and my family, is just a convenience to many around me. Life is filled with comings and goings so an aspect of shepherding is saying farewell to sheep who move on. They have sought the will of the lord as they prepare to leave. However, I have found few who seemed moved to seek and to pray for new sheep to fill the part of the body they will vacate. The new post-retirement home or job promotion is in clear focus. The impact of  their departure on the fellowship they leave behind has barely crossed their mind, if at all. Retirement, job promotions, can be good things, and I celebrate with those who are directed by the Lord to begin new chapters in their lives. However, the celebration is bittersweet. For there will be missing parts in the body if they are not filled by new sheep. So I call out to the Great Shepherd and ask that sheep be added to the flock and that His ministry would expand for His glory. But there are times it seems like God sends a fire from heaven to take the sheep away instead. I look at Job and wonder how he accepted loss and death and pain and could still say "If He slay me yet will I trust Him".

Perhaps that is the purpose of Job. To be honest I find the story unsatisfying. It is true, God gave Job his stuff back, however, Job's first children stayed dead. It took years to replace his family, his standing, and possessions. To top it off, God's answer was, "Where were you?" As I pray for the growth and ministry of the church I love, for the church I know He loves, "Where were you?" does not feel all that helpful. I also know I am not alone. I know the hearts of many pastor's and it really does not matter how large or small the assembly, disruption to the flock is always painful. Loss of families and friends is a part of the life and the culture we live in. Ministries rise up and dissipate, sometimes for no apparent reason, other than God. I have prayed with pastors going through challenging times in ministry. I have seen ministries come to a close in spite of heart felt prayers and a faithful witness. It seemed God's answer was "Where were you?" Not the answer we hoped for, but at least with our friend Job we know we are not alone, However, when all is said and done there is no other calling I desire. There is no other place I would want to be. No other love I would want to own. Maybe Job is right, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" just might be the answer after all.

As life progresses, as you fulfill your plans and dreams, know that you are not incidental to the family of God you fellowship and worship with. Think about the hole you leave behind should the Lord choose to move you. Give some thought as to how God might want you to pray concerning the part of the body that will not function as well without you. Praying for and preparing those to fill your spot is a very good thing to do. When it comes time to give an account of how we transitioned from one church family to another, "Where were you?" is likely not the question you want God to ask.  

      

God's Gift of Oblivion

When was the last time you gave God thanks for oblivion? Webster defines oblivion as, "the fact or condition of not remembering :  a state marked by lack of awareness or consciousness". I have noticed that, as the years pass, I am visited by a little oblivion when it comes to car keys and my glasses. That is not the gift, it is a reminder of my need to be more attentive to the very simple things of life. To be honest, I have always had an issue with my glasses disappearing. At 64 I now have an acceptable excuse for my carelessness. There is, however, a wonderful gift of oblivion give to us by God from the very beginning. The translators use the word "sleep". God designed living things to have times of rest. He provided day and night so we could be active stewards during the times of light and receive rest and recovery during times of darkness. Without sleep our bodies break down and, given enough sleeplessness, they will perish.

Sleep is first recorded in Genesis 2:21, where the first surgery was also recorded, "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place." Man was in a deep sleep, oblivious to what the Lord was doing. God made a woman to be man's helper and partner. (Many women I know believe men have been pretty much oblivious ever since.) Having people sleep through many medical procedures is common practice today. It seems God had a good idea from the beginning. Sleep and rest are as much a part of God's design as anything else we were given to enjoy. Even the seventh day Sabbath was given as a gift of God so we could recover from six days of labor. Being on the go twenty-four seven, was never the Lord's intention.

David understood this well, "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:6). The Psalmist recognizes this again in Psalm 127:2, "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; He gives His beloved sleep." The writer indicates that a life filled with anxiety is unprofitable. It is God who protects and provides and it is God who gives His beloved sleep. A period of oblivion is a gift of God. The counsel of a father to a son, is given in Proverbs 3. If you walk in obedience to the things that the Lord commands, "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet."

We live in a world filled with opportunities to absorb stress and anxiety. Uncertainty is our manner of life. Questions about jobs, or terrorism, natural disasters, disease, fractured relationships, and the future await us every day. They can cause damage to our very souls and rob us of precious moments of joy. It is a challenge to just place it all in the Lord's hands and breath. We tend to carry what we were not meant to carry and hold onto things we have no control over just to maintain our anxiety level. But, the God who loves you says, "Lie down, close your eyes, slip into oblivion for a time and rest." The Lord is fully capable of watching over your junk while you take a moment or two to stop being consciously aware of the burden of life that has captured your soul.

I have one of those pretty mellow personalities. I tend to be fairly constant emotionally, which sounds better than I tend to be boring. I have almost always had the ability to see a larger picture and to recognize what is beyond my control. That being said, I do feel deeply about things. I can quietly churn over things that come into my area of responsibility. I am a Pastor, so it usually involves people and ministry stuff. Being helpless as a marriage fails, being touched by the pain where reconciliation has been forsaken. Knowing that, if Biblical principles were accepted and applied, this would not be. The open wounds left from destructive addictions, wounds from a childhood that never healed, traumas never dealt with that leave dark festering holes in a broken spirit. These things weigh me down and replay in my mind. Questions of what I could have done. Questions about unanswered prayers. Then there are the simple realities of ministry that only God controls. Of people who come, and people who go. Those we love and depend on are taken or worse yet turn against you. They leave a wake of uncertainty in the river of life.

These are quiet middle of the night prayer times. And there are, quite honestly, blessed times of oblivion. In the midst of whatever might weigh upon my heart God gives His beloved sleep. In the midst of what could become overwhelming anxiety I am reminded that He neither slumbers nor sleeps, so I can lie down and my sleep will be sweet. Sweet oblivion so my mind can rest from the weight it carries, gentle oblivion so my body can heal. When I recognize that He is here to catty the burden I find rest for my soul.

As you lay your head down upon your pillow tonight, as you turn off the light at the end of the day, say a little thank you to the God who gives you rest. A little time of oblivion to prepare for the day to come.  

Faith, a Different Approach to Ephesians 2

Have you ever taken the time to consider the person of the Apostle Paul? He honestly was a pretty amazing follower of Yahweh. He comes from a line of people who were passionate about Torah, God's instruction and direction as how best to live. He grew up a ways from Jerusalem. His father was both a Roman citizen and a Jewish pharisee. Living in Tarsus, modern day Turkey, Paul's family had made long trips to Jerusalem to fulfill the requirements to be there on the high holy days. He was of the tribe of Benjamin and named after their most famous Benjamite, Saul, the first king of Israel. Young Saul excelled in his religious education, becoming a disciple of Gamaiel, (Acts 5) the most renowned Jewish Rabbi of the time. Young Saul, later known as Paul, held two passions. One was to be faithful to all of God's Law and Word. The other was to faithfully await the arrival of Messiah, the coming king and deliverer of Israel. This passion drove him to oppose the new Jewish sect called "the Way". A growing group of Jews who believed that the crucified rabbi Yeshua, was Messiah. Paul was confronted by the risen Lord on his way to Damascus. Following this event his life still held two passions. One, to be faithful in God's Torah and traditions and two, to let every Jew and Gentile he met know that Yeshua was indeed Messiah.

As one of the most prolific writers, used by God, to write the letters held in the New Testament, it serves us well to remember who Paul was. While addressing the Jews in Acts 23 Paul proclaims that he currently is a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee. Near the end of his life Paul speaks to the Jewish elders in Rome telling them that he has "done nothing against Rome or the his people or their customs" (Acts 28:17). Paul was a faithful, Torah observant, Jew all of his life. He was also a Jew who was had a passion to know and proclaim the truth that Yeshua was Messiah, the deliverer of Israel and the Savior of the Gentiles as well. With this background, let us take a new look at Ephesians chapter 2.

(Disclaimer - The following is the result of some time of meditation, both on the subject of faith, faithful and faithfulness, and the impact Paul's life experience might have on his writing. It is not to suggest that this is the only right answer of interpretation or if it is even is a right answer. However, we are instructed to study, to meditate, and to ponder the truth of God's revealed Word. This is the result of that time. I am a work in progress, as are you, so this may just give you something new to think about.)

Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." has long been a theological anchor for evangelicals. Tie that to verse 9, "not of works, lest anyone should boast" and many theologians and Bible teachers find this as the evidence of the end of Torah. It is here they find that Judaism has been replaced by the Christian Church. The verses have also been a point of contention between the reformed camp and those with a more Wesleyan bent. Is grace the gift or is it faith that is the gift from God? If Faith is the gift then only those gifted with faith are predestined to be saved. However, if grace is the gift then anyone is free to exercise faith and be saved. Quite the dilemma. Where do you fall on the grace verses faith issue? And what of works? Is this an end to Torah or as His workmanship are works, related to the Law, ordained for us to complete? Well, what if both thoughts are a bit off message? Do these thoughts line up with the passions of the Apostle Paul as he writes to the Ephesian assembly of Messianic believers?

Paul's compelling drive to make Yeshua, Jesus, know is clearly evident in this letter. Paul's commitment to his Jewish heritage is also evident as he lets the Gentiles know that they who were far off have been brought near and are now under the Jewish covenants and a part of the Commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12). Backing up to the beginning of chapter 2 we find remarkable news for us and Paul's passion for who Messiah Jesus is and just what He has done. You might want to turn to Ephesians 2 to follow along. We were dead, walking in agreement with the devil, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, children of wrath (verses 1-3). God, in His mercy, loved us even when we were dead. He made us alive with Christ. He raised us to the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Showing His grace and kindness in Christ Jesus (verses 4-7). Paul's focus here is clearly on what God has done in Christ,  Jesus. Paul then goes on to tell us that it is by this grace,through faith, that we have been delivered. Not of ourselves, gift of God. The translators have added it is to help make their understanding of the text clear. "It is" is a reference to the "gift of God", making whatever it is a "thing", for nouns can be a person, place or a thing. However, we have seen that the Greek word pistis has several different possible, yet accurate, translations. So this could be "by grace you have been saved through faithfulness, the gift of God, not of works, so no one can boast." Yet it seems contradictory to be delivered by faithfulness and not of our own works.

What if Paul has continued his thought train from the previous four verses. We know that Yahweh and His Son, our Messiah are faithful. See Deuteronomy 7:9, Hosea 11:12 1 Corinthians 1:9 or 2 Corinthians 1:18. "God is faithful", Another way of putting this is to say that God is the Faithful One. It says the same thing, and is an accurate translation, it simply makes "faithful" more of a character quality than an action toward me. God is the Faithful One who sent His Son, Messiah Jesus to deliver me. Jesus was the Faithful One who delivered me from death. For I was dead but God made me alive through the faithful actions of His Son, who is also the Faithful One. If you followed this we have another possible translation for Ephesians 2:8. "For by grace you have been delivered [from death] through the Faithful One, He is the gift of God, not of your works, lest anyone should boast." Now our deliverance, our salvation, is focused on the person of Christ, as it was in the previous verses. Paul may be reminding us that it was the work of the Faithful One, not of my faith, which delivered me from death.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared, or revealed, before hand, that we should walk in them." We are called to be faithful as He was faithful. Dependent upon His faithfulness and now called to our own faithfulness in Him.

The choice is simply where we place our focus. Is it on my faith or on the Faithful One, Christ Jesus? As a Jewish Rabbi consumed with love for Messiah and compelled to share His message of deliverance where do you think the Apostle Paul's thoughts were?

Faith or Faithfulness, Part 2

As American believers, living in an American culture, we seldom really take into account that the world where the Scriptures were written was much different than ours. There are key cultural realities that reflect either a Greek/Western world view or that of an Hebraic world view. A Biblical world view must take this into account or we may get a bit of a distorted understanding of what God has revealed to us. It does not necessarily mean that we will arrive at a  point of view that violates the general message of God's Word. However, when it comes to specific verses we may cling to, we may have missed the intent or at least narrowed our application so we hold an understanding that misses the whole picture.

In the last two articles, posted on 08/07/2017 and 08/13/2017, we considered what appeared to be God's use of evil in the lives of His followers and a question of faith and faithfulness as we walk with this God. Our world view will determined how we view these issues and how we respond to the Scriptures the LORD has graciously given us.

The first revolves around our perception of what is good. In our western view, good is what is beneficial to me and and makes my life easier. Evil is detrimental, in some way, to my existence. The Greek emphasis on the individual and how we perceive morality limits us to how good and evil are understood. God has authority over all His creation. All of His creation will ultimately conform to His will, resulting in His glory. He has the authority to direct the affairs of mankind (See Proverbs 21:1), He also has authority over the spirits, both good and evil (See Job). What God determines to do is good, for it accomplishes His will for His glory. It is His prerogative to do what He does to accomplish that objective. He is not required to consult with us to determine how we feel about His methodology. He is good, all the time, whether our sense of right and wrong or good and evil agrees or not.

In considering faith, there are three key differences in Western/American thought and Hebraic thought, which impact our understanding of faith. First, Western thought is about what we think while Hebraic thought is about what we do. Second, Western thought focuses on the individual while Hebraic thought focuses on the community. And third, Western thought is compartmentalized while Hebraic thought is integrated. When considering faith, we come to understand what we think the  word means based more on our cultural mindset than on the text of Scripture.

We have seen the difference between thinking and doing in Luke 18:8, “I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Our Western/Greek thought focused what people would think and thus believe when the Lord returns. Will anyone think that He is Messiah and believe the truth about Him when Jesus returns. From an Hebraic point of view this is inadequate. The real question for the Jews listening to Jesus is, will there be any faithfulness, anyone acting faithfully, when Messiah returns. The faithfulness of Israel was a question the Jews of that time would clearly understand. The prophets had accused them of spiritual infidelity often and chastened them for their lack of faithfulness. Would there be any faithful to the Lord when He comes is a question they understood all too well. Some of their heroes are recorded for us in Hebrews chapter 11 These accounts show what faith in action looks like. These were people who were faithful in what the Lord called them to do.

The second aspect of culture can be found in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." There are a couple of things we need to observe. First, this is written to a community of believers. There is application to the individual but it is written to the group. Second, these are those who love God. That being so they would be keeping Christ's commandments (John 14:15). These are faithful people who appear to be having their faith or faithfulness tested. We live in a culture that is individualistic. Thus, this verse is obviously about me and a promise for me. All things work together for me if I love God. However, God works in and through communities and His emphasis is often on others not just you and me. The testing of Job's faithfulness was not just for Job. It included Satan, Job's wife, Eliphas, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu as well. Peter's imprisonment brought the believers together to pray for boldness so that the community would remain faithful in spite of persecution. They do not seem to be praying for Peter's release as they had no expectation that would occur. What if your struggles have nothing to do with you but are a means to touch someone else's life for good? Your cancer brings a wayward child to God, your accident gets another driver into rehab, your loss bring the opportunity to be someone else's comfort (See 2 Corinthians 1). God's purpose for testing your faithfulness may be to bring about good in the life of another. Maybe it just isn't about you but about the good that God can bring about in the life of someone you hardly know or perhaps a complete stranger.

Our third consideration is found in James 2. James' real concern here is for the twelve tribes scattered abroad, the Jews scattered among the Gentiles. The dominant thought in Greek is to compartmentalize life. We do the same, saying things like, "I have many hats to wear". The parent hat, the spouse hat, the employee hat, the little league coach hat. Life neatly compartmentalized. I was at a men's conference once where we were told to keep work separate from our family life, to never bring work home with you. What happens at work, stays at work.  How wonderfully compartmentalized. But what a missed opportunity to have our families pray together for situations at work. Do we really want to set the example to our children that what happens at school stays at school? James has a better idea. It is called integration.  "But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18). For James, faith and works were not opposites or in conflict. They were to be integrated into life. Faith was not faith without faithful service. Belief was only valid if actions reflected words. Otherwise, faith is simply a dead idea of something believed. Faith without faithful actions would not exist in the mind of a Jew. Is that also true for you and me?

Our American/Western culture may keep us from seeing the true faith God has called us to. Faith  is to have faithfulness integrated into our lives. Faith, or faithfulness, is something that has a focus beyond ourselves and what we think we need. Faith that is more about what I do than how I think. It is who  I am, a faithful one. A child of God faithfully living out an Hebraic faith, grounded in the teaching of Yahweh and His Son, the Jewish Messiah.