Gimmie 3 Steps

A Christmas "Re-Post": Things I Need to Remember - Especially while Shopping

I Need to Be:
1. Grateful
2. Cross Focused
3. Scripture Stained

I. Grateful

Circumstances affect our lives and attitudes. We should not deny that this is true. But our lives do not have to be shaped by circumstances; our hearts do not have to be controlled by these things. Beginning each day with gratitude is difficult but necessary. It involves adjusting our perspective so that God’s goodness is in view – as opposed to our circumstances. (1 Tim. 6:6-8)

Some days our hearts may be heavy and only able to admit that God has given us life, but this is a place to begin. If we do not even acknowledge God’s life-sustaining power, then this lack of gratitude can lead to a totally self-focused day or (if left unchecked) way of living. If we begin with the basic truth that God has given another moment of breath and life, this act of gratitude can lead to the perspective shift that will enable us to continue throughout the day with a grateful heart, which should lead us to gratitude in other areas: family, friends, even employment and financial provision. (Is. 42:5; Ps. 150)

II. Cross-Focused

Connected to the need for a grateful perspective is the need to contemplate the cross. Dwelling on the significance of the cross – even if just for a moment – should lead us to a genuine sense of gratitude and humility. If our day is shaped by the thought that Christ the Lord, though the rightful king and God over all of humanity, humbled himself and served us best by his self-sacrifice, then we will be marked by this thought the whole day through. (Phil 2:1-11)

Looking at Jesus is like looking at a map before you leave on a trip. You really only know where you’re going once you’ve taken a good, hard look at the lay of the land. And you really only know what kind of person you are supposed to be by taking a good, hard look at the only person who was ever perfect at doing God’s business – the only person in whom God, the Father, was “well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)

III. Scripture-Stained

We see the cross of Jesus best through the scriptures. In the Old Testament, we see it anticipated. In the Gospels we see it carried out and glimpse the heart of Jesus. In the Epistles, we see its implications for life and application to the church. We should spend time reading the scriptures and bear the marks of our contact with these wonderful writings of God.

If we read and walk away without thinking any further about what we’ve read, then we have missed the point. We need to be stained by our contact with the bible like our fingers get stained from coming in contact with blueberries or engine grease. There should be evidence of what has touched us. We should be scripture-stained.

This means that we must ask for the Holy Spirit to remind us of what we’ve read throughout the day and help us to bring the truth of scripture to bear upon our lives, which will continue what we have begun in adjusting our perspective and by contemplating the cross. This will help us to be grateful and challenge us to live in “the way.” (Acts 24:14-16)

-wp

Christmas Banquet '08

Here are a few pics from the Triangle Brass concert at last night's Christmas Banquet:






Click HERE for more.

If you missed it, then you missed a great night!

The First Christmas Musical

Another Look at Luke 2:14

I hope this image doesn't resonate with you at all. I mean, you may like it, but I hope that it doesn't strike a chord in your understanding of what happened on the night Jesus of Nazareth was born. Look at Luke 2:14 again, including a couple of extra verses:

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

So, first off, angels are scary. One angel shows up in front of these shepherds, and they're terrified. Then, after the angel speaks to these men, a "multitude of the heavenly host" appears. So, before we imagine little girls with wings an halos singing a lullaby, let's stop to think about what it would mean to see "the host of heaven" and perhaps feel some of the dread excitement of these poor shepherds.

The word "host" has some difficulties, so let's use a better word, "brigade." That's right. Suddenly a regiment of heaven's brigade appeared. A section of God's army showed up and said something (once again, potential bladder issues here). Now, why are these angels usually depicted as singing? It could be that there's a decent reason. The text of Luke 2:14 reads like poetry. It has nice parallels and rhythm in the original language. So, it's possible it was sung (more likely chanted). But what kind of song is this? Please don't imagine that it was anything like children singing.

These are soldiers in God's army singing. And what kind of song does an army sing? A song of war. A battle cry. And THAT is the beautiful irony of this moment. This is the real crux of this passage.

Glory to God
in the highest,
And on earth
peace,
goodwill
toward men.

It's a song of war that talks of peace, that proposes something utterly bold - almost preposterous. God will get the glory of battle in his domain (the heavens) by bringing peace, from his own goodwill, to the domain of men (the earth).

How is this possible? How does it even make sense?

Go find the child in the manger.

Gloria

Goodwill Hunting

If you read more than one version of the bible, then you'll notice that - from time to time - there are more than just a few words that differ from one another. In Luke 2:14, we see that this is just what has happened. Two translations will show what I'm pondering here: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." KJV "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." NASB

That's a lot of extra words, so where are they coming from?

Well, there are quite a few technical issues surrounding the passage, but I would like to boil it down to this: the translations represent two traditions of thought. One tradition asserts that God's offer of peace through Jesus' birth is an offer of goodwill toward all people. The other tradition replies that God's offer of peace through the birth of Jesus only applies to some. In other words, Jesus only means peace to those upon whom God's favor rests.

That's - in many ways - an oversimplification of the issues, but it leads me to ask a couple of questions. Doesn't the birth of Jesus (God in the flesh, born into a world filled with undeserving people) represent an extension of goodwill - no matter how you cut it? Then, doesn't that extension of goodwill have an impact on everyone? In other words, if Jesus means peace at all, and if that peace has been extended to any person at all, doesn't that offer of goodwill have an impact on everybody?

I think so.

But I am willing to go one further. Jesus of Nazareth is God's goodwill offering to the whole world. His birth is God's initiative of hope, goodwill, good news, and peace for anyone who would accept it. Jesus, the Christ-Child in Bethlehem, is the extension of God's glory to undeserving humanity, and this action from a loving God demands a response: trust or refusal, worship or rebellion. We can find ourselves in the story if we wish - with Herod or with wise men, with shepherds or with tyrants. But the gracious offer of peace remains.

New Direction

I'm just going to start blogging random things. It seems that this is what I do best. So, for today:

VOCATION

I've been thinking a lot about vocation. That internal question and inkling of answer: "Where am I going in life? How will I get there? What am I 'supposed' to do?"

This question is especially interesting when it is posed in terms of the life of Jesus of Nazareth. When did Jesus understand his vocation? Was that understanding always fully present? From birth? From adolescence? When? How?

Again, we have questions and inklings of answers. He was in the synagogue as a youth asking astounding questions. He was acutely aware of John the Baptist's mission and went to him. There, Jesus was absolutely convinced of his own mission at his baptism, in the desert for 40 days, on the mount of Transfiguration, in Gethsemane.

Though all of these events point to confirmation, none point too far afield of our own experience in life. We certainly won't have the audible words of delight from God the Father, but we should surely expect moments of clarity, moments of assurance - but likely never a "writing in the sky" sort of epiphany where everything is abundantly clear from the cradle to the grave.

Vocation is a slippery thing. I wonder if the word 'vocation' or 'calling' is appropriate because it indicates a clear directive? Or is it appropriate because it indicates something less tangible: a voice from down the hall or from around the corner - always just audible, never quite perfectly clear? I wonder if God chooses this way for us because it means we must listen more intently and pray with ever increasing fervency.

I actually think the voice behind the vocation is intentionally soft.

Exodus 24 Outline

Lesson 8: Covenant Affirmation (Exodus 24)

A. Lesson Plan agenda
VII. Israel rejects a gracious invitation. (Ex 20:7-23)
VIII. Israel affirms the Covenant (Ex 24)
IX. God Instructs Moses on Worship (Ex 25-30)

B. Lesson outline:
Theme: God’s calls Israel into a Covenant relationship with Him.

1) Israel’s Representatives are Invited to Worship (24:1-8)
_a. (verses 1-2) Note the small party – compared to 19.13 (everyone!)
__i. Moses, alone, is to “draw near”
__ii. This is the result of Ex. 20 – the people withdrew…
__iii. But MOSES “drew near”

_b. (vv 3-8) Note the words of the people and the ritual of cleansing
__i. It’s similar to Exodus 19 (Affirm an intention, then prepare(
__ii. But it’s different. It’s a pledge of allegiance
__iii. Then they are cleansed in blood – not water.

2) Israel Affirms the Covenant (24:9-14)
_a. The Universal invitation has now become thoroughly representative
_b. The Priests, Elders, and Moses go up …
_c. And they see the God of Israel
_d. And they have a meal

3) Moses Goes Up Alone (24:15-18)
_a. This is sad. Only a small group of people approach God…
_b. Only Moses “draws near” to the presence of God…
_c. When it seems that God’s desire was for all of Israel to be near Him.
_d. It is sad…But look at this Grace. God gives a second chance a second invite.
_e. Look at the language of hope and renewal in these verses:
__i. V.16 – the cloud covered it six days…on the seventh…
__ii. V.18 – Moses was with God 40 days and 40 nights.
__iii. It’s a clean slate for Israel. Praise God he gives us a clean slate each day!

D. Notice in the Text:
1. Compare and Contrast Exodus 19: invitation, preparation, ascension.
2. The people respond in Exodus 24 with the same affirmation, “All that the Lord has said…”
3. The “All” in this instance is not the simple preparation of Ex 19, it refers to Exodus 21-23, the stipulations of right behavior.

E. Discussion starters:
1. Does Israel’s “second chance” for relationship and covenant give you hope in life?
2. The sacrifices that are offered are “young bulls,” a costly choice. Do you think of worship as costing you something? How much is worship worth to you?
3. Moses “goes it alone” at the end of this passage into a cloud of smoke and a “consuming fire.” Are these images typical of how you think of God’s presence? (See Hebrews 12:14-29)

Memory Verse: Hebrews 12:28-29

EV Sideline - Faith

Define "faith."

You think, "Oh, that's easy," but then you'll notice that you probably begin to stumble and stutter a bit as you try to spit it out. What is it? How can we define it?

These are important questions since we have met up with Abraham in the biblical narrative. If God's plan to deal with sin and evil is going to be channeled through Abraham, then it will pay great dividends to ponder the nature of faith for a moment. Why?

Genesis 15

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."2 But Abram said, "Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Abraham's faith (or belief) here elicits a response from God: approval, righteousness. Why? How? And what does this have to do with the issue of sin and evil?

Let's look at what is going on in the text...

God has already appeared to Abraham in Genesis 12, as we saw in the previous post, and assured him that He would bless him and use him as a key component in blessing the whole world. Abraham left his homeland and began to follow God on the basis of God's promise. Now, when he is faced with a challenge to God's promise, Abraham asks God a question: how can it be that I'm going to bless the whole world with my family when I don't have any children? God answers - assuring Abraham that he will uphold his promise. Abraham then "takes Him at His word," and God is pleased.

That's the basis of faith - taking God at His word, accepting His character and trusting His reputation. Abraham had already established a relationship with God; he was already getting to know Him. Based on the fact that God was someone that Abraham could trust, he accepted his message of reassurance and placed confidence in God's word. This was not a case of blind faith.

So, what does that mean for looking to the OT to understand a Biblical Theology of Evangelism? Well, thus far it means that sharing the gospel with someone must contain an encouragement for that person to get to know who God really is. Of course, the only way to do this is to encourage them to read the scriptures and begin to understand what God is like. It will be much easier for that person to take God at His word if that person is getting to know Him for who He is.

Back to Evangelism 3

Genesis 5-12 (A Fly By)

Genesis 5 continues the saga of human folly by giving a genealogy, but it also shows us that it is still possible to "walk with God" - to relate to Him and know Him (v. 24).

Genesis 6 shows God's sorrow for sub-human behavior (v. 6) and His intolerance of it, but it also demonstrates His desire to perpetuate His special creature and include Him in a very important plan.

Genesis 7 details the flood narrative.

Genesis 8 continues the narrative and clues us in on an important piece of information - that God would not curse the earth anymore. This implies that God's desire is to return things to their proper, original state.

Genesis 9 begins to unfold God's plan to deal with evil - there will always be "a reckoning" for sub-human behavior (v. 6). Also, God will perpetuate His creation for all time (v. 12).

Genesis 10 begins a new human history.

Genesis 11 gives us an insight on the nature of human communication and man's continual desire to acquire immortality and self-aggrandizement.

Genesis 12 begins a narrative that will become the "meta-narrative" for the rest of the Bible. It gives us insight into how God will deal with the issue of both evil and sub-human behavior.

Gen 12. 1-3
1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Can you see the plan?

Back to Evangelism 2

Genesis 3 and 4 give us the tragic results of what happened when man exercised his freedom of moral decision and chose to do what was right in his own eyes instead of choosing to be lovingly obedient to God.

First, we see that the humans are "enlightened" - their eyes are opened to a new reality. Next, we see that the humans have a different relationship with God. They are afraid of him. Then, we see the results of the decision. God explains the significance of the decision and pronounces judgment on the creature that tempted the humans to be disobedient in the first place. (This judgment speech in Genesis 3:14-15 is important - because it shows that this was not according to God's
design.)

If this were all the information that we had, it would be sad, but chapter 4 is very important in seeing the repercussions for human disobedience. We see in Genesis 4 the horrible result - the real curse that comes from disobedience: sub-human behavior. Cain, in premeditated, jealous rage, kills his brother. Now we see the problem. Humans were created to behave like God but, by choosing disobedience, they have introduced sub-godly and sub-human behavior: sin, murder. Instead of filling the earth with people who are lovingly obedient to God, the earth begins to be filled with rebellious, sinful people - the kind of people who will murder their own brothers. This becomes the legacy of man. But there is a plan in place...

Back to Evangelism 1

So, let's do something with all of this! (You may have already thought this a number of times along the way now, but here we finally are.) Also, I'm going to make these shorter.

THE DATA, (part 1)
Let's start with the big picture, shall we?

GENESIS 1-2
God creates the universe and is pleased with the outcome. He is especially pleased to have made a creature as his representative and to have given that creature responsibilities. God has given these creatures the following responsibilities:
1) Care for the planet (dominion, if you will)
2) Care for the garden (to keep and to tend)
3) Care for God's Desire and Design.
This last point is the most intricate. First, God gives humans the task of filling the earth with their children. These children would be like them - in a perfect state of communion with God. Second, God gives the man especially the job of keeping and tending in the garden. (It is interesting to note that the terms for keeping and tending in the garden become later used in a religious sense in ancient Hebrew religion. One was to keep and tend to the Torah.) Third, God gives humans the opportunity to obey. He places an option before them - do what I say is right, or do what is right in your own eyes. In fine, the humans were to obey God lovingly and to fill the earth with those who were also lovingly obedient to him.

Imagine that, if you will - an earth covered with people who care for the planet and care for one another because they lovingly obey the Creator of all things. This was God's design for the world. But what went wrong?

BT/E #6

So, we're back to where we started but with a new perspective - an inkling or a theory. Here's where it all comes together, and here's where we really have to focus on being a bit technical. When you're making a hypothesis (or coming up with a theory), you have to aim for a couple of things.

1) The theory must be based on the data. This sounds obvious, but it is commonplace to see (or hear, rather) theories that are based on nothing more than speculation. This is called guessing or even, in some cases, make-believe.

2) The theory must be as simple as possible. This does not mean that the theory should be simplistic or reductionist in any way. In other words, it shouldn't just generalize about the issue. It should, however, be as simple as possible.

3) The theory must account for all of the data. Here's where it gets tricky. When we establish theories about data, we tend to fudge on this or the previous area. We either make theories very complicated or we leave out data so that we can keep the theory simple. Either one of these is a misstep.

Time for examples:

I've been working through a couple of passages having to do with being "born again." Let's sort through the data and determine a theory. Typically, I like to sort data according to date - oldest to newest.

Ezekiel 36:23-30
23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord," says the Lord God, "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.

25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations.

There are key elements in this OT passage that will be "pulled together" in the end. For now, it is important to note the language of Exodus 19 in verse 28: "You shall be my people, and I will be your God." This is the language that was used at Israel's "adoption ceremony" on Mt. Sinai - where the official father/son relationship was established.

1 Peter 1:13-24
As we saw before, this passage involves the idea of being "born again." The main focus of the passage is the way that brothers and sisters in Christ should treat one another - how they should honor and respect one another out of a deep sense of gratitude. The phrases used in the passage are full of familial language and, at the height of the passage, the following appears: "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever."

Loving one another (as brothers and sisters) from a pure heart naturally follows from having had your entire heritage changed. You weren't born from a corruptible parentage but an incorruptible one. If your parentage is incorruptible, it only follows that your behavior should flow from that lineage. The purity of your behavior, then, should be intrinsic due to your change in parentage and family.

As far as the typical understanding of "regeneration" goes (in this passage), how is it that you have been "regenerated" yet you have "purified your own souls"? This could be a problem to work out theologically - unless, of course, there has been a category mistake. "Born again" does not mean "regenerated" in the theological sense. "Born again" implies something different - a change of parentage. How the change has occurred is not clearly spelled out. All we know for sure is that God's enduring, powerful message has brought it to pass.

Titus 3:1-8
A different word is used in Titus 3:5 for "born again," but there is a kinship of metaphor and similarity of language here that could constitute this passage as data to be included. When you look closely at the entire context, you can see interesting similarities to the passage in 1 Peter.

1. There is an emphasis on behavior in verses 1 and 8, particularly v. 8: "those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works." The motivation for this behavior - in both places - is God's grace.
2. There is the presence of familial language in verse 7: "having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Heirs are those people who have a direct paternal relationship to someone else.
3. There is an emphasis on purity here.

Again, this passage seems to be more about the familial relationship that has been obtained through Jesus than about a mysterious work of "regeneration" that catalyzes faith and belief. As I have said elsewhere, this does not mean that I am negating the possibility for this concept, I am just not certain that it can be justified from this passage. The emphasis on proper parentage seems to be the overriding concern here. Also, a matter that cannot be dealt with at this moment, there is the evidence of allusion to baptism and resurrection in the passage.

Matthew 19:28
This passage proves an important fact. Just because the same word is used in two places, there is no assurance that the word will be used in precisely the same way with precisely the same emphasis. This passage should not be included in the data, because it seems that Jesus is referring to the future resurrection and renewal of all things in his coming kingdom not to being "born again" in the sense that we are investigating.

John 3:1-21
Now, this passage is the last one that contains a clear reference to the concept of being "born again." It shares the same metaphor, though it does not share the same wording as the passage in 1 Peter or the passage in Titus. It clearly contains all the same key components of the passages above:

1. Verse 21 highlights good works that should be done by those who belong to God.
2. Familial language persists in the passage.
3. There is an emphasis on purity: water, spirit, light.

When you relate John 3 to the other passages and to Ezekiel 36, it seems to come into relatively clear focus. There was a need for Israel to be restored. As long as they were in exile, they had not been cleansed, restored, and "re-adopted." The evidence of this restoration was going to be the cleansing and renewing presence of God at work in the children of God. But this renewing presence was not an end in and of itself. The end-goal was to legitimize God's children by purifying their behavior - thereby bringing praise to God instead of shame (Ez 36:30).

Being born again is about being a true child of God - not by genetic birth or physical lineage but by the restoring grace of God at work in the life of a human being. This spiritual activity evidences the fact that they belong to God and bring honor to his name. The mechanics of how the renewing work of the Spirit is applied to an individual - or when it is applied - is nowhere explained. The fact of God's Spirit at work is the focus not the process of God's Spirit at work. The end result is that these passages and the subsequent theory of being born again are less complicated than one might expect.

1. Being born again is about having God as your true father.
2. Being born again is about living in a way that validates your legitimacy as his child and the goodness of his character.
3. Being born again is about a grateful heart, a humble life, and a love for ones family in Christ.

BT/E #5

It's been a while...But it's time to resume.

The last post discussed the data analysis part of the process. The next step is data collection, but data collection is not an end goal. Data collection is a necessary part of the process because it furthers the work of the collective process. What do I mean?

Look at the diagram again. It "recycles" its steps. Data collection serves the important purpose of providing a corrective to the primary ideas. You had an inkling that they were correct or incorrect in the beginning. By the time you finish analyzing the data from one text, you're ready to tweak your perspective as you look at other texts and analyze more data, especially if that data is related to the information in the previous passage. Ready for an example?

I should probably continue with the previous example, so I will. We were looking at John 3 and the concept of being born again. We saw that the primary notion that the text is pointing to involves a change of parentage, which could have implications for theological development (e.g. the doctrine of regeneration) but is primarily about one's family status
with God.

Alone, this data would just be an interesting case but with our ideas attuned to this new understanding, we are prepared to encounter another similar concept in 1 Peter. In this letter, the author uses the phrase, "born again" to describe his intended recipients. He does not use the same words as Jesus in John's Gospel, but look at the verse that contains this phrase, "having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever." (1 Pet 1.23)

Isn't it interesting that the phrase would be used in this way - born again into a different type of lineage - not a corruptible lineage but an incorruptible one. Again, this could have implications for the doctrine of regeneration, but the main idea of the text is that it seems to have something to do with a family relationship. It affirms a new relationship primarily. (The previous verses also speak of family connection having love for one's brothers, etc.)

These two passages, then, are collected together to clarify the ideas of these two passages. They help to bring one another into sharper focus. Make sense yet?