Go With God

The "Other side" of Spiritual Advancement Week

2011-10-02T05:07:00.001-07:00

My Bethany friends,

We are now on the “other side” of Spiritual Advancement. We are into the semester routine…and for many of us that might mean we have misplaced some of the realities we discovered just 10 short days ago. On this Sabbath, could we take just a few moments to reflect upon both the profound words that were shared and the effects in our lives of the movement of the Spirit in our midst. Question: Are you the same today as you were before Rev. Clint Ussher came to Bethany? Can you see yourself falling back into some of the same, possibly even more destructive habit patterns as before? May it not be so!

Think with me about John chapter 5. This passage depicts a beautiful story of Jesus’ care and compassion for the disabled of the world. But more than that, it’s a description of the wholeness that Jesus offers to all who hear His voice. Listen to the description of the event, “Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie-- the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. (ESV 5:2, 4)” Traditionally, as story is told, an angel would “stir up” the water in the pool and the first one to get in would be immediately healed. But the story goes on, “One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’”

Now, you might think that the answer to Jesus’ question is obvious. I mean, the man is in the right place isn’t he? He’s here, near the temple, waiting for a miracle, his miracle. But in actuality, Jesus is not simply asking a question, He is holding a mirror up to the man. How could a paralyzed man be the first to get in the pool? And he has been going through the same quasi-hopeful routine for 38 years. Maybe, just maybe, he is comfortable with the situation that he knows.

But what in actuality is Jesus asking him? Several translations word it this way, “Do you want to be healed?” (ESV) or “Do you want to be made well?”(NKJ, NASB, NIV). Neither word choice gets at the heart of Jesus’ question. Listen to my translation of the unusual word, “Do you want to be made whole?” This word occurs 11 x’s in NT; 9 in Gospels (Matt. 12:13; 15:31; Mark 5:34; John 5:6, 9, 11, 14f; 7:23; Acts 4:10; Titus 2:8). Outside of our use in John 5, the most revealing is in the passage concerning the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”(Mark 5:34 NIV)

Now, to John, the question Jesus is asking the man by the pool (and us) is this, “Do you want me to free you from what is destroying you?” Now, hear me carefully when I say, it’s not just his physical condition which is eating away at him. The man may not realize it but its more so his lack of faith that there will ever be any remedy. Moreover, we get even more insight into the man’s spiritual dilemma after his healing when “Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well!” (FYI, “well” is the same word we discussed above but this time in the perfect tense; “See, you are restored to wholeness”). But then Jesus goes on and says, “Sin no more that nothing worse may happen to you.’” Jesus explicitly states there are decisions that one can make which can return you to the same situation that you were in before Spiritual Advancement Week. Oh, please do not return but only go forward with the Presence of the Lord.

So, what will each of us do to keep from going back but rather to pursue Wholeness in our lives? First, “Align your lives with the means of grace God has put in your path.” For us here at Bethany, this is place before us every week.

How about being transparent and utterly open before God and others with your life.
How about the simplicity of reading a Psalm of Ascent (Psalm 121 for example) as you are walking to chapel. Prepare yourself for the meeting with God. Do not passively sit by the pool…but actively participate with Him. Expect to meet Him even before walking into the chapel.
Make sure in the busy-ness of your schedule you set aside time for personal Bible study or to meet for public and private prayer. So many people are gathering for prayer walks or times of corporate prayer. Why not engage with them in a pursuit of the high-calling of Christ. Moreover, make D-Group not just another “check” on your Day-Timer but an opportunity to calibrate your spiritual compass in the direction of how God would like to fashion your Soul to look just like Him!

Second, one true shortcoming of many folks today who are trying to overcome spiritual shortcomings in their lives is that they attempt to remain in the grace of God all alone. Just like the man in John 5, “I have no one to put me into the pool for healing.” So why not intentionally align yourself with a spiritual mentor or guide, someone who is farther along the journey than yourself, and knows that wholeness can be attained because they live it before you each day.

Lord Jesus,

May Your wholeness be what we seek.

May Your Spirit guide us on this journey.

May Your Body here on earth assist each of us.

May Your Image be re-created within our hearts.

May the pleasure of Your voice be what we long for, “For you are my beloved child, in you I am well-pleased.”

May we never stop short of anything less.

Amen.

Now, Go with God

Live in the "It-Is-Finished-ness" ... Graduation Address @ Bethany Bible College

2011-05-09T15:27:00.001-07:00

Dr. H.C. Wilson, President Gorveatte, fellow members of the faculty and staff, distinguished friends and family, and most of all, to you students;

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

My task this morning is two fold. First, to be short. Today is about you, individually and as a faith community.

Second, my job to assist you in the beginning stages of the oft times difficult transition from the life of being a student to that of being a minister in the marketplace,

what ever that may look like, and

where ever it may be.

So again I repeat to you; Grace and peace.

May, "Well done good and faithful student" be your watchword and song this day.

Yet at the same time, each of you are riding the crest of a major life transition. You are leaving the "Oh-so-familiar" world of being student. Each semester you receive a lengthy syllabus for every class. Your faculty has predetermined all of your course assignments and their corresponding due dates. And as each of you know, the faculty spend countless hours strategizing on how to make all of your assignments and tests due at exactly the same day!

In the end, for the last 16-18 years, your life-decisions have been in the hands of another.

May I hear an "Amen" that this will no longer be the controlling force in your life?

From here on out, you will make all the decisions.

For example,

· It will be up to you whether Chapel or its real-world equivalent, the Church will be the central spiritual focus of your week.

· It will be up to you to be proactive when it comes to your own spiritual growth. Will you make time to establish and personally invest in your own self-styled D-group? I pray that you will seek brothers and sisters in Christ to keep you accountable to the Scriptures and to live a vibrant life of faith

· It will be up you if you ever pick up a book again, either for fun or to feed your soul so you can feed others.

From here on out, you will make all the decisions.

Since your life will no longer be driven by a series of syllabi and assignments and due-dates; here is my question for this morning,

· What will become the new driving force in the formation of your Day-Timer entries?

The reason I phrase the question this way is quite simple, what you invest your time in, is truly what you value.

May I suggest a source for your decisions? Yes, of course you all would shout out "the Bible" and you would be correct. But I wanted to give you a special gift this morning of a place to turn that will give you the heartbeat of our Lord for making ministerial decisions. The Scripture that you just heard read by Aisha, David, and Joshua is what biblical scholars call "Jesus' High Priestly Prayer." But this morning, they are wrong. Today, this is the prayer that Jesus prayed over the first class of graduates from His "School of Extreme Discipleship."

If you look carefully, John chapters 13-16 are what might be termed the "final classroom instruction" of Jesus. It is during these last few hours that Jesus prepares them for their lives of faith and ministry without Him as their teacher. Hummm, life without an incarnate instructor? Does that sound familiar to your situation in life?

Remember, in the first 12 chapters of John, Jesus teaches openly for all to hear; every kind of person in every imaginable public arena. Then in John 13, He initiates His private teaching to them beginning with an object lesson of love. The teacher washes the feet of His students. He sets the tone for all that will follow in the rest of His teaching with this humbling act of self-denial. And may I make a simple observation about this passage? In the first half of the Gospel of John Jesus has repeatedly said, "I only do what I have been shown by the Father." So, if I ask you where did Jesus learn to wash feet? The answer is simple, Jesus learned this from the Father. Thus, the act of foot-washing is not what the teacher does; it is precisely who He is.

As Jesus copies the life of the Father…May you copy exactly the same in your life and ministry. And, as a word of encouragement, there is no threat of plagiarism in copying Jesus word for word…and act for act. What an honor to reflect the Imago Dei; the image of God to a lost world with filthy feet.

It was how the Father served the Son. It was how the Son taught the disciples. Then Jesus instructed, "A new commandment I give to you, Love one another as I have loved you."

I now longer call you students, but friends. And "May a Basin and a Towel become ministry tools which allows the Lord to use you in demonstrating His love throughout the world."

We move from John 13 to John 17. Please notice how Jesus' teaching ends or I would argue, climaxes as Jesus prays. May I say that again; Jesus prays. At every major decision in Jesus' life, we find Him praying.

· At his baptism.

· At the selection of His disciples.

· At His transfiguration.

· At the Last Supper.

· In the Garden of Gethsemane.

· And most profoundly, On the Cross.

And in our passage this morning, His students overhear how He talks to His Heavenly Father about them. And, if you were listening closely, Jesus is also praying for His future students as He said; "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message." In this prayer, each of you were interceded for by Jesus. Your first graduation prayer came from the very lips of Jesus Himself, nearly 2,000 years ago. He anticipated this day for you. He celebrates with you as well.

One commentator on John 17 says, What Jesus talks to the Father about could be called, "Listening in to the conversation at the very Center of the Universe." It's God talk, and Jesus continues as our teacher by allowing us to overhear.

The early church worded it this way, Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi.

Literally, the phrase means "the law of prayer [is] the law of belief."

Let me translate this into our contemporary language, simply put, "What you pray is what you believe." The contents of our prayers are the very things that we value the most. I call this term our 'lived-out theology.'

Thus, if I want to know what Jesus believed and practiced and valued, simply look at what He prayed; for that is His "lived-out theology."

Similarly, if I want to know what you value the highest; let me overhear you in prayer. Let me read your prayer journal. What are the very things that you bring to the Father?

May I urge you (please allow me to employ the Pauline word), may I urge you to carefully select the matters which you pray for; for they are truly what you believe, what you desire for God Himself to do in and thru you.

May I urge you to adopt John 17 as your new life-syllabus.

For, if this passage indeed verbalizes what was important to Jesus in His last hours on earth…

For, if it was indeed a conversation at the very center of the universe…

Would it not be a great starting point with which to fashion your own "lived-out theology." As I have studied and carefully moved through this passage I have found numerous core principles Jesus is teaching us regarding His "lived-out theology."

But, you do not need me to lead you thru John 17. For you have been trained to read and exegete scripture; you have had an almost unlimited number of opportunities to apply scripture personally and also to proclaim it from a pulpit…but would you allow me to simply to whet your appetite, let me give you one example of how this might be employed…then I will leave the rest up to you for your life-long learning.

Listen to the beginning of Jesus' prayer in John 17: "Father I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do."

May I urge you to live and minister within the "It-is-Finished-ness" of Christ. (Thank you Darrell Johnson for your book title)

The Greek word for "complete" is the verb "teleiow" which is often translated as "finished." The initial words of Jesus' prayer are that He wants to bring God glory on earth by "finishing" His work. This prayer is of course a foreshadowing of Jesus' final cry from the Cross in John's Gospel, "It is finished."

Specifically, what is finished? This would include His work of reconciliation, of adoption, of sacrifice, of suffering, of abandonment, of forgiveness. For you as ministers, remember, Jesus is doing this work NOT you.

PLEASE listen to me carefully apply this text to your lives, this was His work.

This is so much more than an exegetical exercise.

For either we learn to live in the "it-is-finished-ness" or you will try to complete what you think or you feel is lacking in the work of God.

If the work that Jesus has completed actually brought Glory to God, should we tamper with it? Should we add to it? Or should me simply marvel in it? Hear me, IT IS Finished.

All of you graduates have completed your internship. And you know only too well that when you take all the cares of the world and the burden of ministry upon yourself; it is exhausting beyond belief. Hear me, IT IS Finished.

Everything that needs to be done in order for us as broken, sinful people to be re-created in His image and to enter into and enjoy life and ministry with the Living God has been finished.

Our task is to enter in. And to invite the world to come in as well; not to fix ourselves or them. That's the Work of God. Hear me, IT IS Finished.

What would a life be like that did not cause you to strive to constantly find the approval of others? Do you recall over the last 4 years the number of times you turned in a paper to a professor and then began to worry about what he/she would think of you when they read it? What would life be like, if you did not become overwhelmed with what people thought about you? Hear me, IT IS Finished

What would life be like, if you did not have to strive to please God? To prove your worthy-ness? Hear me, IT IS Finished.

Please, may I urge you to enter into the "It-is-Finished-ness" of Christ.

This is a "lived-out theology" worth living!

In the ensuing days, Post-graduation that is; I beg of you to sit at the feet of your flawless teacher Jesus. Begin in John 13. Allow Him to show you your ultimate worth as He humbly steps from the throne, picks up a basin and towel, and washes away the grime of sin and cleanses you.

Then, search John 17. Listen to what Jesus says to the Father. Listen in to the conversation at the Center of the Universe…so you can fashion your own "lived-out theology" not based upon convenience or creature comforts, but upon Kingdom values that are utterly time-less and God-breathed.

I no longer call you students, but friends.

This is the way Kingdom friends talk to one another. Welcome to ministry.

A Theology of Sponge-Bob

2010-10-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

A "Go with God" Moment

Friends, last week we were talking about what it means to simply "listen and obey." But in all practicality, there is nothing simple about this. If so, we would never have an inner struggle of faith plus there would be no disobedience in the Christian world.

So, what is so hard about listening? Maybe I can paint a spiritual metaphor that will define the overall problem. And I will do it in the form of a theological question. "What would make Sponge-Bob Square-pants a poor follower of Christ?" Go ahead, say it out loud. Right, "He has no ears." How can he listen if he has no ears? In essence, he is a spiritual blockhead. But that is nothing like us, right?

Read with me Psalm 40:6-8 …and let's create a "Theology of the Ear."

Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have pierced;
Then I said, "Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart."

Several years ago a male student burst into my office with Psalm 40 in his hand. He shouted, "I have all the biblical evidence I need. See, even God approves my ears being pierced." Now, he was trying to find scripture to justify to his parents that they should approve his desire to get his ears pierced. He read the text as if this act would be his offering to the Lord. I tried to convince him that he had unknowingly taken the passage out of context. For the NIV does a strange job of translating the Hebrew word kara. He was assuming this passage was referring to the act of faithfulness that a servant/slave does for his master by making a lifetime commitment by having his ear pierced. (See Ex 21:6; Deut 15:17). His only problem; it's the wrong Hebrew word.

The word "pierced" in Psalm 40 is a rarely used in the OT and it refers quite specifically to a cistern being dug out (Gen 26:26Num 21:18). The noun form of the word actually means "well" or "cistern." What the passage is describing is straightforward; we are human SpongeBobs. We have hands and feet (and are often found to be equally poor dressers). But worst of all, we have no real ears to hear the voice of God. Offering and sacrifices do not help in any way. God's words still falls on deaf ears. Furthermore, it will take a divine act of grace to fashion ears on the side of our heads that will hear anything above the earthly noise that fills our daily life. Our ears are only capable of hearing the within the auditory range of what I would call "daily distraction."

The Gospels report the same hearing disorder to Jesus disciples. After they have witnessed countless miracles and sat under His teaching for years, Jesus sadly says to them, "Do you still not see or understand. Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see? Do you have ears but fail to hear? (Mark 8:17-18)

We are no different. Maybe we are even affected with a worse disease; for they all lived pre-Cross and pre-Resurrection. Our deafness is rejecting the full revelation of God. Plus, what honor or praise are we giving to a speaking God if there are no human ears to hear?

So, may I now ask you a serious question? This very day, will you allow the Lord, the Divine Physician Himself to do a serious act of spiritual surgery on you? Will you let Him fashion a whole new set of ears for you? Will you permit Him to dig out and excavate your old deaf ears and replace them with ones that are capable of hearing even the gentlest whisper of the Spirit? Does your heart long to hear the voice of the Father, with clarity?

Lord,
We desire to want what You want.
We pray for hearts to be shaped after Yours.
But Jesus, that may only begin when we can hear Your Word.
So begin with me this very day.
Use a divine instrument (Heb 4:12-13) and provide us with the ability to hear You.
We pledge to quiet all competing voices and distractions.
We promise to incline our lives in Your direction.
Now, Lord, heal our ears, dig deep into the recesses of our souls.
We long to hear…and obey.
Amen.

Now, Go with God

Simply "Listen" and Say "Yes" in Advance

2010-10-17T07:48:00.001-07:00

A "Go with God" moment

Last week, we discussed the issue of finding and obeying God's will. In my mind, the term, "God's will" sounds just a bit distant and disconnected. As if "His will" is something God keeps hidden from us and we have to wrestle Him for it, much like Jacob at Bethel. Can I change that paradigm for you, because I do not think anything could be farther from the truth. What if we made the statement just a bit more relational…I want us to learn to hear God's voice.

A great place to start would be the key parable in each of the Synoptic Gospels. Take just a minute and read Mark 4:1-9

Jesus began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,

Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing,
some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.
And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Often when I hear sermons preached or Bible Studies done on this passages, the discussion circles about the call of this passage to be "good soil." But there is nothing explicit about this in the parable. There is only one imperative Greek verb in the whole passage. Sorry to sound like a Greek geek but in actuality there is only one command in the entire parable, its found in the word, LISTEN. The hallmark of being a Christ follower is simply listening to His voice. Let's not make this more complicated than it is; just listen. As a matter of fact, the parable begins and ends with the same call; use your ears and listen. But that takes us to the next step, the implication to obey.

Now once we have the "listening thing" clear in our minds…let's read one of the best know passages, Romans 12:1-2.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

As you probably know, this is a power packed passage, worth pondering and carefully exegeting. But let's  focus our attention to the clear cause-and-effect description given by the Apostle Paul. He is saying this, First, present your bodies as a living sacrifice (somewhat of an oxymoron)…then you be able to prove what the will of God is.

Think about this question, "Why you want to know the will of God?" Be honest with yourself. Most people ask to know the Lord's will so that they can ponder if they like what He is asking of them…or even worse, if they even want to obey. Let me make this as clear as I can, our task is not to consider the option of obeying or even mull over what part we like or will consider doing. Our act of faith is just to say, "Yes Lord Yes." So, if you really want to know the Lord's will, just say YES…and then ask Him what we have agree to. Simply, sign on the dotted line and then follow Him as the faith contract begins to be written in your daily walk.

Finding the Will/voice of God is just saying YES, in advance of knowing what it is. That is true faith…and it will make your life so much easier to live. Temptations to disobey will cease to become a part of your walk, because you have already agreed to His will.

Lord,

Give us ears to hear and hearts that are undivided towards Your will

Jesus, give us a holy walk which resembles Yours.

Amen

Now, Go with God (and keep listening…and say "Yes" when we hear)

After the Music Stops, That's When I Live My Song

2010-10-03T11:16:00.001-07:00

My new, and deeply growing Bethany friends.

Several years ago, as I was stepping out of the classroom and into more of an administrative roll, Dr. Keith Drury suggested that if I was concerned with losing my level of influence with students, I should begin writing to them a weekly "open-letter." Thus, I started writing about my musings of life and my exegetical insights in the Word. It was affectionately titled, Go with God, since those are the last three words I pronounce over you as you would walk out of my classroom.

So, once again, I find myself without a classroom. Thus, I have no convenient place to share my insights. So I was wondering if I could think of you as my sounding board? (Wikipedia defines sounding board this way: A structure placed above or behind a pulpit or other speaking platform that helps to project the sound of the speaker.) Perfect. Will you help me refine and project my engagement with the Lord?

So, here I … Go with God.

Years ago (yes, 1992); Christian music artist Darly Coley wrote a song entitled, "When the Music Stops." The opening line goes like this,

When the music stops, that's when I live my song…

That thought kept coming to mind all this last week since we are in our first week, post-Spiritual Advancement. The music has stopped, the services are over and the Lord is asking us to daily walk in the freedom we received and to live out the commitments we made. This seems to so easy to do while basking in the glory of the moment but Oh so hard in the mundane routine of Monday through Friday. Might I add, this was no easier for the disciples as they walked with Jesus than it is for you and me.

Let's start with reading Mark 9:2-13 It's OK, I'll wait for you.

In this story we find the discipleship inner-circle of Peter, James, and John on Mt. Transfiguration, and Jesus is displayed to them in all of His radiance. Peter, in his typical "speak-first-think-second" style says, "Rabbi, It is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

My first observation is that Jesus, in His wonderfully graceful way, does not respond to Jesus' impulsive statement but rather the Gospel writer Mark interjects his inspired insights with a subtle parenthetical comment

(Peter did not know what to say, they were so frightened).

Simply, Peter did not know how to react or even worse, how to integrate this mountaintop experience into his normal everyday life. And his immediate response was, let's just do away with the day-to-day monotony and instead, stay here and worship 24/7. Let's just make everyday a Sabbath day.

Notice how second comes a divine revelation clothed in a theophony (define this as a God-moment). A cloud descended and a voice appeared. If you were a good first-century Jew, this would remind you of the Giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, (see Exodus 20). The voice of the Father comes and speaks directly to the three disciples, "This is my Son whom I love, Listen to Him!"

So what does this have to do with determining the Lord's will for everyday life! (This is the application part). First and foremost, just listen to Jesus. Please do not think that the "art of listening" is isolated to your ears. In every language "the act of listening" implies obedience, making this just as much a matter of the heart. So please, never say, "I heard from God, yet I decided to act differently." That, my friends, is called open rebellion.

Second, (and I love this part) listening does not demand that you fully comprehend all the implications of what Jesus means. For example, as the disciples are coming down the mountain, Jesus told the disciples "not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead?" (9:9). And they discussed "what this rising from the dead" meant. What a relief that is! I do not need to fully comprehend every single theological and practical nuance of Jesus' teaching to find and follow His will. I merely need to listen. Life has just become so simple

So you might ask, what do we as a Bethany Community do following Spiritual Advancement week? How do we find and follow God's will after we come down from the mountain? Well, we start with our ears (and heart). But of course there is more and I'd like to take the next several weeks and discuss in detail, finding God's will…and of course, implementing this into the fabric of our community.

Next week, after we hear, to know God's will, we simply say YES.

Lord,

Again and again in Your Word, you call "those with ears to hear"

So please tune our ears to hearken to Your voice.

Help fashion our ability to listen as You speak

Shout, speak, or whisper; we are here.

Your Word originally was a creative act,

So, in our lives, please make this a re-creative work of grace.

Amen

Now, Go with God (and keep listening)

Not a "Walk" in the Park

2010-09-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

Friends,

I needed to share a few closing words after chapel this morning. First, you have all made Angie and me feel so welcome. There is nothing lacking in the way you have reached out and blessed us. Most of you know, when you move, it just takes time to “find your place.” You need to learn the routines and rhythms of where you are, and there is no way to speed up the process. Angie and I are amazingly resilient and patient but we are simply in the Lord’s waiting room. Thanks so much for the love you have expressed just upon us!

Second, when I preach, I usually have about two hours of material that needs to be edited down to a reasonable length sermon. There are just a few things that I would like to express to you that have become recently real to me. When I was talking about the “Way” that Jesus wants you to follow, you know that Jesus is talking specifically about the way of the Cross, the way to Jerusalem, the way of humility. Now, this may seem a but disconcerting and almost frightening. But discovering the “Way” is not like jumping into icy cold water. Rarely is it a jump right in and take a class here at Bethany in Martyrdom 101. Jesus has this wonderful plan that is usually reveled to His followers in baby steps. He simply asks you to stretch just a bit and lean into the direction His voice. And before you know it, you find yourself standing right next to Him and He has taken you from where you are tonight right into a “table set before me in the presence of my enemies (Psalm 23). And to your utter surprise, faithfulness in the little things places you in leadership over many.

Someone was asking me this afternoon about finding His will. “Precisely how do I find the Lord’s way?” was the question. For me the easiest answer is found in Romans 12:1-2, where Paul writes,

“I urge you, brothers [and if Paul was writing today, he would most certainly include “and sisters”] in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Did you read carefully the cause-and-effect relationship in the passage? When we make a decision in advance to offer ourselves to God then we will know what His will is! Our real problem is that our decision-making process usually functions in the reverse. We tell God to reveal His will then we decide if we will obey. In honesty, if we are pondering whether or not to obey God, we are already in serious trouble. Liking or disliking God's will is not the question. Faith is always the correct response. Just say, "YES" in advance of knowing where we are going. To walk in the Kingdom “way”, we must order our lives (and decisions) according to His Kingdom values. And being a Christ-follower means that we will do so even before we know His will...maybe the reality is that saying "YES" is actually the forerunner of discovering His will!

So, if you want to know His way, just follow Him…go wherever He goes…make every turn and every course adjustment. And make that promise in advance of even knowing where you are going. There is no better way to life than a “road-trip” with the Lord. And I promise you something in advance...He will transform your heart to love the journey you are on. Angie and I are on an adventure of a lifetime. Yes, some days I am uncomfortable and often somewhat unnerved...but I would not trade this trip with Jesus for all the silver and gold in the world. Just thought I would share that with you this evening, cause you all are on the same train with us!

Now, Go with God!

A Blessed Start

2010-09-08T04:03:00.001-07:00

My new Bethany friends and fellow travelers on the path of faith (especially all you students),

As the time of preparation recedes and the reality of the new academic year comes to the forefront…would you let me expound just a bit on the profound power of a “blessing?”
Listen…
Then he (Jesus) led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. ⁵¹ While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. ⁵² And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³ and were continually in the temple blessing God. (Luke 24:50-53)

What you just read are the closing words in Luke’s Gospel. Some might call them at best transitional verses; as you move from teaching and action Jesus in the Book of Luke (Volume 1) to the on-going teaching of Peter and Paul in the Acts of the Apostles (Volume 2). However, I find it quite interesting that the final act of Jesus on earth was to lift up his hands and to bless his followers. I wonder what the actual blessing consisted of. Was it done principally in words, like a pastoral benedictory prayer at the end of a worship service…or do you think Jesus’ final blessing was more physical in nature, taking on the form of a first century “Holy Kiss.” This might translate into our culture as a warm and endearing hug. You know the kind I mean. Not a mere handshake but an encounter that stays with you for a while. I have to imagine that the final “blessing” which Jesus gave to His disciples was perfectly chosen for each one of them; unique to meet each personal need. Moreover, I trust that this blessing lingered in the air as a sweet-smelling fragrance, propelling them forward to worship Him and then to offer in the Temple their own blessing.

In actuality, let me try to demonstrate how this action of Jesus serves as God’s wondrous climax to the book of Luke as a whole. Think with me how the Gospel of Luke opens. You find yourself temporally located not in the days of Jesus but Luke describes the times as; “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah” (Luke 1:5). Zechariah is entering the Temple to offer an incense offering; with all of Israel just outside; praying as they are waiting to hear that God has accepted Zechariah’s sacrifice on their behalf (Luke 1:10). But (and I should put “BUT” in all caps), as the angel Gabriel comes and delivers to Zechariah a message of hope (his wife’s shame will be removed by the birth of their son John the Baptist); Zechariah shows no faith to the words from God’s messenger (Luke 1:18). So, the result of Zechariah’s faithlessness is that he is struck speechless. A pastor unable to speak!

Let me relate the consequences of Zechariah’s faithlessness and how it impacts Israel. The role of the priest as he exits the Temple is to hold his hands up and pass on the Lord’s blessing to the people. The traditional words would be the priestly benediction which comes from Numbers 6:23-26;
This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Can you now see how Jesus’ blessing at the end of Luke’s Gospel is nothing short of a divine answer to a human problem? What Zechariah could not do for Israel because of his lack of faith (bless them); Jesus performs after his demonstration of perfect faith in trusting God with his life on the cross. What the priests of Israel could not do, Jesus fully blesses His followers.

How does this relate to us here and now on the eve of a new semester? Well, one example is cemented in my mind. God’s Son has fully prepared you for this next step in your journey.
·     Some of you are first semester freshmen, concerned if you have the “right stuff” to make it at BBC. Please, sense the call of God on your life and know that the very blessing of our Savior is being bestowed upon you, even as you read this note...or maybe tomorrow in class…or in Chapel on Thursday as President Gorveatte speaks and we share together in Holy Communion.
·     Some of you are returning students and you know all too well the routine of the days and weeks of the semester. But will you take a serious personal inventory and ask the Lord of the Harvest to make you fully aware of the needs of others right around you. May you please extend a hand of blessing into the hearts and lives of the BBC community who are less comfortable in our surroundings?
·     Finally now, you seniors. You are entering into your final months among us. We will soon entrust you in a six-month internship in which you will be expected to pass on the blessing of God to others. Please do not attempt to do this on your own. Allow the blessing to originate with Christ and merely allow Him to use you as a broken vessel filled with His love. Maybe this semester, this first week, this very moment; you will sense His hands upon you and the blessing of God to infuse you in a whole new way. Remember, preparation for ministry is not only academic knowledge and practical training but it consists of the Hand of God reaching down to us in

Now, remember, the end of Luke is really the end of the beginning; for the entire Book of Acts follows. In the same way, please sense Jesus’ blessing on your life this very first day of the Fall 2010 semester.

Lord
Today, as we go about our regular daily tasks;
May we sense Your divine blessing.
May it be found in our classes, and in our hallway and in our dorm room conversations;
May during our meals, may we break bread and may our eyes be opened to who you are.
May Your blessing be heard in our service to others or in the reception of grace from a friend.
In all we do, may we sense your blessing.
Most of all Lord, if there is an absence of Your blessing;
May You call us back to Yourself, to the place where Your voice and touch is most clear.
Amen

Now, today, and forevermore…Go With God.

A Bethany Introduction

2010-08-13T12:31:00.001-07:00

My soon-to-be Bethany friends; (This includes faculty, staff and especially students);

I only have one opportunity to make a first impression. So, how will I do this? Jesus’ first words were often, “Do not fear, it is I!” That would be just a bit over the top for my taste, and a little intimidating. Paul almost always began his letters with the phrase, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Certainly theologically correct, but somewhat awkward when you are greeting a complete stranger, don’t you think? Plus, in my estimation, one’s first words should reflect the character and core values of the person. So here goes…

Hi. My name is Dave. And I am a sinner saved by grace. Now, that may sound more like an opening introduction at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting than a new Academic dean greeting the students he is called to serve. I apologize. I do not mean it that way. I mean it as a testimony to the radical love of the Father who sent Jesus to meet me right where I was. For indeed, I did have a serious drinking and drug problem, well into my 20’s. That was until a young woman (who I was seriously pursuing) told me about a man named Jesus. Can you imagine living in North America and not knowing who Jesus was? In the midst of my relentless pursuit of her, she told me she would go out with me “If I went to church with her.” Well, I did, and the rest is history. That young woman is Angie, and this August 22^nd we will celebrate 29 years of marriage. Can you imagine what it is like for me to wake up each morning and look at her, knowing that she was the one who changed the course of my life. I am a sinner saved by grace, redeemed by His love, filled to overflowing and enamored with serving wherever He wishes.

This leads to the real question, “How does a dean from Indiana Wesleyan University find himself soon to arrive at Bethany Bible College?” Well, some mornings I ask myself the same thing. The answer is very simple. It is housed in the theological term, “call.” It was the compelling voice of God who spoke to Angie and to me; jointly and at separate times in prayer, assuring us that Bethany Bible College was the place where His Presence would be to meet us and sustain our ministry. I see our move to Bethany as the next step in our life-long spiritual adventure with the Lord. We are simply affixing our “Yes” to God’s call.

However, you might be interested in “when” we precisely made the decision to come to Bethany. The journey began as follows. President Mark Gorveatte first contacted us via an email on May 11^th. We corresponded and talked several times in the ensuing weeks. But our youngest daughter was getting married on July 3^rd, and we did not think we had the emotional capital to seek out a faithful Bethany decision and a wedding at the same time. But Angie and I remembered what we said to the Lord five years earlier, “Jesus, when our children have graduated college and on their own, we will go anywhere.” So we asked, “Lord are you in this?” Now, fast-forward thru a visit to Sussex, the last two weeks of wedding plans, and the wedding itself. We were emotionally bankrupt. The Sunday after the wedding we were sitting in a small upstairs room in our home with our son and daughter-in-law. We were filling them in on all the “Bethany happenings.” I turned to my son Joshua and asked for his advice, “Is this a go or no-go decision?” He was caught in the emotion of the moment and began to cry. He lives only 30 miles away and loves to come home on weekends. He said clearly, “I do not want you to go! But Dad, you and Mom said ‘Yes’ to God 29 years ago, are you really going to start saying ‘no’ now?” Out of the mouth of my son came the decision. We just want to walk with the Presence of God. Divine fingerprints were all over this move. Now you know our story…but when you arrive on campus this fall, I look forward to meeting you and hearing how God graciously brought you to Bethany. May this fall be one of testimony about the Lord’s faithful call upon us all!

So, we will arrive in Sussex in late August. We have several prayer requests which I would ask you to carry with us. First, we would sincerely like to see our home sold before we leave. But, it is His house, so we will leave that to Him.Second, our son Joshua is looking for a full-time teaching job in and around Indianapolis. There have been hundreds and hundreds of teacher layoffs in the area, so this will also take a divine act. Third, please pray for the myriad of good-byes to scores of friends and family. We have lived in the Midwest almost all of our lives, so the next few weeks will be filled with tears, long hugs, and emotion-laden meals. Finally, Angie is the best mother I have ever met (apologies go to all the other mothers in the world; I’m simply hooked on her). She will be leaving our two children; Joshua in Indiana and Hannah in Wisconsin. When we arrive in Sussex, we will be in need of surrogate children. Thus, we look forward to jointly serving one another. Simply put, in the Body of Christ, We need each other. Angie and I cannot wait to meet you.

For an early intro, check me out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=161503697

And Angie as well: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=651385782&ref=ts

Or to get a taste of my interaction with students, try http://go-with-god.blogspot.com/

In Jesus' joy,

Rev. David F. Smith, Ph.D

Academic Dean – VP Academic Affairs

Bethany Bible College - www.bethany-ca.edu

SmithD@BBC.ca

An Inadequate Good-bye but an Eternal Thank You

2010-08-02T06:54:00.001-07:00

My heart-felt friends and former students;

I am sitting in my office on a rainy Saturday morning drafting this letter to you. Everyone knows that in the process of writing, you have the opportunity to create a first draft and then re-work the material through careful crafting, until you get the content and the form just right. But when we speak face-to-face, we only get one stab at it. Since you know that I am a man of story and personal interaction, I’m going to write this letter in one “take” and imagine each of you is sitting in front of me. We are drinking coffee (of course), and I will write as if I am speaking to you directly,

The last 10 years have been the most rewarding of my entire life. From the first day on this campus, I have sensed that all my life experience (business and ministerial) has been preparation for what transpires here at IWU. To say this is a labor of love would be a complete understatement. Moreover, our time here also has been a wonderful dovetailing of Angie’s gift-mix with mine. As I work you to death with exegesis after exegesis, she tenderly brings you into our home and nurtures you back among the living. She has also mentored scores of young women, assisting them to answer the question, “What does it mean to be a Christian woman after IWU?”

BUT, (and you knew a “but” was coming); the Lord has clearly opened up a new opportunity for us. Five years ago, Angie and I told the Lord, once our children have completed their education and are gone from our direct care, we will go anywhere. Well, His timing is impeccable. On July 3^rd we married our youngest daughter (Hannah) to her new husband Brian and on July 6^th we accepted a call to move to Sussex New Brunswick (Canada). I will hold the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs at Bethany Bible College (a sister Wesleyan institution of IWU). Please know that this was the most difficult decision I have ever made in my life. We are leaving so many people that we love (which includes each one of you!). But as Angie and I walked through the decision making process, we discovered God’s fingerprints everywhere and His voice was beaconing us forward.

May I tell you one incident among many where His Spirit was whispering to us. I was planning on teaching the Book of Romans this fall at IWU. And Angie wanted to audit the class. So in preparation, we had both been doing our devotions from Paul’s great letter. Every day since the beginning of March, we had been reading and re-reading Romans. In mid-May we were contacted by the president of Bethany, Rev. Mark Gorveatte, about the possibility of coming to serve at Bethany. We prayed and prayed, and though it seemed like a good fit, Heaven remained silent to us. Without the blessing of God and the certainty of His Will; I was not going to move forward with the process. One morning in early June (after devos in Romans) I went upstairs to write to President Gorveatte detailing our struggle with this decision. I wanted him to know the honor of simply being considered but without a confirming word from the Lord, we had to say, “No.” I finished the letter with these words;

“In the end, I am looking for God’s blessing and for His peace. I do not see this as testing the Lord but trusting in the assurance of His abiding Presence that goes with His people as they faithfully explore uncharted territory with Him (Ex 33:15-18). And I desperately want to see His Glory.”

I read the letter aloud to Angie before sending it. When I came to this last line, about our desire to mimic Moses in the pursuit of God’s Presence, Angie began to cry. When I asked her why, she simply said, “Today, for the first time in months, I read outside of the Book of Romans. This morning, I felt lead to read Exodus 33 and sensed we need to settle for nothing less than the Glory of God in our lives.” We took this as a whisper of the Holy Spirit in our ears to let Him take us by the hand on this journey. After a brief time of crying together in divine awe and wonder, I added this final line to the letter to President Gorveatte:

“So, we will lean forward (or at least towards the North East) on our part here, pursuing God’s fresh call to Bethany. However, if it be His will that I receive a refreshing of my call here at IWU, that would be perfect. Either way, I sense that God is clearly up to something in my life and I do not want to miss His will, ever!”

Well, our pilgrimage with Jesus is still being written. We visited Bethany and sensed God confirmation. We will be moving at the end of August. I sincerely apologize that I will not be able to give you an adequate goodbye. It’s been through our investment in you that Angie and I have also been transformed. We are not the same people as when we arrived at IWU 10 years ago. We have been shaped and molded by our relationship with you. We should not be surprised…neither should you…listen to how 1 John prepares us for this:

If we (plural) walk in the light, as he is in the light, we (plural) have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us (plural) from all sin. (1John 1:7 NIV).

Simply, God’s work of transformation is done in the company of fellow travelers. And the friends He has placed me in fellowship with over the last decade will never be forgotten.

Thus, I extend to you an eternal thank you for all that you have done for me. Certainly, I owe my life to Jesus. But I also give you thanks as friends. And I use that endearing term “friend” in the same way that Jesus does in John 15 when He says,

“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.”

Please Lord

May You empower these students, my friends, to pursue You with a selfless abandonment

May they find wholeness and satisfaction in You

May they discover an abiding love in service to Your Church

May they never settle for cheap grace but rather may they daily count the cost of Your love for them

May thankfulness and gratitude well up in their hearts and echo forth from their lips

Most of all Lord,

May they never fear Your Will…but rather may they seek sanctuary in the surety of Your Word and may they always long for the solace which comes from a familiarity of Your Voice.

May the two-fold prayer of my friends always be:

· “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam 2)

· “May it be to me according to Your word.” (Luke 1)

Amen

Now friends, for one last time I say to you, “Go with God.”

In Jesus’ joy,

Dave & Angie

Pentecost - Conceived and Received

2010-04-19T03:32:00.001-07:00

A “Go With God” moment.

For 105 of our seniors, this will be the final Monday Memo and the last time I will write to you (at least as a student). It’s difficult for me to express to you in words how proud of you I am. Just think of all that you have accomplished in the last 4 years, you have tackled the impossible; reading all the assigned books (well, most of them anyway), written countless papers, and attended class after class (upwards of 1800 by my count). But in the end, that is simply what you have done. I am proud of who you have become. You know, Being vs. Doing. The joy of being a professor comes as we watch the transformation which takes place inside of you between your freshmen and your senior year. Child psychologists tell us that the greatest spurt of human development takes place between birth and 18 months. But we know the greatest spiritual development takes place from the time you begin making your own decisions for Jesus (can you say, “freshmen year at IWU”). We as your professors have the delight to watch you do this for four consecutive years. Yes, you made many poor decisions. But each time picked yourself up and moved forward, leaning into the voice of Jesus, following ever more intently. May I simply say, “Thank you for letting us, your faculty watch the Lord work in your life.”

Much of your post-IWU life will be learning how to lean into the future God has for you, rather than timidly approaching God’s plans. That is why in the past several weeks, I have been talking about looking ahead to Pentecost, (May 23^rd), preparing yourself for the arrival of the Spirit just like you may be gearing up for the summer or graduation. We have talked about several biblical passages that discuss the gift of Pentecost, but can I give you one huge observation that the early church put forward to speak about Pentecost as being the high-point of a Christian’s life. Read the Apostles Creed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth, and

in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,
and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit;
the one holy unified church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.

I am certain that you quickly notice that the creed is broken into three stanzas, one to each member of the Holy Trinity. But did you also note that the statements about the Father and the Son simply describe what they have done. It is not until we get to the third stanza pertaining to the Holy Spirit that we are told in rapid fire succession what is appropriated for us through the salvation of God; the gift of the Church, the fellowship of the body, the forgiveness of our sins, our own resurrection and eternal life. Chris Bounds said it to me this way, “What is conceived at Easter was not received until Pentecost.”

So, as you prepare for Pentecost this year, think of it as a means of leaning into your life of faith, “receiving the Holy Spirit” as Jesus offered in John 20. May He infuse you with Himself.

Lord Jesus;
May we receive all You have for us, without hesitation.

May we ingest Your goodness and may it saturate our very being.

May we conquer our temptations in our own desert places just as powerfully as You did.

May we be empowered to love You and one another fully.

May Pentecost be a present day reality.

Amen

Now, Go with God.

Passion for Pentecost

2010-04-12T03:47:00.001-07:00

A “Go With God” moment.

As we look ahead to Pentecost, (remember May 23^rd) I would like for you to think about preparing yourself for the arrival of the Spirit just like you may have geared up for Lent. You may ask, “Why?” Simply think about how valuable the coming of the Holy Spirit is to the Gospel writers themselves. In John’s Gospel, Jesus specifically says that it is “good that I go away” because then, and only then will another comforter will come (John 16:7). Luke lays down a similar climatic premise when the Resurrected Jesus says to His disciples “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49) And the promise of the Father is not an eternal home in heaven, or the second coming of Jesus, but the filling of the Holy Spirit made manifest at Pentecost.

Now, would you allow me to bring this home with just a simple biblical insight that I never saw until this semester in IBS. It comes from Romans 12:1. You have probably read it more times than you can remember. But this time the truth climbed off the page and gripped my heart. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers (and sisters), in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” The NIV misses the mark with this translation, for the word “sacrifice” is singular in the Greek, NOT plural. Do you see it? The simple observation of a plural noun (your bodies) being focused into a singular metaphor (living sacrifice). To me, this changes everything. Paul is not depicting a person in the act of consecration alone at an altar of prayer. Rather, you are seen as one person among many, who consecrate their lives to the good of the whole; together creating one beautiful and sweet smelling aroma to the Lord. This act, in our modern America, where the individual’s rights and privileges reign supreme, may be the most powerful display of the Work of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost calls us to individually put aside any and all ambitions which might lean in the direction of self-centeredness and rather take upon us the image of “other-centeredness” (check out Phil 2:3-4).

Lord Jesus;
What will cause us to lose ourselves and be refashioned into a “living sacrifice”?

What will it take to look and think like You Lord?

What will empower us to be seen as loving You and one another fully?

What will refashion Your image; the Imago Dei in us?

Lord, it seems as if I am asking the wrong question Lord. It’s not what but who.
Lord, we long for nothing short of You; Your precious cleansing Holy Spirit.

Come sweet Pentecost, from there we will walk in a new manner; not to be served, but to serve; and gives ourselves away to others.

Amen

Now, Go with God.

After Easter, What is Next?

2010-04-05T16:34:00.001-07:00

A “Go With God” moment.

Welcome back from our Easter “Holy-day.” Did you take any time over the time away and reflect that Easter is the end of Lent? We have spent the last six weeks preparing ourselves, through acts of personal denial, to be ready for Easter…and now it’s over. So now we as Christians can now put the spiritual stuff to rest until the end of the semester? Right? I mean nothing comes after Easter of any significance until Advent and Christmas. Nothing tops the Resurrection, right? Well, may I correct your Church calendar theology. Easter is in actuality a pre-cursor of another event in the life of the church that is yet to be encountered; Pentecost. Originally, Pentecost was one of the three main pilgrimage feasts in the life of ancient Israel. It comes 50 days after Passover, in conjunction with the celebration of the harvest. In the early church it also commemorates the arrival of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the praying 120. According to Luke’s theology, it is the climax of the promise made by the Father (Luke 24:45-49). Wow, the Resurrection is not the spiritual trump card? And it is what the early church was instructed to wait for in Acts 1:4-8.

May I put it to you simply? Jesus’ death and resurrection is more than a means of forgiving your sins. If that is the way you view Easter, your thinking is far too reductionistic, self-centered, and reeks of a modern western individualism. Rather, the New Testament as a whole understands Easter as a portent for making possible the shaping of the Body of Christ into His Image here on earth. This is continually portrayed in the New Testament in a corporate/community sense, not individually. Maybe we can think of Pentecost this way, “Through the Power of the Holy Spirit, WE are being fashioned into ONE.” Those are not really my original thoughts, but they are a paraphrase of Jesus’ prayer to His Father in John 17. Remember that John chapters 14-16, at least in part, are about the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus actually tells the disciples that “it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

Now, listen to the Son pray:
“My prayer is not for them [disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21).

Think of it this way, Easter and the Ascension lay the groundwork for Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the church; empowering us to live a “Christ-like life.” And that Christ-like life is best described in “one-ness.” And the best model is the Trinity. The concept of Pentecost should be that we resemble the relationship of the Father-Son-Holy Spirit. And if you say, “That’s impossible,” I dare say, you have just limited the work of God in your life. Make that our life. For your faith indeed impacts my life, for good or for...well you get the picture.

BTW, Pentecost Sunday is May 23^rd.

Lord Jesus;
We desperately need the power of Your Spirit in our lives.
But Jesus, power as You define it, not my concept
Make it Your Will and Your way.
I want nothing short of Your work.
Make me an instrument for the world to see You.
You may begin today.
Amen

Now, Go with God.

How do you properly say "Goodbye"?

2010-03-29T03:20:00.001-07:00

A “Go with God” Moment”

How do you properly say “Goodbye”?

That will be the overarching question for IWU seniors over the next several weeks. After four years; how do you express the words and sentiments to friends for all they have meant to you? So, how will you say goodbye to the people who witnessed you grow from adolescence to adulthood? What will you do with folks who assisted you to put away childish things and now act like men and women of faith? What will you say? What will you do?

In actuality, though April is filled with new found hope because of spring and Easter, it can be one of the saddest months of the year. And the people who grieve the most are your professors. That’s right; because we say goodbye to another class every year. We watched you come to IWU as somewhat wet-behind-the-ear freshmen. We taught, we trained, we offered ourselves, we coached, we prayed, we picked you up, we cried, we ranted, we smiled, and in the end, we washed your feet, and then we offered you the bread and wine. All the while we joyously watched the Spirit of Christ (re)shape the Imago Dei in your life.

So our question to you is this; how can we as your professors…

· Say, ‘Thank you’ for allowing us to be witnesses of God’s grace in your life?

· Express our (sanctified) pride in who you have become as a child of the King?

· Demonstrate the faith we have in your future service for the Coming Kingdom?

So, we ask you to please set aside the last Friday of the Semester; April 23^rd. During the 10am Chapel hour, we will meet together in the sanctuary of College Wesleyan Church for one final chapel service; a true Service of Consecration. During that time, we will honor the Senior class of the School of Theology and Ministry. But we want all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to participate as well. It should be a time of joyful celebration and solemn dedication for all that God has done in and through us all over the last four years.

What a great way to say; Good-bye.

BTW, you may be aware of the etymology of Good-bye. It comes from “Godbwye”, a contraction of the old English “God be with ye.”

Simply, it is our prayer for each of you.

Remember:

Who: All Students of the School of Theology and Ministry

When: April 23^rd at 10am

Where: College Wesleyan Church Sanctuary

What: Consecration Service

Now, Go with God

Lord, Is That You? Part 3

2010-03-22T03:22:00.001-07:00

A “Go with God” moment.

An eternity ago (meaning, before Spring Break and the pre-registration rush) I wrote about discerning God’s voice/Spirit. We looked specifically at the start of Paul’s first and second Missionary Journeys in Acts 13 and Acts 15. In summary, Acts 13 is saturated with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit especially with the Holy Spirit speaking in an audible voice to all the participants. Then we examined Acts 15 and the launch of the Second Journey which was contrasting filled with human language, with Paul simply saying to Barnabas, as,

Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are. (Act 15:36)

What are we to make of this absence of Spirit language, no prayer, and no fasting, just Paul’s verbalized plan to his missionary partner?

Our place of inquiry today comes from Act 16:6-10.

Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.

For some folks, this might be such a refreshing passage of scripture, knowing that the Apostle Paul himself wrestled with what we are talking about, “How to know the mind and plan of God.” Luke interjects two revealing phrases here;

the Holy Spirit prevented them from preaching the word
the Spirit of Jesus did not allow to go there.

May I simply summarize this passage with a leaning towards application?

First, God often does not consult with us regarding any change in the scope of His plan for our lives. To be “called” is essentially saying, “Yes” to Jesus, with no stipulations. One problem we often encounter is that we think there will be a level of consistency in the “coming of the Kingdom.” But God has every right to alter our path at any given moment. This is just such a moment in Paul’s calling to the gentiles. Paul was working the plan as he understood it; preaching and encouraging the brothers in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). But God had something different on His mind this passage is discussing how God hits the reset button for Paul’s Second Journey.

Second, the way God conveys His will to us can vary just as much as the scope of the plan itself. The Lord can and does tell us directly what to do. Yet in this instance, the Lord simply prohibits Paul and Silas from what up to this point has been a normal faith-following pattern; preaching and encouraging the brothers. Practically speaking, though this may seem disturbing in real life, it’s a wonderful way for God to prepare Paul (and us) that change is in the air. But I promise you that when the Holy Spirit puts a stop to the familiar, it will feel as if you are forced into God’s waiting room (or maybe it will seem more like the divine doghouse). Either way, God is using this time to shape us for something far more appealing than what we presently possess (and I promise it will be profoundly more fulfilling.)

Maybe a lesson for today might be watch for the divine prohibitions…for they are not acts of judgment but grace for the future. Second, please do not take the path of least resistance in your life of faith. For those decisions would indeed by your choices and not God’s. If you do, you may find yourself in the end living a life of regrets. Finally, I also assume that we need those waiting-room times so the comfort of today’s normalcy will begin to taste just a bit sour in our mouths. Then, when Jesus’ new plan or vision is revealed, we will resound with the words of the Psalmist, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

(Ps119:103)

Some of you today are waiting. I do not know how long Paul and Silas were “prevented” from proclaiming the Word to the Gentiles, but I am certain that for them it seemed like an eternity. Similarly, you think it is taking God forever to open up the next step for your life. And the words, “the Holy Spirit prevented” sounds so “trial-like”. But in the end, Paul’s work and writings in Thessalonica, Ephesus, Corinth, and Rome are all fruit which arises from this experience. What would we be like if we had not been impacted by the Paul who was prevented? May I close with this question, “What will you be like when the crucible of today is lifted and you are re-shaped in His image and refocused on a plan brighter than you ever imagined?

Lord,

May we wait without fear.

May we realize that Your temptation and Gethsemane were faith building events for you.

May we see Your prohibition as a gift and not a penalty.

May we be molded by You, our divine Potter.

May we in the end sing praises to Your name.

Amen.

Now, Go with God

I am an Optimist

2010-03-15T03:31:00.000-07:00

I am an optimist. I always expect the best from both people and in everyday life situations. It’s the pre-supposition I have as I walk through my daily tasks and interact with everyone around me. Do I sometimes appear foolish? Maybe so. Do I sometimes get blindsided in public, sure. But I much prefer to see the glass half-full and ever increasing that the opposite.

I am also an eternal optimist…and I am intentionally making a spiritual play-on-words. Optimism is also how I perceive the spiritual world around me. Yes, I understand the deep and abiding affects of the Fall of mankind and I have seen human depravity at its worst. In my pre-Christian days, I even participated in it. But I know first-hand the prevenient grace of God; a gracious movement of God that goes before us and which can enlighten the heart of even the darkest soul.

· By being an eternal optimist, I actually believe that when the Apostle Paul says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

· Being an eternal optimist, I take Jesus at His word when he says, “I have overcome the World.”

· Being an eternal optimist, I trust that Jesus’ act on the Cross and in the event of the Resurrection has actually reversed the curse of the Adam and Eve in the garden, and the fullness of this reversal can be experienced in the Here and Now not just the sweet bye and bye.

· Being an eternal optimist, I will not settle for the fact that the atonement only affects the penalty of sin but actually is a complete answer to the problem of sin in the life of the believer; and we can actually can live above a life of mere sin-maintenance.

Is this just too good to be true? Well, that is what this week in chapel at Indiana Wesleyan University will focus on. Each day we will hear speakers who are optimists, just like me. They believe it is possible for the power of the Spirit of Christ to defeat the power of sin in each of you. Temptations can be resisted and the Glory of God can reign in you; yes even you.

All this week our chapels are called the Cox Deeper Life Series. They are presented through the generosity of Dr. Leo Cox, a former professor of Bible and Theology at Indiana Wesleyan University. His enduring passion was the message and experience of holiness. Dr. Cox believed that God, through Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, could break the power of sin in believers, enabling them to walk in whole hearted obedience to Christ, setting them free to love God with all their lives and to love their neighbor as themselves. He believed this work to be the privilege of every believer and not just the spiritually elite or those training for ministry. To this end, after his retirement, he established a lecture series at all four Wesleyan schools of higher education, in order that students would be able to hear the good news of holiness and have opportunities to experience this work of grace in their own lives.

We usually bring in an outside speaker to present this truth to you. But once every four years, your own professors here desire to speak to you on this matter. Thus, each day this week, one of the professors from the School of Theology and Ministry will preach. Plus, we find it essential that every member of the Religion faculty actually profess this magnificent doctrine. So, someone from our faculty will also testify about the beauty of Holiness in their own lives.

Dr. Leo Cox was a former professor of Bible and Theology at Indiana Wesleyan University, were he served for many years as chair of the Religion and Philosophy Division. While at Indiana Wesleyan, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Wesleyan Theological Society and became a charter member of the Evangelical Theological Society. Through his teaching, scholarship and leadership he became a well respected leader in Evangelical circles in the United States and across the world. As an ordained Wesleyan minister, he was committed to the Church of Jesus Christ and training people for leadership ministries in local churches.

Lord, Is This You? Part 2

2010-02-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

A “Go with God” moment.

As I wrote last week, distinguishing between God’s voice/Spirit and my own intentions is not as clear as I wish it would be. Nevertheless, seeking His face and His heart is a foundation-stone to my Christian walk. Plus, I have often found that I need to move forward before I have absolute certainty of having His favor on my choice and life. May I simply say, “Welcome to a walk of faith.”

Last week, we began by examining the introductory narratives to Paul’s First and Second Missionary Journeys in Acts 13 and Acts 15. As we saw, Acts 13 is saturated with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. As Luke depicts this, the Holy Spirit speaks in what seems to be an audible voice to all the participants. There is no missing the initiator; this is the consummate God-thing.

However, when we read about the launch of the Second Journey, rather than a clear revelation from heaven, Paul simply remarks to Barnabas,

Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are. (Act 15:36)

There is no Spirit language, no prayer, and no fasting, just Paul’s verbalized thought. Paul seems to know of the needs in the lives of his first gentile converts and he desires to return to meet that need. Now, here is my first question, “In a Christian’s pursuit of the will of God, is the absence of confirmation of the Holy Spirit an indicator of anything wrong?” Should this give Paul (or us) a reason to pause? Keep in mind, our call to walk by faith!

Now, back to the story; Barnabas agrees with Paul but wants to take along John Mark. If you recall, John Mark was with Paul and Barnabas on their First Missionary Journey and had a spiritual-personal meltdown. Paul disagrees with Barnabas’ assessment of John Mark. So much so that it creates a separation of the two.

Let’s pause here and tack a second question to the first, “Is the presence of hardship or conflict in one’s life a valid indicator (maybe some might use the word “sign”) to cease pursuing your dream to serve?” Often, we read adversity like spiritual tea-leaves that God is saying “No.” I might ask you to look to the Scriptures to see the absolute promise of hardship and persecution in the life of Christian service. We often buy into our culture’s pain avoidance mantra. When offered the path of least resistance, we take it without considering the Biblical mandate to accept Jesus’ call to self-denial, sacrifice, and personal cross-bearing. Moreover, there are a plethora of passages which demonstrate to us that suffering and hardship might not only become the means to shape our spiritual lives but suffering may be a surrogate means of hearing the voice and the discerning the will of God. C. S. Lewis affirms this when he writes, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Now, of course this takes discernment, but the presence of travail may be a keen indicator of the nearness of God.

Let’s return to the narrative of Acts 15. It is utterly silent when it comes to placing blame on Paul or Barnabas for the “division.” Let me give you my understanding. First, they both used good spiritual common sense, knowing that the people who were converts on their First Journey (Cyprus and Asia Minor) needed pastoral care. Second, you might assume that someone must have been at fault, especially if their disagreement ended in a “separation” (15:39). But this act of apostolic splitting may have been based more on their individual personalities than on a lack of holiness or unity. Paul throughout scripture seems to be focused upon the proper teaching and implementation of the “gospel.” He is what we might call, “principle-centered.” Moreover, Barnabas is not the only disciple who he calls on what he perceives to be the “hypocritical carpet” Just ask Peter, as his confrontation with Paul is told in Galatians 2. Barnabas, on the other hand, is not as principle-driven as he is people-oriented. He sees a broken man in John Mark and longs for a way to restore him to wholeness. For Barnabas, people are never expendable. Thus the presence of conflict is not to be seen as the absence of the Will of God in your life. Maybe the text would like for you to ponder, “What were the results of two vastly different men with different perspectives on how to play out their respective roles in the Kingdom?” In the end, Paul includes Silas (15:40) and in short order finds a man named Timothy (16:1-2) to journey with him back to Asia Minor. Barnabas takes John Mark and travels to his homeland of the island of Cyprus.

[But note an interesting result, much later in Paul’s life. As he is under arrest in Rome and facing certain death Paul writes to Timothy, “Get (John) Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Tim 4:11). Reconciliation and wholeness is woven into the fabric of this relationship.]

So, we still have a long way to go in answering, “Am I hearing God or is this just me talking to myself?” But we can see that that hearing the clear and powerful voice of God (Acts 13:1-3) is only one way for you to discern His will. We can also see that in His apparent absence (Acts 15:36ff), we can find guidance through the presence of pain.

Tune in next week as we continue, “Lord, Is this You? Part 3” Maybe you want to read ahead; Acts 16:6-10.

Lord,

May we seek You with our Whole heart.

May we search for Your Face.

May we hearken towards Your voice.

But in their absence,

May we employ the means of grace which You provide for us to walk by faith each day.

Amen.

Now, Go with God

Lord, Is This You? Part 1

2010-02-14T16:07:00.001-08:00

A “Go with God” moment.

In my life as a Christian (now moving towards 30 years) there have only been a handful of times when God has spoken so clearly and loudly that any behavior other than, “Yes Lord” would have been utter disobedience. They fit on exactly one hand.

My conversion
Angie’s and my call to ministry (yes, read that as plural)
Our move to seminary
Our leaving a pulpit ministry to pursue my PhD and a call to the classroom
Our move to IWU

Please do not get me wrong, God’s Spirit speaks to me regularly and with specificity. But those five times are set apart as special divine conversations. Moreover, in each of these events, I was being asked to step up my trust to whole new levels. So, with that in mind, let me begin a series of “Go with God” moments which address the question, “How do you know if God Himself is telling you something or it is just your own (aka - human) idea?” And to take this question one step farther “Is there something inherently wrong with the latter concept?” And can these two questions become so intertwined that you cannot fully identify one from the other? With so many seniors seeking God’s direction in the next few months, let’s examine this issue (call it simply “Hearing and Obeying God’s Voice”) by looking at some of the most refreshing (maybe I would call it the most freeing) passages of scripture on this topic; the narrative transitions during the outset of Paul’s First and Second Missionary Journeys.

Just read Acts 13:1-3…

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit… (NASB)

Note how the entire passage is filled with religious language of people reverentially leaning toward God and with Heaven powerfully responding with the Presence of the Holy Spirit. For the worshippers not to listen and obey would be down-right disobedience. One can almost taste the success of the endeavors which will follow because of the description of its inception. Acts 13-14 then depicts Paul and Barnabas taking Christ’s light to the gentiles.

But now read the launch of the Second Journey. Rather than a clear revelation from heaven, Paul simply says to Barnabas,

Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are. (Act 15:36)

There is no Spirit language, no prayer, and no fasting. If you were to ask, “Which Missionary Journey would be considered pleasing to God and which model should we avoid in our modern Christian practice?” I would dare say, the first would get a resounding “Yes, a sure God-thing.” The second would receive a “No, do not move forward. No Spirit blessing.”

Many of you students are learning that life in Christ is far from black-and-white. Moreover, many events in the Kingdom are not as easily or clearly discerned as you might like. In the commissioning of Paul’s second journey, he is exercising what I might call spiritual common-sense. In part, it may be based upon the apparent needs that Paul senses in the lives of his first gentile converts. But in the end, Paul’s Second Journey may have similar or even more spiritual impact than his first trip. We know that as we look back. But the real question you are asking, “How will we know how this will play out right now, in the decisions we are trying to make NOW?”

Tune in next week as we continue, “Lord, Is This You? Part 2”

Now, Go with God

It is NOT Just a List

2010-02-06T12:57:00.001-08:00

A “Go with God” moment.

It’s another cold and snowy Saturday. So, I’m continuing with my Romans reading in preparation for teaching this marvelous epistle next fall. I finally made it to the end, chapter 16, and I am fascinated by the litany of names with which Paul concludes the book; 26 in all (17 men and 9 women).

Now, many folks might see this as anti-climactic in the letter, almost as a boring conclusion; like the belabored genealogy of Matthew 1. I mean, come on, it’s only a list. What is so special or what in the world is spiritual about a list of names? I mean, isn’t the core of the Roman argument found in 1:16-15:33. Romans 1-11 is often viewed as a theological argument for the righteousness of God and then chapters 12-15 are the ethical application of Paul’s teaching. Thus, Romans 16 is nothing other than an epilogue to the main argument. It’s just a list. Can I make just a few observations about this so-called list:

There are 26 names in the list; 16 of the 26 are singled out in some special way, either as deacons, co-workers, apostles, or a relative of some sort, either literal or figurative (i.e., Christian brother).
Of the 16 individuals commended for specific tasks, almost half (7) are women.
There are several married couples singled out and what appears to be four separate Christian communities; two of which seem to be house churches , Prisca and Aquila (16:3-5) and Aristobulos (16:10).
Finally, in the list, there appear to be both Jewish and Gentile names.

What are the implications of these observations? Allow me to simply focus on the last one; there are both Jewish and Gentile names in Paul’s Roman 16 list. Now, that observation may not be as clear-cut as it seems. First, many Jewish people adopted Greco-Roman names as they functioned in the Roman marketplace outside of Palestine. Second, since Paul has yet to visit Rome, how did he meet all these Christian servants who are now living in Rome? The meetings must have been in other places in at earlier times. Remember, that in 49AD emperor Claudius evicted all the Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2). They were dispersed throughout the empire. Many in the list, such as Pricilla and Aquila were among the expelled Jews who met Paul in Corinth. Andronicus and Junia are said to have been in prison with Paul (16:7) and from the same “nation.” They also are most certainly Jewish. Others on the list are referred to as Paul’s relatives (16:7, 11, 13). If all this is true, maybe this so-called list is much more Jewish than it appears at first look.

If that is true, then let’s take seriously that this list is in the form of a recommendation (beginning with Phoebe) not the typical greeting found at the end of other of Paul’s letters (e.g., 1 Cor 16). Paul is not greeting these people but rather is asking the gentile church in Rome to greet them and “receive them in a manner worthy of the saints.” Listen to the opening in 16:1-2:

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.

Simply, the Gentile church in Rome is to receive the Jewish co-workers of Paul. My point is that Rom 16 is NOT JUST A LIST…I would call it the theological high water mark of practical spirituality in the Book of Romans. It might even be called the climax of the book. It’s the church living out practical righteousness before the world. Paul does not care for the Roman church to merely comprehend his theology (Rom 1-11) or to merely wrestle with its theoretical application (12-15). Paul is arguing that a life “dead to sin” (Rom 6) and “alive to the Spirit” (Rom 8) should play itself out with the reconciliation of the most difficult of all relationships; life-long adversaries (Jews and Gentiles)should live together as brothers.

I will leave the application of this principle into your hands, as directed by the very Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (Rom 1:4 & 8:11).

Lord Jesus;

May we never take Your Word lightly.

May we always seek the depth of its practicality to our lives.

Grant us eyes to see,

Give us ears to hear,

And empower us with Your Spirit to live on earth,

As it is in Heaven.

Amen

Now, Go with God.

Romans: Just a Simple Story

2010-01-30T07:48:00.000-08:00

Today is a cold Saturday. So, I am staying inside and thinking ahead to next September. Why so far ahead? Because this fall, I will be teaching Romans. I’ve read this book countless times. I’ve preached on it. I’ve lead Bible Studies on it. But I have never taught it here at IWU. So I thought Romans and I should be intimately acquainted. I decided to read Romans in one sitting; and I failed miserably. I never got past Paul’s greeting.

Paul,

[a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ]

to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 1:1-7 NAS)

Yes, I know this is simply the Greeting, and I should not get overly excited until I get to the real heart of the matter (at least 1:16 and following). But this opening helps me grasp Romans in a way I never have before. Here is what I saw for the first time and it was always right in front of me. Take note of the extended description Paul gives about himself which I bracketed off above. It begins with “a bond-servant” in verse 1 and goes all the way thru “among whom you also are called of Jesus Christ” in 1:6. All that Paul has said is one long descriptor not really about Jesus…but it describes who Paul himself is! (Technically, if you are interested, all the phrases of this one long Greek sentence are set in apposition to the name “Paul.”) Paul = all that follows in 1:1-6.

So, you might ask, what is the big deal? Try this; Paul cannot separate his story from Christ’s story. His story and God’s story are so dove-tailed that they become one-in-the-same story.

Let me try to explain what grabbed me that I never saw before. Romans, from the first verse to the last, is not to be read as a theological treatise (sorry Martin Luther). It’s the most practical, almost earthy story about how God’s meta-narrative marvelously intersects with Paul’s own life story (and ours as well) Thus, wherever I preach, teach or live the Book of Romans, my story should and must come out. Yes, it’s all about Jesus. But it’s also about me and how Jesus has affected who I am, and who I am becoming.

This should resonate with many of you today. For you might think that Paul is far too deep a thinker that you can never fully comprehend his theology. Well, no problem, because Paul is simply introducing himself by telling a story. Yes, it is a re-orienting story, a paradigm-shifting story. But a story nonetheless.

If Paul is right (and he is!) our story intersecting with God’s story creates THE STORY. Paul calls it “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). Thus, maybe storytelling is the most biblical style of evangelism. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann agrees when he says, “evangelism means inviting people into these stories as the defining story of our life, and thereby authorizing people to give up, abandon, and renounce other stories that have shaped their lives in false or distorting ways” (Biblical Perspectives on Evangelism).

So, if you want to be a subversive Christian, a biblical evangelist, following in Paul’s footsteps, simply tell your story. But the transformative power of your story is when you invite others to switch allegiances from their old story to a new life-story found in Christ. So, go and tell!

Lord,

Help us all to be grace-filled storytellers.

May we welcome others to the eternal narrative which God’s is continually writing.

May His It’s-to-good-to-be-true story become the reality of our lives.

Jesus, may your children live happily ever after.

Amen.

Now, Go with God.

Does Anyone have a witness for the Lord?

2010-01-24T15:36:00.000-08:00

In my Inductive Bible Study class this semester, we have talked about the effects of our witness to the power of the Resurrection in our lives. Thus, let's tell our stories to one another. My story is every man's story; let's make that every Christian's story.

At the age of 25, I discovered a simple fact; I had sinned, repeatedly and compulsively.

But I did not realize this until I had been introduced to Jesus by girlfriend (now wife) Angie. She never judged me but simply placed before me a mirror with two images, my own and that of Jesus. No comparison.

My surprise is that Jesus did not condemn me for who I was, He simply offered me the opportunity to be released from the pain and agony which was being carried by the man in the mirror, ME. But the journey to the cross was far from painless.

Many of you who have been in my classes know that I had a terrible time with drinking and drugs in my late teen and early twenties…yet I was instantly and radically "saved." Some of you who have experienced effects of such a lifestyle will know what I mean by "Freedom" from guilt…it was real and it was joyous. My addiction to cigarettes, drugs, and drinking was immediately removed. No withdrawal symptoms, just peace. Sins were forgiven and I began my journey of new life

This new-found joy of forgiveness permeated all that I did for months. There was not a person that I came into contact with that did not recognize a difference in me. Wondrous conversations happened on a daily basis.

Yet inwardly, there was still a battle which I could not come to grips with. I loved Jesus but I often lived like He did not even exist. Poor choices. I just did not look like Jesus, even though I loved Him. The more I came to understand who Jesus was, the more I realized that I was not like him.

▪For He seemed to delight in doing His Father's will and in serving others.

▪As for me, I did it out of "moral obligation" and the social expectations of the church Angie and I had just started to attend. It was not an act arising from an inward love. I asked myself the simple question, "I know I am doing different things than before I became a Christian…but am I really a different person, inside that is?"

I knew I was a better man with Jesus than without; I knew that I would be a better husband, and a better father…but I was hungry to really love as Jesus loved.

I was 25…. And I had three great passions in my life; the Lord, Angie, and one other passion; I lifted weights like a crazy man. Often 10x's per week, which means obviously some days two-a-day workouts. I was 5 foot 10 weighted 155, had a 31 inch waist and could easily bench press twice my weight. Image was everything to me, my image that is.

One night we were in bed, Angie was reading a book and I was reading, at the time my favorite magazine, Muscle and Fitness. It's one of those glossy magazines which tells you how to bulk up your biceps or how to six-pack your stomach. At that moment, I was looking much too studiously at the women in the magazine, who were not clothed with any degree of modesty. The women models in the magazine were showing off every hard-body curve. And they caught my attention. I distinctly remember turning to Angie and saying, "If you worked out with the same level of intensity that I put into it, You can look just like one of these ladies!" To this day, I am uncertain what Angie's reply was, for God's presence overwhelmed me in a manner He had not done previously, or since.

He said clearly,

"There is far more to your wife than something that will meet your needs, or wants or your desires. Will you treat her as one of those two-dimensional work-out ladies or will you strive to assist her in cultivating the unique irreplaceable image which I have stamped on her heart? Will you see her, care for her and love her as I do?"

I knew that this was a defining moment not only in my relationship with Angie but with God Himself. Would I fully obey Him…would I, could I fully love her, as He does?

Angie will tell you that one of the most significant moments in our marriage was the resulting conversation we had over Ephesians 5:25-28, a passage I had been intensively studying

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

I could not love her in that manner on my own. I am convinced that I would have died for her…that is to protect her from others…but was I willing to die to protect her from my own selfish wants, needs, and desires. What was I willing to do when I realized I was her husband, her lover, yet I was caring for her so selfishly?

My divine moment came as God brought to bear His voice, the priceless image of God in my wife, and the call to complete obedience to His Word, simultaneously. At that very moment, God changed my heart; I saw Angie as a gift that God has entrusted into my care, for His pleasure as well as for my own.

Colossians 3:1-10 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

So, what did I do? I put down the magazine, begged Angie for forgiveness, turned out the light, and had the best night sleep of my life. From that point forward, I loved Angie more than I ever had before; not with my love but with His. The next day I wrote out a letter to the publisher of Muscle and Fitness canceling my subscription.

Angie, I love…but I realized at that moment that she simply rolls weights to get them out of her way, never lifting one for exercise. And I rejoiced, for I no longer saw her with any need to change…she did not have to look or act in any way other than the woman God made her to be.

I stated at the beginning that my story is everyone's story. Almost all of us have encountered God in a significant way. But my desire is never to return to the man I was...I want to love her, I want to love my children, I want to love each of you far beyond my own capacity, so that we all may have our image of God fully restored…How can I love with that level of continued passion?

John Wesley, in his writings, makes a direct connection between love and obedience. He says,

You cannot say you genuinely love God unless you obey him…neither can you genuinely obey God if you do not love him.

For the first time in my life I realized that there was joy in obedience. It was not drudgery…it was not work…it was not accomplished by the sheer force of human determination. Rather, it was a simple response to the love He had placed in my heart.

Epiphany

2010-01-18T04:08:00.001-08:00

A “Go with God” moment

Epiphany. That is the time of the Church calendar that we are currently celebrating. Epiphany (comes from Greek epiphaneia) which means “appearance” or “make known.” It’s the time period, post-Christmas, when we focus upon the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. This sacred time will continue until we meet Lent on Ash Wednesday (Feb 17^th).

Practically speaking, it is also the time of year as the days get longer and the darkness of night begins to recess. Simply, the light shines in the darkness with more regularity. So, at this time of the semester, how do we take advantage of just such as intersection of the sacred calendar with our own practical search for spiritual truth. Can you say, Spring Summit? This is when we intentionally schedule to see the manifestation of God in our often over-busy lives. Obviously , God showing up can never be forced…but I sincerely believe He can be prepared for. How???

· When we take time to visit the manger like the travel-weary magi (Matt 2). What did they sacrifice to come to the Christ-child?

· When in awesome wonder, we listen to the angelic chorus singing to the shepherds (Luke 2).

· When we, alongside of Mary, “ponder” the revelation of Jesus and treasure them in our hearts (Luke 1 & 2).

· When we cease the truth of the battle tested Son of God who overcomes temptations in the wilderness (Mark 1, Matt 4, Luke 4). His victory makes way for yours.

· When we drink deeply at the fountain of Jesus’ first sermon of Jesus in Nazareth. Read, if you will Luke 4:19-19 to hear Jesus’ life verses.

I could go on and on about the opening chapters of the Gospels. But let me simply list a few common sense thoughts about finding the Light of the World this week:

1. Go to the place where you expect to meet Him. Yes, I know that God is everywhere. But there are times and places where He makes Himself known more profoundly (Epiphany). The week it will be in the Chapel.

2. Have patience. Simeon and Anna waited at the Temple for years to simply catch a glimpse of the Messiah (Luke 2). How long will you wait? Must He come Monday, or will you wait 1-2-3 days?

3. Make time for God to “invade” your life and personal world. Do you desire (demand?) an instant spiritual high or would you allow Him to begin a steady transformation in your heart? Will you allow your reshaping to be done on His timetable? Will you allow it to include struggle and self-denial? Are you willing to pay the price.

4. Say “Yes” to His Revelation, in advance of your knowledge of His Revelation. (Please re-read that sentence). Our natural inclination is to listen for His voice…and then decide if we like what we hear. That practice my friends is un-faithfullness at its most subtle core. Instead, make a decision right now (and I do mean now) that the discovery of God’s will and your obedience is the most wonderful adventure you could ever imagine. Simply say, “Yes” and I promise you that God’s voice will be clearer this week than it ever has been in your entire life.

During this Epiphany Summit, walk into Chapel uttering this prayer,

Lord,

At this holy hour

I come to this sacred place

I will seek You with all I have

I will tarry for as long as necessary

To be molded into Your Image

First, make known to me Yourself

Then, Your will for me

I say Yes to You, even before I know.

Amen

Now, Go with God

Keep Your Degree in a Global Perspective

2009-12-06T18:36:00.001-08:00

A Go with God Moment;

I recently received a letter from the Chancellor of Durham University (my alma mater; and Dr. Schenck’s as well). In it he helped me put what we do here at IWU in a global perspective. He referred to a Stanford University study where the entire earth was reduced to the imagery of a village of 100 people, but the study keeps the numbers in correct proportions. In this village,

80 percent would be very poor;

70 would be illiterate,

50 would be chronically malnourished.

6 people would control 66 percent of the wealth.

The part that hit home with me was that in this village, only 1 person would hold a university degree.

Some of you will receive your diplomas in less than two weeks. I know you have thought often about all the hard work you have invested in earning your degree. BUT, have you thought about the global responsibility of what you will receive? Yes, I know that here in the United States your degree has a certain value for an earning potential.

But would you please see yourself as part of our global community. And with such a vision, let me ask just a few probing questions.

· What actions or what decisions would you make if you were the only one in town who had a University degree?

· What if only you had the knowledge and the skills with assist this village to provide for its own economy and for its spiritual awakening?

What if someone asked for your help? Like the person who placed you here at IWU; like the person who placed you here in the US, like the person who placed you with your family. You know I talking about the Lord. He has enabled and empowered you from the day of your first breath. What if you were the only person available? Would you say, “Yes.”

And with this being Advent season, let’s keep in mind that when Jesus was the only one in the village who could come and teach us; He came. If we know, “What would Jesus do”…what about us?

Lord.
May we find our stories to wondrously intersect with Your grander story.
May we find the Advent season to be the incarnation of God’s Story.
May we see Jesus’ story as the place where God’s new exodus begins;
May He start with us.
Amen.

Now, Go with God

There are many joys I have being the associate dean of the School of Theology and Ministry but nothing compares to announcing the names of students that have been awarded scholarships. This year, the recipients of the Williams Scholarship to Israel are:

1. Tyler Klein

2. Kearsten Karrick

3. Kelly Jones

4. Andrea Fetterhoff

If you see them, congratulate them. They will be traveling with Dr. Williams to Israel this spring break or during early May. Even more so, let’s give thanks to the people who make this and all the other scholarships possible. Their sacrifice is our gain. For many students, it is the only way they can afford an IWU education. Ultimately, thanks be to God!

RE: Can You Say,"Liturgy?" Part 2

2009-11-22T18:41:00.001-08:00

Last week I proposed to you a new (maybe more accurately, a novel) definition of the term “liturgy.” A Christian liturgy is a communal sacred activity whereby the participants are shaped and formed in godliness. Now, this could take pages to unpack, but allow me to simply state a few of my presuppositions.

Let me remind you of the three main ingredients to this definition. First, my definition of liturgy begins with the adjective, “Christian” as a principal modifier. Everything we do (or may I now add, refrain from doing) shapes our lives and our loves. Do your choices have a distinctively “Christian” flavor to them? Second, I do not see sacred liturgy is not a private act but as a communal one. Liturgically speaking, our lives are most highly impacted as we touch one another, collide into one another, and graciously offer care for one another’s well-being (see 1 John 1:7 for a wonderful one verse homily of corporate Christianity). Third, the most obvious given is that liturgies shape and form us, the participants.

Let me give you an example. This weekend, the Society of Biblical Literature is holding its annual meetings, where thousands of Bible scholars throughout the world converge in one location. Our overt task is to present papers and to work in hundreds of forums to learn more about Jesus. But a secondary agenda is to network with one another, exchange ideas (and a few resumes), and to fellowship over meals and coffee. There is a true sense of “liturgy” about this event; some Christian some not so Christian. First, the Christian. In a standing room only worship service Sunday Morning, Daniel Block (OT scholar at Wheaton College) reminded us all of what it means to revere and personally honor the name of the Lord. Powerfully, we were charged not only to be teachers of the Biblical word but to profoundly live out the Word before the community were are entrusted to live among. He closed with the following passage:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3:16-17 NIV).

Now, the non-Christian aspect of liturgy. At some presentations, biblical scholars are simply jerks. Their presentation style can be self-inflating and condescending to opposing views. Often, some folks sit in the audience, typing away on their computer to the neglect of the presenter and to the detriment of the surrounding audience. The worst example was during a paper being delivered by our own Bart Bruehler. Someone in the back of the room answered a cell call and continued in conversation until what I would call a “presentation bouncer” tossed him out. Thus, the way we operate in a liturgical setting is certainly a demonstration of the shaping which the Holy Spirit has accomplished in our lives.

So, may I ask you a parallel personal question? In a liturgical situation which we may call a classroom, “Are you letting Jesus shine?” Do you Facebook while your professor presents? Do you practice actions which sanctify or de-consecrate the classroom? In chapel, are the people around you being detracted from worship because of the light on your phone during texting? Or may I ask you to risk all for the Kingdom and actually act like a “bouncer” and asking someone not to hinder the “liturgical moment” and stop texting!

Lord,

In a moment when You are speaking to us or thru us

May the liturgical moment we cooperate within be another wonderful means of grace

May the sacred time, the sacred place, and the sanctifying effect of your corporate body reveal Your Glory on earth.

May our humanity and our shortcomings not quench the Spirit of Christ.

Amen

Now, Go with God

PS.

Almost all the Bible Department at Indiana Wesleyan University is here at the SBL conference. You would be so proud. Dr. Ken Schenck presided at one session and will present a paper at another. Dr. Steve Lennox presented at a Psalms session. Dr. Bart Bruehler will present two papers this weekend. An IWU alumni Alicia Myers (PhD student @ Baylor doing her dissertation on the Gospel of John).

Can You Say,"Liturgy?"

2009-11-16T07:03:00.001-08:00

When I say the word, “Liturgy” what comes to your mind? Maybe you envision a service in an Episcopal or Catholic Church where you see yourself participating in a service passively (i.e., being lead by an ordained clergy thru written prayers) rather than actively engaging in worship, such as in Chapel at IWU.

But could I give you a different perspective on the “liturgies” so you may see them in a whole new light. My definition of liturgy would be this: a Christian liturgy is a communal sacred activity whereby the participants are shaped and formed in godliness. Now, this could take pages to unpack, but allow me to simply state a few of my presuppositions.

First, I begin my definition of liturgy with the adjective, “Christian” as a principal modifier. There are all kinds of liturgies that we are involved in that alter our life and loves. Some are more overt Christian (Chapel MWF) others are more subtly secular (watching 8 hours of NFL football on Sunday). Notice in Romans 12:1-2 Paul writes,

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Paul talks about our lives being affected in one of two ways, conformed (by the liturgical practices) of this world or transformed (by the Christian liturgies) which leads to the renewal of your mind. Thus, I would argue that there are practices in your life that serve as liturgies for your good or for your ill. (More on this later.)

Second, I do not see sacred liturgy is not a private act but as a communal one. Yes, you can recite the Apostles’ Creed alone or pray in isolation or even sing a hymn privately. But I would see these privatized acts as more devotional in aspect. Spiritual formation certainly, but it may be limited in its affective value because it does not place you in a setting where you are making a public declaration of your faith. Moreover, praying the Lord’s Prayer is liturgical in its origin. Listen to the pronouns, “Our Father who is in heaven...give us this day our daily bread…forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…lead us not into temptation…but deliver us from evil.” All the pronouns are plural. So, as we pray this prayer with sincerity it assumes a public audience whereby we offer forgiveness in order to receive it. Thus, liturgy can be an authentic public confession of forgiveness shaping us together into the Body of Christ or an announcement of a refusal to listen to the Sprit of Christ begging you to release the hurt of past sins done against you. A privatized faith would rob the Body of Christ of the corporate formation it could give.

Third, liturgies can and do deeply shape and form the participants. Yes, I am certain that listening to a sermon on your iPod “informs” your mind and makes for sound cognitive growth. But when I speak of liturgy, I am leaning more towards its affective value upon a person holistically. As we experience well thought out liturgies, they do much more than “inform” our mind but wondrously “form” our hearts and ultimately “transform” our loves to adopt those of our Trinitarian Lord.

So maybe I will ask the question this way. What liturgies play a shaping role in your life today? Here is the hard question which we will ponder further next week; as the liturgies that shape your life and loves the most, Christian or secular?

[To help with this soul-searching, I encourage you to delve into Dr. James K. A. Smith’s lecture in the PPAC @ 4pm Thursday Nov 19^th for this semester’s Athens and Jerusalem Seminar lecture. Plus Dr. Jamie Smith will be speaking in the Thursday evening Chapel. His new book entitled Desiring the Kingdom explores the topic of how liturgy informs all that we do and love.]

Now, Go with God

I Declare this "Praise Week"

2009-11-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

A Go with God moment.

I declare this Praise Week for the School of Theology and Ministry.

Now, in honor of such a declaration, a word study on “praise” would be a wonderful endeavor. But rather than showing myself to be a Greek or Hebrew geek, can I list just a few verses that have struck me this week from Psalm 22. You know, the Psalm that Jesus quotes from the cross as His own death approaches.

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?

Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.

Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

In the midst of what appears as life at its worst; Jesus teaches us that praise should resound from our lips since it is the very place within which the Lord resides. Read the rest of Psalm 22 and you will discover that this tragic story is utterly transformed into a cacophony of praise. Psalm 22:22-24 reads like a completely different story

I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.

You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

May I say simply, “Appearances can be deceiving.” Life may look dim and dark when you can only see thru your physical eyes. Moreover, you probably are missing a large part of the overall story if your trust only what you can see. We need to develop “eyes of faith” and a life of perseverance. For example, throughout the Gospels Jesus taught that His death was only the prologue to Easter and His resurrection. Thus, Jesus’ words from the cross should not be reduced to a faithless cry of dereliction but they are the prophetic announcement of God’s ultimate victory for us all. He is proclaiming Praise to all the world with His last breath.

So, as a School of Theology and Ministry, I declare this as Praise Week. I want you to tell others your words of praise for who the Lord is and what He is doing for you. I’ll start. Below is part of an email I sent to “Umf” Jim Lo last Thursday morning. He asked me if I was doing alright; because he know I was struggling:

Yes, there seems to been a real heaviness on me these days. I have suffered from severe headaches for the last 10 days. So much so that for the first time in 10 years I stayed home on Monday and dismissed my class. But even that did not seem to help. It only prolonged an already painful weekend into a blue Monday. But Wednesday afternoon Jennie Telfer and Michele Perry (Wed chapel speaker) stopped by my office and the three of us talked for quite a while. It was a deep and significant conversation on many levels. As they prepared to leave, they asked how they could pray for me. So I told them specifically about my headaches and my inability to shake them. Then they prayed. It was a wonderful and beautiful time with the Lord. Since then my pain is gone. PTL. But the best part is that I can now think more clearly than I have in quite some time. And to use a strange metaphor, “Finally, I have been able to breathe again” and God seems to be filling my lungs with His breath.

Now, here is my assignment to each of you.

1. Tell your praise to someone else. Do not keep it to yourself. Let’s make a contagious effort where declare that God is “enthroned on the praises of His people.”

2. Send a brief note of praise to Melissa.Fipps@IndWes.edu and she will begin to have them scrolling on our computer screens in the CM Building so your prase can touch our entire school. Do not hesitate but pass the word, “Praise” is our marching orders this week.

Now I will start.

Praise # 1: Just this weekend I heard a wonderful praise. It came from two former IWU students, Daniel and Stephenie (Beutler) Freemyer (both ’06 grads). Daniel went on to Duke Divinity school (MDiv ’09). They just paid off their entire grad school bill this week. They have made huge personal sacrifices to see this become a reality in their lives. I Praise the Lord for how the Lord will use them even more profoundly in ministry because of being debt-free.

Lord,

Allow us to realize that momentary hardships are merely precursers to lives of praise.

Give us eyes to conceive of Your Kindgom,

Eyes to perceive Your Glory,

Most of all, may we have voices to reveal praises in Your Name.

Amen

I usually end with the words, “Go with God.”

Not today, I ask you to go to your computer and send a note of praise; student, alumni, or merely a reader of this note; “let’s just praise the Lord.”

Can You Say, "Means of Grace"?

2009-10-18T16:26:00.001-07:00

A Go with God moment.

So, you know I’m a bit obsessed with keeping people close to Christ. Sorry, it’s one of my many flaws. And my other shortcoming is that if someone finds following Christ to be not-worth-the-effort, I sincerely want them to at least ponder staying with Him for just a while longer. And both groups can accomplish this by utilizing the same practice. But you might say, “Since these two groups of people (let’s call you either a faith-seeker or a faith-decliner) are traveling in such different directions, how can the same practice accomplish similar results?

How about an answer in narrative form? While I was in seminary I heard the most wonderful personal story from one of my professors. He was tenured (which means you have a job-for-life) but gave it up to go back into the local church to serve a struggling congregation just outside of Washington D.C. He preached faithfully and loved his people, but the church never seemed to grow. As a matter of fact, the move from a small city in Kentucky to the huge metropolitan area of D.C. actually created a series of almost insurmountable family catastrophes. Slowly but surely my friend/professor began to perceive Jesus differently. He was still real, but rather than powerful and active, He seemed distant and uncaring. My friend did not come to this realization overnight, but it was a slow and almost imperceptible change. Until one day, he decided there was no value in investing time in prayer; because nothing he prayed for came into being. God was there, He just did not seem to care about his family or the church he was serving.

This newly formed vision of the divine frightened my friend. He knew if he did not take some kind of action, his chilling relationship with the Lord may someday turn Ice Cold. He needed to put himself into a river that would give hope that a life of faith would return. He knew that the way to God was to practice what Wesleyan’s call the “Means of Grace.” The means of grace are simply those practices where God shows up in a tangible way with the participants. For him, prayer was the key means he would employ. Yet, he knew he did not have the personal faith to utter sacred vocabulary to reach the heavens. So, he simply rubbed his fingers across the text of the Psalms each day; reading aloud the same words that functioned as the prayer book of Israel and the hymnal of Jesus. He rubbed and recited the prayers of David until the ink began to fade from the page. He knew that walking away from the Lord was more frightening than striving with a silent Savior. So he waited, he rubbed, he prayed.

Friends, practicing the Means of Grace is simply working within the ocean currents of faith-seeking. It’s not demanding a sign or forcing a divine ultimatum. Rather, it’s being honest with oneself that I do not have all the answers or maybe I’m not even asking the right questions. So, I’ll wait like so many faith-seekers before me.

I’ll pray - even is its someone else’s prayers.

I’ll read scripture - even if today, it they seem like mere human words.

I’ll attend church - even if the singing is poor and the sermon is dry.

I’ll take Communion - even if the bread is flavorless and the wine tastes sour.

I’ll wait, for maybe in the midst of this means God’s grace will once again speak into my world.

Waiting on God is not passive, but an active endeavor. So, why not rub your fingers across the screen…Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

And what about my friend? He is indeed fully restored. He teaches once again, with a fully-orbed grace that is contagious. He is much deeper in character, more tender-in-heart, much quicker to laugh and tears up even in the midst of class. He is strikingly Christ-like. He is sold on the Means of Grace.

What about you? Any takers for the Means of Grace?

Please Lord,

We long to be like you…but are fearful of the process.

We are afraid of tarrying in silence…but know that the still small voice is hard to hear.

We know that the “fellowship of suffering” is Your call upon us…but we are taught to avoid pain. Teach us anew.

Grace us with the Means to become just like You.

Amen

Now, Go with God.

Are You a Stumbling Block?

2009-10-11T18:04:00.001-07:00

A God with God moment.

So, if you read this regularly, you know that for the last few weeks I have been gravely concerned about the voices who speak into your life; the voices who may cause you to stumble in your faith. But today, I am not speaking to your ears which listen but to people whose lips are speaking. Scripture is replete with it position on this matter.

· Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-- (1Co 10:32 NIV)

· Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. (Rom 14:20 NIV)

· But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea. (Mat 18:6 NAS).

Now, if you are mocking the faith of others, I recognize that attempting to employ the words of Paul or Jesus to silence your voice seems like a fool’s errant. Yet I know that most of you have something in common; you used to have faith. Deep and robust faith. You have “tasted the Lord and know He is good.” Then, something happened in your life. Maybe it came upon you suddenly and tragically. Your heart has been hurt. Was it unanswered prayer? Was it some sort of pain and suffering? Maybe inner shame from the same re-occurring sin from which you could not gain ultimate victory. In the end, your soul has been damaged and you have simply given up the fight. It’s easier this way, isn’t it. At least, maybe easier for you.

Maybe with you it came upon you much slower, as your intellect has outdistanced your faith development. You woke up one day, and it just did not seem you would be a person of “intellectual integrity” to believe any longer. Was it realizing you were looking at the world “thru rose colored glasses” that did it? You saw the pain and suffering of someone else, maybe in the Far East, in Africa, maybe even your neighbor or your family member? And a good God who what all powerful would not allow this to go on. So, the perfect “philosophical storm” has held you captive and robbed you of your faith.

Well, I understand perfectly. So, live without your faith. But would it be alright to make two requests in the meantime?

1. Would you mind if I asked you to not be destructive to the faith of others. You choice is just that, your choice. Could I beg you not to allow it to affect (infect?) those whom you influence? If you have been hurt, others will certainly feel your pain. And it’s just possible that your pain or disappointment is so deep that you cannot get over it without repeating it over and over; each time making Christ or His church out to be the bad guy. Do you really want to someone else’s faith-implosion on your conscience?

2. Would you mind if I asked you to continually test the waters of faith, just in case you have a change of heart? I’ve been reading James K. A. Smith’s (philosopher par excellence) book, Desiring the Kingdom. In part, he explains education in a new paradigm. We do not make decisions based upon how we are informed but rather how we are formed thru liturgical practices; both for and against faith. Now, by liturgical practices, Smith means any repeated activity which shapes us. Let me try to make this extremely practical. If you stay away from scripture, never pray, cease to recite the Apostle’s Creed, avoid church at all times; you are not making an intellectual decision to reject faith. Rather, you are being (con)formed to the patterns of your practices. So why not try faith, one more time? What can it hurt?

· Let me encourage you to pick up the Gospel of John, just once a week and read a few chapters. What can it hurt?

· Let me ask you to try praying, again. You can recite the Psalms (Israel’s Prayer Book) or if you are angry enough go straight to some of the imprecatory passages in the Prophets (Jer 20:7ff, entire book of Habakkuk, or try Job). But avoiding an issue (even if it’s with God) is never the act of a wise man.

· OK, radical I know, but what about fellowship with the Body of Christ? Yes, I know we at times can be disappointing and even hypocritical. But who else on earth is really seeking Christ? Most folks love Jesus, they just don’t like the Church. But it’s in Church that forgiveness is offered and exchanged. Isn’t that a great concept to explore once again?

· At least try these because I am certain that there are others in your life that you influence; a spouse, maybe a child. Your practices (even unspoken) may so severely affect the faith of a loved one…that…

Please Lord,

Would You keep the mouths of some closed.

Would You protect the ears and hearts of their listeners.

Would You allow the eyes and ears of the faith-less to be newly opened.

Would You open their minds that have been (con)formed to this world.

Would You (trans)form the situations,

All for the sake of Your Glory.

Amen

Now, Go with God.

Are All Voices Created Equal?

2009-10-04T14:41:00.001-07:00

A Go with God moment.

So in the end, whose voice has the most profound influence in your lives?
Who is whispering in your ears?
Who do you trust?
In what direction are they pointing you?
Are you following their advice?

That series of questions was what I left hanging with you last week. If you recall, I was asking a simple yet reflective question, “Who are the people who influence your thoughts and in the end, your life choices?”

Each of you knows how important people are to you. Building and maintaining relationships is the highest value of just about every student on the IWU campus. Please re-read that last line, “Building and maintaining relationship is the highest value here.” As if all relationships are created equal. And as if they are of equal value to your life.

Listen to John 1:6-7, ^“There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.” The man named here is who we know from the Synoptic Gospels as John the Baptist…but in the Fourth Gospel he is simply referred to as the “testifier”; as the one who points his friends toward Jesus. If you keep reading the Gospel of John, this “testifier” is heard from again and again;

This is He who I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me.” (1:15)
I am the voice crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the paths of the Lord.” (1:23)
“Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (1:29)
I saw the Spirit of God come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him (1:32)
I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God. (1:34)
Look, the Lamb of God (1:36)

Now, after listening to John over and over, watch the response of John’s friends; “When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

So, I ask the question again, “Are all friends created equal?” Do you treat all your relationships on the same level? Let me be practical. Ladies, does your significant-other speak to you like John? Is he whispering in your ear words that point you to Jesus? Or are your conversations less than edifying? Men, what about your friends? Do they raise your level of faith? Do they help you with the practical application of your morality? Or do you walk away from far too many discussions spiritually depleted?

Why am I so concerned? Well, in recent months I have had multiple conversations with current and former students who are all of a sudden questioning the veracity of Jesus. They seemed to be following the Lord so closely and then all of a sudden, they changed the course of their life-decisions. There was one common ingredient; the level of credibility they placed in the voices of people that no longer believed. Their influencers had suddenly shifted, and it should not surprise anyone that eventually, so did their faith. You actually follow the people you open your heart and mind to.

Please do not hear me as saying anything as foolish as, “Break all ties with anyone who is not a fully devoted follower of Christ.” We do not need to isolate ourselves. Nor do we need to be afraid of being tripped up at every turn. But I think we need to ask (and answer) the question I voiced above, “Who is speaking into your life?” And are they pointing you to Jesus or causing your eyes and heart to wander?

Please allow me to probe this deeper over the next few weeks, but in the meantime; hear the prayers of your professors. These are men and women in whom you can trust.

Please Lord,

Our cry is that You open the ear of every student so they can over-hear the prayers of their professors that quietly yet faithfully serve to fashion both their hearts and their heads.

We cry out to You on behalf of each student.

May we treat them as Your sons and Your daughters.

May they sense a spiritual adoption in their relationship with us.

May each class open them up to the vastness of Your Kingdom possibilities.

May each hallway greeting be seen as a divine encounter.

May each Baldwin meal exhibit a sacramental flavor.

May each chapel service conclude with both seen and unseen consecration moments.

May each dorm prayer meeting assist in the forming of the Imago Dei in their inner most being.

In the end Lord, May the students You fashion during their four year quest on these hallowed grounds become co-labors with us; all for Your Glory.

Amen

Now, Go with God.

A Voice Crying in the Wilderness

2009-09-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

A God with God moment.

I was reading Mark 1:4-5 with some friends in church last Wednesday. Read them and then I’ll make just a few comments.

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins (NAS).

Our attention was drawn to the two small qualifying adjectives. All. John the Baptist was in the desert, baptizing; and Mark tells us that everyone left the city of Jerusalem and its surrounding countryside to find forgiveness through the washing of water. Now to us today, that would not sound irregular; but in the first century, it was unheard of. In the time of Jesus’ ministry; forgiveness was found in one place, the temple which rose high above all of Jerusalem. Your sacrifice was brought there, the priest accepted it, offered it to God and declared you forgiven.

But, Mark seems to be starting his Gospel with three introductory thoughts. First, whatever was transpiring at the temple thru the priests, it was not meeting the needs of the people of Jerusalem. And he tells us that all of Jerusalem left the confines of the City of David to journey to the desert to find true forgiveness. Second, Jews in the first century were almost never baptized. It was not a rite of passage for a Jew but for a gentile (called a proselyte) who was converting to Judaism. Third, notice the location, the desert. Other translations call this the wilderness. Listen to me say it this way, “the children of Israel wander out to the desert to meet God.” What does that remind you of? Sure, the Exodus. But in the history of Israel, that was their journey of utter disappointment. It was the place where they were tested, failed and then wandered for 40 years.

So, what do you think is Mark’s point for bringing the memory of the wilderness disaster front and center? Here are just a few implications.

The very next scene in Mark’s Gospel is Jesus’ own baptism and then the Spirit leading (driving?) Him out into the wilderness for His own time of testing. And in this desert trial, the very place where Israel was weak and failed; Jesus came forth victorious with an even stronger faith in His calling and in His Father.
In all the rest of the Book of Mark (with the exception of the beginning of Mark 6) Jesus is the central figure of every single episode. For Mark, there is no life without Jesus. Apparently, we learn nothing about God, ourselves, and our relationship with others UNLESS Christ is central in our lives.

May I make some simple applications? Some of you (or some of your fiends) are trying to make it through life with Jesus only on the periphery. You want to have just enough of Jesus to be called a Christian but not too much as to be labeled an extremist. Or maybe you are going thru the same “forgiveness pattern” and never getting yourself out of the Sin-cycles. (You know what I mean by sin-cycle, pleading with Jesus to “Forgive me of my ______ sin” but then never really allowing the Holy Spirit to transform your life. Read that as actually taking the sin away). Why not let God call you out to a desert place with Him and allow Him to perform a cleansing work in you?

Finally, the most troubling part of this story is that all of Jerusalem returns home with only a fond memory of their baptism (maybe a picture of them with John the Baptist) and their wet clothes that they hang out on the line to dry. For in short order, they quickly return to their “temple forgiveness” patterns. Worse yet, they seek the advice of the un-repentant priests on how to order their lives. In just a few short chapters all of Jerusalem will be crying out (at the persuasion of the religious leaders), “Crucify Him.” So in the end, whose voice has the most profound influence in your lives? Who is whispering in your ears? Who are you trusting?

Lord,

We have ears and we want to listen.

Speak to us so You may be heard.

Thru Your Spirit, we lean into the still small voice.

Bring to us men and women of wisdom who will inspire us in Christ-honoring ways.

May we continually befriend folks who are not following You.

But may our voices impact them, not the reverse.

Amen.

Now, Go with God.

Are His Words Enough?

2009-09-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

A “Go With God” moment:

As I’ve been working through the Gospel of John recently, I am struck by the simplicity of its theological beauty. Yes, I am sure that to some degree, Clement of Alexandria is right; John is the “Spiritual Gospel.” For example, have you noticed the first “sign” in John; turning of water into wine (not exactly the miracle of choice for Wesleyans). John’s summary statement of that section reads this way, “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” (2:11) This sounds like true belief language, doesn’t it?

Now, I’m not saying that a sign-generated-belief is by any means inauthentic but by the close of the chapter, John gives his readers a stunning retort to this sign-generated-belief.

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, beholding His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man for He Himself knew what was in man. (2:23-25; see also 12:37)

So, maybe sign-generated-faith is not the pinnacle of what Jesus is trying to (re)create within us. If not, what is He working towards? Here is the question I am asking today: “What is a faith that is pleasing to God?”

By the end of Chapter 4, we find the second sign that John actually numbers, this one again in occurs in Cana of Galilee. But this time it is a spoken sign, done at a distance, some 20 miles removed. The royal official’s son lies near death in Capernaum and his father pleads with Jesus to come down and heal his son. Jesus turns and says these words,

“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe.” (4:48) Again the father begged Jesus, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.”

Now, do not miss the theological punch that John places before his readers (that includes us)… “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off.” (4:50 NAS).

First, notice that the man saw nothing. He only heard the word (Greek: logos) of Jesus and that was enough. Second, ask yourself a question, what would you have done immediately after Jesus spoke? Me, I would have run home as fast as possible to check if what Jesus said actually happened. But if you carefully note of the time element in the passage, you will see that it is not until THE NEXT DAY that the father actually encounters his servant on the road as he traveled home. It is then that they tell him when the fever left his son, at one in the afternoon. Interesting isn’t it. Jesus spoke the word of healing, and the father not only believed him but did not feel the compulsion to run home and see for himself. He lived his life as if the spoken word of Jesus was more than enough.

Maybe, as you read John again, try to do it with fresh eyes. Sorry. Maybe you should make that with fresh “ears.” Listen for all the times that Jesus speaks and His listeners want more than His words offer or even worse, they treat His words as if they are inadequate to meet their daily needs. Let me leave you with the question Jesus presents to Martha at the time of her greatest faith-test, the death of her brother Lazarus. Jesus says,

“I am the Resurrection and the Life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (11:25-26).

So, may I ask you the same question, “Do you believe the Words of Jesus and act upon them unquestionably?” So, today; what kind of belief are you asking Jesus to produce within you? Sign-generated-faith or Word-created-faith? Are His words enough for you?

Lord Jesus.

Today, right now. I ask that You speak.

I beg that we have ears to hear.

I plead that our listening will be transformed steps of faith.

Transform Your image in us into Living vessels of Your Glory.

Amen.

Now, Go with God

The Profundity of Simply Showing Up

2009-09-14T03:10:00.001-07:00

A “Go with God” Moment

Let me welcome you all, whether you are a first semester freshmen or a senior…or anyone in between…to IWU. Summer is a good time to rest but the campus without you is non-functioning. It was quiet, it was empty, it was simply wrong. This is not the way IWU is meant to be. So I say, welcome back…

This is the first Monday Memo of a new school year so with it allow me to address just a few words to the incoming freshmen. For some of you, it may seem as if you have been here for a lifetime. So many new settings, hundreds (if not thousands) of new people, and if you are an introvert, there are very few places just to be alone. Each day of this last week could probably be described as “newness overload.” There are too many new places and with far too many names. There is the Phillippe Performing Arts Center but in actuality we only call it, The PPAC. We have an OLD College Church which has an alternative venue for chapel service, but it looks nothing like a church. We have a student center that looks like a Mall with its own coffee shop. We have residence halls galore (with a variety of names; have you figured out where ToHo is?) and academic buildings in every direction. You have discovered that the campus is loaded with real places with real names but often we only refer to them by acronyms or abbreviations. I apologize to you if you have been confused. I promise you that by fall break (another inaccurate term, because it’s only one day long), you will feel right at home.

Ok, so where am I going with this? Let me tell you a short story (a living parable) about what happened to me last spring. My wife Angie and I were on Sabbatical (every 7 years a professor gets a semester off to hone his/her trade of teaching). We decided to travel to three different Wesleyan Bible Colleges in Africa. At our last stop on the seven week tour, Mozambique, I was bitten by a tick and developed typhus; high fever, extreme exhaustion, and one nasty bite on the back of my leg. However, I was only going to be at this one Bible College for three weeks. During that time I was trying to teach an entire semester’s worth of work in three weeks. So, imagine if I stayed in bed for the next week (advice from the missionary). One third of the semester would have been lost. Instead, I promised my wife that if I taught for four hours a day, I would return to the mission home and rest the remainder of the day. Well, on the first day of class, I explained to the 50 young ministry students (who BTW, had traveled up to five days journey to attend this class) that I was sick but I wanted to try and teach my may through it. So I sat on a three legged stool and taught. Angie kept handing me glasses of water to keep me hydrated. It was 95 degrees with 95% humidity, and we were in a building without electricity or even a ceiling fan. I had never been so exhausted in my life after the first two hours of teaching. And in actuality, I do not remember a word that I said. But at the first morning break, one of the English speaking students came up to me and said, “Dr. Smith that was the greatest teaching I’ve ever witnessed.” His words of course got my attention, so I said (with a good bit of self-serving pride), “What was it that I said that encouraged you?” As I waiting for him to stroke my ego, he said, “Oh, it was not what you said that was impressive. It was the profound fact that you simply showed up.” He went on to explain that when most western teachers come to Mozambique, if they contract an African disease, they simply stay home. And when the teachers stay home, 50 people lives are put on hold and they miss out on all that God has for them.

Now, my new freshmen friends, may I make a simple spiritual application to you today. If you are lonely, hurting, feeling a bit overwhelmed; please simply show up. Place yourself strategically in every position to succeed. Go to every class, with work done; simply show up. Attend the activities in the dorms which will help fashion you into a community; simply show up. Give God the opportunity to pour Himself into you. I mean, really, He has brought you to a time such as this; please simply show up. Allow Him the opportunity to bring you through to the other side.

Let me try to end this with a few “showing up” suggestions which may help this week set a good foundation for your long-term success at IWU:

Make Fall Summit a priority. Try to think of your education holistically rather than compartmentally. You grow as a person, body mind, and spirit. Classes for the most part are seen as your intellectual development. But if you have not picked up on it, we endeavor to offer you an integrated education; where we are concerned about your spiritual growth and your academic development. Set aside Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday morning and Monday and Tuesday evening for worship. BTW, Tim Elmore is one great preacher.
Get to know your professors. Make certain in the first several weeks of the semester to stop by the office suite of the School of Theology and Ministry (2nd floor Christian Ministries Bldg). If you do not know him/her, introduce yourself and set up a time for coffee or even a lunch. In my educational career, the time apart with professors had an equal or greater impact on my life than the time in class.
Seek out a church home. Chapel is not a church. Certainly it is a worship experience and spiritual food. But I encourage you before the semester gets too far along to find a local church to call “home.” Now, many of you will say that your church home is, well, back home. But in the ensuing semesters, you will grow academically and spiritually in ways you never imagined. And the people “back home” will not see this. They may always see you as the high school graduate who went off to IWU. I will ask you to put yourself into an accountable relationship with a multi-generational congregation with folks who can watch you, encourage you, challenge you, etc. Moreover, many of you will never return to your “home church” with any sort of regularity. So, finding a local church to worship and serve in now…will be setting an agenda for the rest of your lives.

Lord,
For Summit this week, I pray that You would anoint Tim Elmore, embolden his heart, and quicken our ears.
For relationships across campus, I pray that You will bind together students and faculty into an academic and spiritually collaborative community.
May we learn from one another in the beauty of Your Spirit.
May we see the local church as Your Body;
May the Body pour into the students, and
May the presence of the students encourage the local church.
Amen.

Now, Go With God.

Surety for Trying Times

2009-08-10T13:47:00.001-07:00

A “Go With God” moment:

I am stating the obvious with these words: This is a time of financial uncertainty. It’s spreading and affecting our towns and families with reckless abandon. Stress rules the day and our futures appear unpredictable. I know that is true with many IWU students, for I have had multiple inquiries for financial assistance; far above the usual for late summer.

While in the “crisis”, would you allow me to make a few observations relating to our understanding of God and how His will often reveals itself?

First, God is in control. Please do not take this lightly. From the moment He spoke creation into existence He has held all things in order (Col 1:15-17; Heb 1:3). Do you believe this? Did the fall in the garden disturb His control? NO. Did the faithless-ness of Israel in the desert create a dilemma beyond God’s reach? No Way! Or how about the rejection of God’s Son by all of mankind (John 1:11; Mark 14:50)? Was this too much for God to handle? Of course not! If that is true, the financial meltdown of our modern economic system is not a tragedy beyond His scope. He is in perfect control. Therefore, I urge you not to equate your lack of financial resources as the sole directional marker for the Lord's will in your life. He is so much bigger than that. Moreover, when one door closes, God ALWAYS stands next to many other ones which He will open at your request. Again, I say trust me when I tell you that your prayers for financial needs are heard in heaven. But what would you do if God was refashioning your request and answering it in a new and divinely inspired way? Prayer is not our command to God but it takes the form of a conversation which puts you in direct touch with the Creator and sustainer Himself. So, in these unsettling days, are you interested in His take on how the two of you can partner together during these difficult days?

Second, God primary goal is to shape our spiritual lives and our character to reflect the image of His Son. Thus, the education of your mind may not be the best avenue to do this shaping at this precise moment. Rather, Scripture tells us again and again that trials and suffering are a keen developer of a life of faith. Don’t believe me…well listen to James 1.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Third, God’s concept of education is a holistic approach; the life of the mind coupled with a vibrant heart of faith. Maybe, just maybe, there are some things the Lord can teach you in a financially unstable time that Drury, Bounds, Lennox, or Bence cannot teach you. So ponder with me for just a moment, “What might God have in mind this very day?” or Ask the question this way, “What type of faith is He trying to create deep within your soul right now that He has never had the opportunity to develop?”

Let me try to suggest a few practical thoughts of “understanding the times” which might give you a new and fresh confidence that God is at work in your life. This part is principally for those of you who cannot return to IWU this semester because the funds have simply dried up for various reasons.

1. Taking a semester off to get back on your financial feet seems to be a non-starter these days. In past generations students (read that as “your parents”) worked their way thru college so that when they graduated, they did so with little or no debt. With the huge increase of tuition over the last 20 years, it is almost impossible to work enough hours & go to school, paying as you go. Moreover, in my 10 years at IWU, I have seen students take loans out for every semester, and when they graduate, they do so resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Maybe, just maybe, the Lord is guiding you in a path of un-debtedness rather than in-debtedness. What if He would like to lead you down a road-less-traveled these days? It may take you longer to graduate, but you will not be burdened with such a huge student loan…especially if you intend in going into a career of Christian Ministry. So one perfect option will be to spend as much time working as you can to pay down old debt or to save for the future. Maybe the Lord is teaching you a new lesson in stewardship. His will may end up being an educational both/and (an affordable education) not either/or (pay me now or pay me later).

2. Taking time to do ministry (especially volunteering) is a perfect way to “test the Spirit” regarding your call. Many of you have worked in a local church…but why not do this with new eyes. During this time, watch the Lord at work in your life and heart. No one ever has “enough” ministry experience. Try to work alongside a pastor or mentor who will help your hear the voice of God with clarity. Spend this time IN ADVANCE of graduation...trying on the career you are pursuing. Wouldn't it be nice to know with certainty that you are called to this career before you spend 10's of thousands of dollars and 4 years studying? So this semester off may not be off at all. It will be investigating with the Lord your call.

Finally, I do not see this situation as a bad thing at all. It may be an incredible gift the Lord has placed before you. God is neither rejecting you nor closing your educational door. Maybe, just maybe; He is directing you on a holistic path which will make you deeper and more faithful than you even thought possible.

Now; Go With God

A Parting Word/word to IWU Seniors

2009-04-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

Dear seniors; (everyone else feel free to listen);

I miss you.

Now, you might assume that this emotional feeling arises from the fact that I’ve been on sabbatical this spring and simply miss the interaction which comes from being on campus. You would be mistaken. I’m talking about missing you AFTER graduation. April for me is a time of deep mourning not celebration. Over the last four years, I have watched you grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Child development experts say the first 18 months of your life was the most important to your growth. Obviously, these folks have never watched an 18 year old infant (I’m not trying to be offensive. But do you remember what you were like when you first came to IWU?) grow and mature into a 22 year old man or woman. The conversations we have now are nothing like the ones we had during freshmen orientation. And I have watched you grow up; and now, you are leaving. Personally, I think April stinks.

In several of the letters of the Apostle Paul, he closes with some parting words. These words, such as in 1 Thessalonians 5 are short, pithy, and to the point. “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thes 5:16-22).

Would you please pamper me and allow me to give some “Paul-like” parting words to you seniors?

Here is my first admonition, “Practice the spiritual disciplines that you have seen modeled before you for the last four years.” If you have gained any respect for your Religion professors, you might ask the question, “How have they gotten to where they are?” The answer is simple; by God’s grace. None of your professors deserve the gift of teaching at the best undergraduate institution in the country, with the most caring faculty, and teaching the best students in the world. It’s all because of His grace. “How does one appropriate God’s grace you ask?” Another simple answer, practice the disciplines which have been passed down from teacher to students; beginning with Jesus to His disciples. “Teach us to pray” they said; and He did (read John 17 or His words in Gethsemane). “What does this parable mean” they asked. And he taught them to read and interpret scripture (read Mark 4:13-20). You have watched and at times been mentored by us for the last four years. I beg you; do not leave this place without pledging that you will practice these spiritual disciplines daily. Jesus did. We do. Shouldn’t you?

Second, “Integrate faithfulness to the local church into your worship of the Lord.” George Barna in his book Revolution is DEAD wrong. No one can remain faithful to Jesus for any length of time apart from the local church. I have watched too many of our graduates (that’s right, CM and YTH ministry students, CE and Worship majors, from every combination of majors and minors) walk across the stage at graduation, receive their diploma, and slowly but surely walk away from the Lord. I’m sure it was not intentional, but it certainly was predictable. If you neglect the spiritual disciplines, if you do without the fellowship of the Body of Christ; I can be prophetic; you will be writing me in 6 months wondering why your faith is faltering, why your passion for Christian service is waning, and why your ability to resist temptation is negligible. Here is another revelation for you, in short order you will miss MWF @ 10am. That’s right, chapel will quickly become a warmhearted memory not an academic compliance. You will miss devos at midnight, principally because you will be in bed by 10pm. You will miss prayer at the beginning of class, and coffee with Christian friends at any hours in McConn. Your guardian angel will be the Church. Remember what Coach D wrote, There is no “I” in Church. Please, hearken my words, the Church is the only place on earth that not only cares about your faith, she wants your faith to grow and flourish. You may say, “The Church is just not for me right now.” Please believe me when I lovingly say, “You are wrong.” The Church does not need you nearly as much as you need the church. If you disagree, you border on spiritual arrogance; watch out lest you fall.

Now, number three, “Call upon spiritual direction for the rest of your life.” Remember how often you would ask one of your professors for advice? How natural it felt to sit in one of our offices and to ask questions of ecclesiology, Christology, theodicy, or even the practical issues of life? Even the most mundane things of life were fair game. Well, the reason it was so natural, was because IT IS. We are meant to establish Paul-and-Timothy relationships for the rest of our lives. Do not think that because you stop paying tuition, we cease to care. Nothing is farther from the truth. But the farther you move from IWU, temporally and experientially, the more you need others in your life that know the current YOU and the vents which are impacting your life. So, where ever you go, find a “spirit-led Paul” who will assist you on your spiritual journey. S/he can help you discern the voice of God and the pattern of the Spirit in your life. Also, begin the process of being a mentor for someone spiritually younger than you.

Finally, as a word of preparation for the harsh world out there, “Remember, failure is an even better teacher than your Religion Professors.” Recently, I’ve reflected upon the hardship of failure and rejection. I did not realize how many times I’ve been told, “No.” Each one has been painful; shattering what I thought was God’s plan. But each “no” was also a wonderful opportunity for God to reveal His goodness in a profound manner. Let me cite a few examples for you:

· I have sitting before me the names of five churches that I candidated with. They all rejected me. One church board member actually relayed the rejection via a phone message given to a baby-sitter while Angie and I were out one night. But then, one district superintendent took favor on me and gave me a chance. It only took one “yes” to reveal the flood-gates of heaven to me.

· I have four file folders from graduate schools that turned me down for PhD studies, all for a variety of reasons. Only one said, “Yes.” One was just enough. It was at the University of Durham that I formally met Ken Schenck, who several years later mentioned my name to Dr. Steve Lennox (then chair of the Religion Division) when IWU was searching for a Bible Professor. Yes, one was just the right number of acceptances.

· I have 11 (yes, count them 11) letters of rejection from my application to teach at undergraduate institutions. I was ready to give up when I received a phone call from Dr. Lennox who asked me to apply for a Bible position here at IWU. It only took one “yes” to remove all the pain of opening each of those rejection letters.

Then again, if I had not come to IWU, I would not have met you. We would not have had these last four years together. What a blessing all those rejections truly were. I would go thru them all again to receive a bounty as rich as this.

I am convinced that God is more at work in the rejections of life than in the acceptances. Please allow Him to shape your spiritual life (and professional one as well) through these seemingly harsh circumstances. Of course, your response to rejection and failure will only be endured and stabilized by the integration of items 1-3 above. Finally, here is the answer you have been waiting for your entire college career, “Yes, these will be on the test”. But after graduation, the only test left is life. Choose the life of faith.

Now, for the last time I tell you, “Go with God.”

Seek Person of Christ not mere Principles

2008-11-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

Friends,
We are officially on the downward slope of the fall semester. Thanksgiving is now merely a pleasant memory and exam week is almost upon us. That means this is the last Monday Memo of the semester. And we are about to finish our discussion of “Godly Values which drive Good Decisions”…today is the final installment:
Finances: The funds and material possessions of life are just “things.” I will not allow their pull to be a chief decision maker in my life. Moreover, God is the ultimate owner, I am merely His caretaker.
I list this value last because I want financial matters to have the least amount of sway in my decision making. Now, that is easy to say if you have a job and your bills paid. But if the economy has hit you as hard as it has the rest of the country, the issue of finances might end up being the TRUMP card in all your decisions. But should it?
Angie and I learned early on that wise management of money is a learned behavior as well as a matter of trust. First, the learned behavior: you only spend what you have. In a consumer-driven society where constantly we are bombarded by the latest and the improved…the joy of life can easily become inextricably entangled with our possessions. If we become what we own; how do we say, “No.” A way out is the matter of trust; none of the stuff is actually yours; everything is owned by the Lord! We are merely care-takers of His garden.
Now, I could give you story after story which cemented this value in our marriage. It all began for us as God was trying to teach us a life of stewardship as a young Christian couple. But I must admit that it is easy to be obedient when you have two good paying jobs and are building a nest-egg. Our most profound faith-building time came profoundly as graduate students who were terribly under-funded yet we were never more satisfied in following the Lord.
Now, I have finished describing Angie’s and my “Godly values.” Have you caught the key ingredient which stands behind each of the values? Each principle is wondrously colored and divinely nuanced by our story. In the faith-building trenches of life, we have personally “fleshing out” each of these principles. Principles can be life-less bones until the Lord Himself breathes upon them and they live (Ezekiel 37). Moreover, these principles are not easily transferred from my life to yours. You can take them as guidelines (bones, if you will). But then allow the Lord to add tendons, muscle, and most of all His breath (Spirit) through His life intersecting with yours; creating your life-story.
So, maybe you have already begun and just have not written then summary principles down. For principles do not determine a “Godly Life.” Sorry if I ever gave you that impression in the past 8 Monday Memos. No, the “Godly Values” Angie and I have articulated arose as the Breath/Spirit of God moved across our often chaotic lives and created a “Divine Story.”
This Advent Season; let me encourage you to allow your story to be (re)written by the same hands which placed the stars in their celestial positions so all the heavenly host could proclaim;
“Glory to God in the highest heaven;
And on Earth, Peace to those on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2).
What a great way to start your Godly Values; for your story to intersect with His!

Lord.
May we not seek principles alone; but rather may we seek the person of Christ.
May we find our stories to wondrously intersect with His grander story.
May we find the Advent season to be the incarnation of God’s Story; beginning with an infant invasion.
May we see Jesus’ story as the place where God’s new exodus begins;
May He start with us.
Amen.

Call-Centered Decisions

2008-11-24T04:03:00.000-08:00

Friends,
It’s almost Thanksgiving. The semester is rapidly winding down. For some of us, that has been a time of hard work and wise decisions, with a well deserved rest at the end. For others of us, poor decision-making skills regarding our personal lives or our academic situation have placed us in a hole which we are having a terrible time climbing out of. Thus, serendipitously, as we have been talking Monday after Monday about “Godly Values which drive Good Decisions”…today is about Decisions:
Decisions: I will not live a life of regret; I will risk a more comfortable life for the hope of living a more full life. The easy road is a poor teacher. I will not fear failure; I will apply creative responses to those failures.

What is the driving force behind your decisions? This is a strategic question. Here are just a few options in the mix.

You may be re-active rather than pro-active. Simply put, you do not make decisions until the last possible minute. A parallel preference is that you bury your head in the sand, hoping that circumstances will somehow align themselves to bail you out. Why might that be? Ponder for a few minutes. This type of decision making might be called a “plodder.”
Maybe the majority of times when someone asks you to consider doing a task; you simply say, “Yes.” Then you spend an excessive amount of time trying to figure out how to fit this task in with all your other tasks you are trying to fit into an already too busy schedule. Again, if that is your style, reflect on whether this brings stability to your life or added chaos. This decision-making style could be labeled a “pleaser.”

Friends, these two examples are polar opposites…and I’m sure you dwell in a “decision-making pattern” somewhere in the middle. I’m sure you are not an ostrich with your head buried in the sand, just waiting upon someone else to make a decision or for the Rapture to take you out of an un-manageable life-scenario. Nor are you a pure “yes-people-pleaser” who is searching for human centered approval.
But how would you articulate your method? Mine is fairly simple; I try not to be “need-based” but instead to be “call-centered.” Let me try to define it this way; I try to listen to the voice of the Spirit rather than only listen to the person in front of me. There are countless opportunities which loom on the horizon, which ones are for me and which ones should I leave undone for another to pick up behind me? Angie and I have begun to ask a series of questions…all based upon NOT DOING something:

If we say no; is it merely to make our lives are more comfortable?
If we say no; will we regret it later?
If we say no; is it out of fear?
If we say no; have I silenced the voice of God in my ear?

Lord.
Help us to see Your Kingdom as it stands before us.
Help us to see people and their needs;
Help us to hear Your voice with clarity;
Help us to recognize where their needs and Your call coalesce
Help us to release freely what is not for us but to lay it down for someone else.
Help us to fashion creative strategies for fulfilling Your Kingdom in our midst.
Amen.

Now, “Go with God.”

The Disciplines which Don't Hurt

2008-11-16T15:51:00.000-08:00

Friends,
Let’s talk today about the next of the “Godly Values which drive Good Decisions.” If you recall, in my list the next one is “disciplines.” No, that does not mean that I believe in spanking my children nor putting my students in hallway time-outs. Rather, it means I place a high value the Spiritual Disciplines. And the best way I can articulate this is in a threefold manner:

I will be a man of “one book” but constantly search for truth as revealed throughout God’s creation and by His children.
I will appropriate the means of grace earmarked by the Church for my spiritual well-being.
I will seek divine guidance in everything and walk in the Spirit submissively.

Now, these are somewhat self-evident. The reading of Scripture for me is paramount in maintaining my connection with God’s Wisdom and Will. But there is truth to be found in addition to personal Bible reading. Thus, I place myself regularly in prayer and accountability groups with other believers who speak truth into my life which may have otherwise remained hidden. My growth is dependent upon the prayers and nurturing of others.

The leads directly into the second use of the word “discipline.” The Church from ancient times right down to the present day have indicated that there are specific “means of grace” through which God speaks to His children most clearly and profoundly. Therefore, Angie and I are deeply involved in our local church; the preaching of the word and the participation in the sacraments are integral to our ministry and marriage. Moreover, personal and corporate prayer elevate my sensitivity to God’s Will and ability to discern His often quiet voice from all the world’s competing noise.

Finally, I want to submit all my acts and decisions to the Holy Spirit Himself. Now, that does not mean that I ask Jesus should I put ranch or honey-mustard dressing on my salad at lunch. But it does mean that as I walk throughout the day, I have one ear tuned to each person who comes in my path and the other ear is listening for the voice of the Spirit. Even when I have a cup of coffee with a friend or student; I hope and pray for the ability to encourage or comfort. Thus, I try desperately to never think of myself as ever being alone. This is both a wonderful practice to prevent idle temptations from overtaking me. (I am always amazed that people tell me they were “surprised by sin.” Where did they think they were going as they were walking as if God was not right alongside of them?) Plus this is such a healthy reminder that what we do is all under His leading and Lordship.

Lord
Speak from Your Word.
Reveal Yourself in a message from the pulpit or from the common elements of the Communion Table.
Make known Your will as we discover the mystery of the gift of prayer.
Disclose the wonder of Your glory in the comforting words of a friend.
And where two or three are gathered in Your Name, unveil Yourself.
Amen.

Now, “Go with God.”

Ministry: It Does the Body Good

2008-11-10T02:59:00.000-08:00

Friends,
If it’s Monday, this must be time to think about “Godly Values which drive Good Decisions.” If you recall, in the past several weeks we have talked about the way I attempt to articulate and then implement my values for: Transformation, Integrity, Home, and Relationships. Today will be a straightforward one: “What is my value regarding Ministry.”

Ministry: I will pursue personal holiness for the purpose of building up the Body corporately and enhancing our spiritual lives together.

It has taken me awhile to articulate how I understand and approach my call to ministry. First, it’s not principally about what I do but rather about who I am (doing vs. being). I know that is almost a cliché these days…but if you think about it, “How can anyone survive in ministry if that is not your perspective?” Ministry is brutal; constant demands and an unrelenting schedule which will crush you if you are working on your own strength. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zech 4:6). Even the pastor who has the best natural gifts for ministry will turn to another form of employment if “ministry” comes from any source other than a pursuit of God’s un-measurable grace.

Second, if you notice, I have framed my ministry within the context of the Body. Ministry is not to be understood as “me” but as “we.” I so love the Apostle Paul’s examples of Body-life in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4

It was he [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Simply, I cannot attain all that Christ has for me without you. Everything works this way in the Body. I need all God has for me; and often I find it in reciprocal ministry within the Body. In all ways, we are meant to strengthen one another. Even something as individualistic as “repentance” is in actuality a corporate act. Eugene Peterson has recently written, “In the biblical story, repentance cannot be narrowed down to something private, such as being sorry for your sins and ready to make amends. The call is to return to God and the ways of God with His people” (emphasis added). N.T. Wright has chimed in on this theme, “What must be abandoned in our understanding of repentance is the lonely post-Enlightenment individual bent on a quest for private salvation.” I do not pursue Christ for you; as if you are a customer. Rather, I abandon my rights and privileges with you. Together, we mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Lord
Help us to pursue You…in our pursuit of our call
Help us to see how we will gain spiritual vitality in and thru the Body.
May we never stand alone;
May we always stand united;
May others see this unity of faith
And may the on-lookers desire what we have; You.
Amen.

Now, “Go with God.”

Who is My Neighbor?

2008-11-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

Friends,
It’s Monday; again. We all are in the cycle of “another week” with an exhausting number of assignments, meetings, and commitments. Each day we arise and function as “academic robots” where all that stands before us are the tasks that need to be completed before the end of the year. Any shift in the schedule or interruption in your day-timer mentality creates mayhem. Simple observation; watch out for it’s at times like this that we demote people and elevate tasks in their ranking in our value system. My question: Is your value system situational? Meaning, “I value people most of the time, except as finals appear on the horizon of my calendar.” So, how do we express our value of people? As for Angie and me; it’s fourth on our list of the Smith Family values:

Relationships: I will love the Lord our God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love my neighbor as myself. My “neighborhood” begins with my wife and children. It then extends to my current place of ministry, Indiana Wesleyan University and to my local church, College Wesleyan Church. It then expands as I seek to live in love and harmony with the rest of the world.

As you can read, my value statement takes shape from Jesus’ general statement about mutually loving God and our neighbors (Luke 10:27). This arises from a bible scholar’s (a scribe) question to Jesus about how might he inherit eternal life. Their general consensus is to follow the law as stated by God in Deuteronomy 6. But practically speaking, for the scribe and for us, we must find a way to particularize this so it functions in everyday life. So the scribe asks Jesus the key question, “Who is my neighbor?” In other words, the scribe is asking, “What are the limitations of my love?” Or more to the point, the scribe wants to know, “Who can I ignore or even who can I despise?” Who is not my neighbor? Jesus then masterfully tells the parable of the “Good Samaritan” (what an ironic title for the first century). You know the way Jesus changes the scribe’s question from “Who is my neighbor?” to “Am I being neighborly?” Thus, the question ceases to be about the likable-ness of others but its becomes a matter of my desire to offer Christ-like-ness to everyone.

Now, how will this relate to my decisions on whom I will invest in? Does this mean I am called to minister to everyone? Am I to personally sacrifice time and talents to everyone who crosses my path? For you this may mean, “Am I to immediately put down my books and school projects when someone asks for my help?” Heaven forbid. Even Jesus was incapable of meeting every person’s need. I’m sure He disappointed people when He went home to Nazareth (Mark 6) and could not do many miracles. He must have seriously shamed His mother in the temple when He said, “I must be about my Father’s business (Luke 2).” Her needs were being submerged beneath that of His Heavenly Father.

The demands others place on you should never be the determining factor in your decision-making. For me, I try to place my relationships within the ever enlarging circles of my “neighborhood.” My inner most circle contains God. Failure to maintain my relationship with Him will have catastrophic consequences. My next circle has Angie in it. I am the only one who can be her husband. So if I fail in that relationship, no one else can substitute; no one else in the Body of Christ can redeem that failure. Next circle has my children; they need me as Dad above any other role I can play in the world. I must care and nurture these relationships with a bounty of energy and time. But then it expands to my place of ministry (you at IWU) and then to my local church (College Wesleyan), finally to the rest of the world.

So, in the end, I will always be “neighborly” to you but I may not be the one to serve you directly. If I fail my Lord as His disciple, my wife as a husband, and my children as their father; in the end I also fail you. So the best thing I can do with my relationship values is to trust the Body of Christ, that if I am not the one to meet your need; I wonder who God will call to be alongside you?

Lord
Help us to know You as our highest relational value.
Assist us to know ourselves and how we are called to relate with one another.
Provide us with energy to serve Your Body by doing Your bidding.
But Lord, teach us to say “no” which will allow another to say “yes.”
Amen.

Now, “Go with God.”

Win at Home First

2008-11-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

Friends,
Last week I may have been a bit pre-occupied. My son was married Saturday at College Wesleyan Church. At some point during last week, I may have walked right by you as you may have said, “Hello” or maybe you tried to get my attention in some way and I missed it. I am certain that I was pre-occupied. But I was not just distracted…I was intentionally distracted. Though my body may have been on the IWU campus; all week long I was mentally (and prayerfully) at College Wesleyan Church as the needs of Joshua my son and Laura, my new daughter, was keenly on my mind. NOT YOU.

I make no apologies for that; for I made last week’s decision 24 years ago, when my son was born; for my number 3 value is “win at home first” (see below for all 8 values). The last several Monday Memos have been devoted to making “Good decisions” based upon “Godly values.” This may seem like a straight-forward one; I value my son’s wedding over student questions. But how about when the issues are not so black-and-white, when there are competing issues which seem equally valid and God honoring. How do you make these decisions?
Here is my example. Angie and I were married. I was in the beginning stages of writing my dissertation. She was working a 9-5 job financially supporting the family. I was “Mr. Mom”, caring for two pre-teens by day, writing my dissertation by night. One evening we had the wonderful opportunity to entertain a world renowned New Testament scholar for dinner at our home; his name is Martin Hengel. He had taught at the University of Tubingen (Germany) for many years and at the time was at the top of the academic world for New Testament research. As we were passing pleasantries before dinner, he inquired about the topic of my dissertation. I told him I was researching on the “presentation of the Gospel of Mark in a first century oral culture.” His interest was immediate and he asked question after question on my approach. During dinner, he boldly asked (in front of Angie), “Why do you not come to Germany and spend six months researching the subject under my tutelage? [FYI, in my mind, that would be like a youth pastor being asked by Pastor Rick Warren to come to Saddleback Church to learn about ministry.]

As you can imagine, this was all I could think about for the next several weeks. I was mentally trying to figure out how our children could be cared for in my absence. I was also thinking how impressed people would be seeing Martin Hengel as a mentor and as an academic reference. One night [lovingly I might add], Angie asked how and when my priorities changed? She asked, “Since when does your resume take precedence over our children? She simply wanted to know when my values had changed. As you can imagine, I tried to “persuasively” convince her that this is a once in a life-time opportunity. Moreover, I argued, just find one of my academic peers who would disagree with this “self-made study abroad” program. Her words were simple, “I agree. It’s a wonderful opportunity. But is it more important than the value you place on caring for your children while we are in school together? While I work, you promised to put them first.” (I hate it when she uses spirit guided logic!)

After wrestling with God for several hours, I knew that she was right. My value, my Home priority was that I will win at home first. This allowed me to see that this wonderful offer was merely an opportunity to be self-promoting (so people might say, “Nice resume, Dave”) and not an occasion to show my children they are the most important people in my life.
Remember the passage of scripture in the Sermon on the Mount, “For where your treasure is there your heart will be.” This is Matthew’s way of substantiating his argument that worldly accolades and material possessions will surely disappear but what remains are the kingdom values upon which shape your life decisions. As for me and my house, “I will succeed at home first.” Friends, can you word your values in a way that will assist you in making some of the most difficult decisions…and maybe make them 24 years in advance?

Joshua and Laura; Congratulations and I pray that you will fashion your lives together around Kingdom values.

Now, “Go with God.”

Integrity: A Language Which Reveals "God in Us."

2008-10-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

OK. For the last several weeks we’ve been talking about how to make Godly decisions…and an easy way to accomplish this is to live by a Godly value system. (See below for my complete list)

Last week we talked about living a life assuming that transformation could be a possibility for any and all persons; especially you. This means taking seriously the profound reality of being a new creature in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Today I want to write just a few words about living a life of integrity. Now, the idea I have in mind is much more than simply “not lying” as stated in the 9th Commandment. Rather, when I say integrity, I mean we should be people who reveal our true transformed self to the world. Now you see the importance of value #1 being ranked above this one. You can not be a person of integrity until after you have been transformed.

But this is so hard to do in our society, especially the one here at IWU. Take for example our dating culture. First you talk; revealing only your best attributes. Then you may go out in a group, seeing how this person interacts with others. Then, maybe it will be time for coffee alone in McConn. You have to do it this way because if you really lived a transparent life, folks would run away screaming, “TMI.” But I’m not talking about spilling your guts but rather about being an authentic person. I’m never satisfied in a relationship when I walk away wondering, “Were they being honest with me or did they simply tell me what I wanted to hear?”

Let me try to shape my thoughts using a biblical principle. One of the graces of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) is to reverse the curse of Babel (Gen 11). If you recall, it was at Babel that people were trying to build a tower to heaven and “make a name for themselves” (Gen 11:4). God’s response was swift, their language was confused “so they will not understand each other” (Gen 11:7). But on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes to opens our mouths and ears so the act of speaking and listening becomes a redeeming event. Conversation can move beyond the surface level chit-chat and be transformed into the realm of integrity.

In the end our language; every noun and each verb; becomes a lasting legacy of grace to one another. Think of it this way; a person of integrity and transparency has only one vocabulary. Thus, the language you use to speak to a friend should be the very same language you use to speak to God in prayer. And since God is present in all our conversations, a person of integrity speaks truth at all times and in all places. Integrity; a language which reveals "God in us."

Lord:
May we seek You to find transformation.
May we then seek to use speech which reveals Your work in our lives.
May Babel become a history lesson with no present reality.
May we discover language which elevates our conversations to a whole new level.
May integrity of heart flow from our lips.
Amen.

Now, Go with God.

____________________________________________________________

My value list reads as follows (though always in a state of fine-tuning):

Transformation: I believe in the power of a transformed life. I will never forget where I have come from (a sinner saved by grace), but I will not allow my past to prevent Christ from fully reshaping His image within me.
Integrity: I will display before all people my transparent self. I will not worry about what I cannot control; I will work on what I can control; first and foremost myself.
Home: I will make home a non-negotiable priority; I will succeed at home first.
Relationships: I will love the Lord our God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love my neighbor as myself. My “neighborhood” begins with my wife and children. It then extends to my current place of ministry, Indiana Wesleyan University and to my local church, College Wesleyan Church. It then expands as I seek to live in love and harmony with the rest of the world.
Ministry: I will pursue personal holiness for the purpose of building up the Body corporately and enhancing the spiritual life of others personally.
Spiritual Disciplines: I will be a man of “one book” but constantly search for truth as revealed throughout God’s creation and by His children. I will seek divine guidance in everything and walk in the Spirit continually.
Decisions: I will not live a life of regrets; I will risk a more comfortable life for the hope of living a more full life. The easy road is a poor teacher. I will not fear failure; I will apply creative responses to those failures.
Finances: The funds and material possessions of life are just “things.” I will not allow their pull to be a chief decision maker in my life. Moreover, God is the ultimate owner, I am merely His caretaker.

Seeking Higher Values

2008-10-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

Friends,
Making Godly decisions is not as easy as it sounds. For, first you have to “find God’s will” (which sometimes seems elusive) and then you must apply it to your life situation. Well, I had wrestled with this for years…until Angie and I came up with what might be termed as a value-driven-decision-making tree. In actuality, it’s a series of real life issues which we have made agonizing difficult decisions on over and over again. Thus, by sheer repetition (and often by trial and error) we determined to base these life situations on scriptural concepts. We simply listed out the issues of life that have direct bearing on our everyday life. Then we have carefully crafted a definition of them regarding their value to us as we follow Christ. Finally, we ranked them according to importance, so that the higher will actually “trump” the lower.
OK, too abstract, I know. First let me list them. Then we will see how each one, properly defined, functions for us. Here they are:

Transformation: I believe in the power of a transformed life. I will never forget where I have come from (a sinner saved by grace) but I will not allow my past to prevent Christ from fully reshaping His image within me.
Integrity: I will display before all people my transparent self. I will not worry about what I can not control; I will work on what I can control; first and foremost myself.
Home: I will make home a non-negotiable priority; I will succeed at home first.
Relationships: I will love the Lord our God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love my neighbor as myself. My “neighborhood” begins with my wife and children. It then extends to my current place of ministry, Indiana Wesleyan University and to my local church, College Wesleyan Church. It then expands as I seek to live in love and harmony with the rest of the world.
Ministry: I will pursue personal holiness for the purpose of building up the Body corporately and enhancing the spiritual life of others personally.
Spiritual Disciplines: I will be a man of “one book” but constantly search for truth as revealed throughout God’s creation and by His children. I will seek divine guidance in everything and walk in the Spirit continually.
Decisions: I will not live a life of regrets; I will risk a more comfortable life for the hope of living a more full life. The easy road is a poor teacher. I will not fear failure; I will apply creative responses to those failures.
Finances: The funds and material possessions of life are just “things.” I will not allow their pull to be a chief decision maker in my life. Moreover, God is the ultimate owner, I am merely His caretaker.

When you look at the whole list, you will see that I value the reality of transformation above all else. The possibility that God can and does change a person’s heart is primary in the way I operate in this world. Now, that may be a bit naive I know, for I end up offering grace and mercy, when apparently its unwarranted. But , all one has to do is to read a few of the parables of Jesus to discover that when the Sower throws out seed, he throws it everywhere, even in places it does not grow well (Mark 4, Matthew 13). You must decide if Jesus is simply wasting seed or is this reckless act of seed-distribution another way of Him showing us that He values the lost? Moreover, the reoccurring references in scripture of God’s passionate desire to restore our fallen/broken image (2 Cor 5, Eph 2, Col 3, Rom 6)is His supreme s value of transformation.

Thus, I try hard to view people who sit in my classrooms or in front of me at church or in the checkout line at Wal-Mart with their full potential in mind. I am convinced (in part through my own personal pilgrimage) that God can graciously grip someone’s heart and (re)make them into the Image of His Son. So, I assume the best for these folks, and I will treat them accordingly. Now this in no way means you simply love-and-hug everyone regardless of their actions. Sometimes there are clear consequences to their actions…but I am convinced God wants to transform them. It’s my value because I see it as Jesus’ value. So, Angie and I liberally apply the principle of grace as we practice the #1 value of begging God to transform lives all around us.

As a clear contrast, let’s look at the #8 value; finances. Transformation is #1 because it’s about people. Conversely, finances are on our list because it’s about things. Oh, yes, finances are necessary. Just try to register for classes without them. Just try to ask your girl-friend’s father for her hand in marriage without a job or at least a glimmer of financial independence. Hear me carefully, you are charged by scripture to be a good steward of your finances…but in the end, I simply see finances as a means to an end; never the end or to be considered the highest value. Finally, you will have to answer the question, “Into what will I invest the most energy; people or dollars?” It may not win the acclamation of your father-in-law; but you just may win the approval of your heavenly Father.

Lord,
Can You instill a hunger in us not just for food but for what You value.
Can You give us insight into ourselves to reject our lesser values.
Can You give us discernment into Your Word to adopt Your greater values.
Can You give us love for Your World and Your people; so they become our overarching value.
Amen.

Now, “Go with God.”

Jesus-values lead to Godly Decisions

2008-09-29T02:32:00.000-07:00

Friends,
This “Go with God” moment is for seniors. Everyone can read it…but I want to draw in closer every senior who needs to make a life choice in the next 3-9 months. I know that many of you are in the midst of making decisions each and every day…about future jobs (read that as “real-life”), about classes (that can mean “to go or not to go” or a daily reality check, “Is there time to do all my homework for each class?”), about relationships (DTR or “Lord, should I end this?”). And on a Christian campus such as this, we call upon God regularly to “sanctify” our decisions if we only cover them with prayer; right?

How does one make the basic decisions in life, the big ones or even the seemingly banal daily ones? Last spring in the Monday Memo, I began a series of discussions of how Angie and I make decisions in our lives…but I never finished. Let me refresh your memories and then move carefully over the subject in the next few weeks.

There are hundreds of books which focus on this topic from a number of differing perspectives. There is the objective, “Let’s make a list of pro’s and con’s and then in the end make the most logical/practical decision. That would be perfect for the “thinkers” out there. Then there are folks who make most of their decisions in life based upon an intuitive sixth-sense. I agree that it’s certainly more than a what-feels-right approach. But it’s certainly hard to explain that one to Mom and Dad, isn’t it? Or to the dating partner whom you are breaking up with.

But I sense there is a middle ground, where you can make godly decisions incorporating both reason (for you thinkers) and intuition (for you feelers). It can be done by making decisions in advance long before you need to make them. You say, “How is that possible?” Well, let me give you an example from Romans 12:1-2:

I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Did you read carefully the cause-and-effect relationship in the passage? When we make a decision in advance to offer ourselves to God…then we will know what His will is! Our real problem is that our decision-making process usually functions in the reverse. We subtly ask God to reveal His will to us first; then we decide if or how much we will obey. Let me be perfectly honest, if you are pondering whether or not to obey God, you are already in trouble. Interestingly, Godly decisions are not always the most practical nor the ones which appear on our intuitive radar-screen. To make godly decisions, we must order our lives (and our decision to obey His will) according to His Kingdom and its values. And being a Christ-follower means that we can do this in advance.

Over the years, Angie and I have tried to find a way to integrate what might be called Jesus-values into our family decisions. For in reality, the values which you orient your life around are at the core of all your decisions. Think about it. What you place your value in (rationally or intuitively) triggers all your actions/decisions. Jesus tells us this in the Sermon on the Mount, “Where your treasure is (read that as what you value) there your heart will be also (read that as decision). So if you will allow me, over the next few weeks, I will try to give examples of how these Jesus-values have assisted my own decision-making process.

May I encourage you this week to begin reflecting over what stands behind your decisions? What is it that you are treasuring/valuing that stands behind your decision?

BTW, I am attaching my entire set of values so you can see precisely where I am going with this entire series.

Lord,
May we see what You see
May we honor what You honor
May we love what You love
May we value what You value
May we decide in advance to follow You.
Now Lord, tell us where we are going
So we can follow with our hearts and our feet.
Amen.

Now, “Go with God.”

Public Prayer

2008-09-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

Friends;

Do you remember Fall Summit? Do you remember Tuesday evening? Do you remember Dave Ward preaching from James 5:17-18;

17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Know that the likeness which your professors share with Elijah is that we are men and women of prayer. Hear your professors, men and women, pray…biblically…for you, the students whom God has entrusted to our care, and for our entire campus.

We pray for harmony; for unity is the ultimate prayer of Jesus (John 17:11);
We pray for other-centered minds; for Christ calls us to mimic His model (Phil 2:5-11);
We pray for servant-like garments; for a basin and towel are the business attire of a Christian leader (John 13);
We pray for the enlightening of minds; for a Godly solution to this issue will certainly not be conceived by mere mortals (Eph 1:17-23);
We pray for mutually compatible visions; which like the ones given to Cornelius (Acts 10:1-8) and Peter (Acts 10:9-16) do not make sense without the insight of each being shared communally in submission to God's Will.
We pray for broken and contrite hearts; otherwise, how will God hear our prayers and heal us (2 Chron 7:14);
We pray for ears to hear and eyes to see; for blindness to the proceedings of the Kingdom and deafness to the voice of God is the curse of all humanity; even those closest to Him (Mark 4:11-13; 8:17-21);
We pray for a passion to follow, regardless of the destination, even to Jerusalem and to the cross (Mark 10:52; John 21:18-19);
We pray for individual and corporate holiness of heart; for in this very process we will make our statement to the world of who we claim to be; may purity of heart reign. (John 17:13-19).

Lord, Hear our Prayers.............

May we corporately “Go with God.”

Climax Found in a Blessing

2008-09-15T03:20:00.000-07:00

A “God With God” Moment:

Then he (Jesus) led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God. (Luke 24:50-53)

What you just read are the closing words in Luke’s Gospel. Some might call them at best transitional verses; as you move from teaching and action Jesus in the Book of Luke (Volume 1) to the on-going teaching of Peter and Paul in the Acts of the Apostles (Volume 2). Interesting, isn’t it that the final act of Jesus on earth was to lift up his hands and to bless his followers. I wonder what the actual blessing consisted of. Was it done principally in words, like a priestly benedictory prayer? Or, I wonder, was Jesus’ final blessing more physical in nature, taking on the form of a first century “Holy Kiss.” This might translate into our culture as a warm and endearing hug. You know the kind I mean, not a mere hand-shake equivalent but it stays with you for a while. I have to imagine that the final “blessing” that Jesus gave to His disciples was perfect for each of them; and this blessing lingered in the air as a sweet-smelling fragrance, propelling them forward to worship Him and then to offer in the Temple their own blessing.

In actuality, let me try to demonstrate how this action of Jesus serves as God’s wondrous climax to the book of Luke as a whole. Think with me how the Gospel of Luke opens. You find yourself temporally located not in the days of Jesus but Luke describes the times as; “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah” (Luke 1:5). Zechariah is entering the Temple to offer an incense offering; with all of Israel just outside; praying as they are waiting to hear that God has accepted Zechariah’s sacrifice on their behalf (Luke 1:10). But (and I should put “BUT” in all caps), as the angel Gabriel comes and delivers to Zechariah a message of hope (his wife’s shame will be removed by the birth of their son John the Baptist); Zechariah shows no faith to the words from God’s messenger (Luke 1:18). So, the result of Zechariah faithlessness is that he is struck speechless.

Let me relate the consequences of Zechariah’s faithlessness and how it impacts Israel. The role of the priest as he exits the Temple is to hold his hands up and pass on the Lord’s blessing to the people. The traditional words would be the priestly benediction which comes from Numbers 6:23-26;
This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Can you now see how Jesus’ blessing at the end of Luke’s Gospel is nothing short of a divine answer to a human problem? What Zechariah could not do for Israel because of his lack of faith (bless them); Jesus performs after his demonstration of perfect faith in trusting God with his life on the cross. What the priests of Israel could not do, Jesus fully blesses His followers.

How does this relate to us here and now. Well, one example is cemented in my mind. Do you remember the final night of Summit? The call of Dave Ward to everyone to make an all out surrender to Jesus and trust fully in Him? Now, there was an unstated question in the air at that time, “How does one put closure on the series of meetings?” Should there be a dismissal prayer of some kind? The answer came; not with a “priestly benediction” by Dave Ward or by Dr. Lo. No, the entire student body stood quietly before the Lord until spontaneous clapping erupted. Then, singing praise songs continued for over an hour. The final blessing of Summit (just like Luke’s Gospel) came directly from the mouth of Jesus Himself, and we were the recipients.

Now, remember, the end of Luke is really the end of the beginning; for all of the Book of Acts follows. In the same way, the end of Summit is really the beginning of the Semester. Please sense Jesus’ blessing on your life.

Lord
This day, as we go about our regular daily tasks;
May we sense Your divine blessing.
May it be found in our classes, or in our hallway or dorm room conversations;
May Your blessing be heard in our service to others or in the reception of grace from a friend.
In all we do, may we sense your blessing.
Most of all Lord, if there is an absence of Your blessing;
May You call us back to Yourself, to the place where Your voice and touch is most clear.
Amen

Now, Go With God.

2008-09-08T03:13:00.000-07:00

A “Go With God” Moment

Let me welcome you all, whether you are a first semester freshmen or a senior…or anyone in between…to the new Noggle Christian Ministries Center. What an amazing transformation has taken place since we all moved out following the fall semester of last year. The construction began Dec 26th and the faculty and staff moved back in August 4th. We are all so thankful for the gift of a new building which will enhance the teaching and learning in our division.
Now, let me also welcome you back to IWU. Summer is a good time to rest but the campus without you is non-functioning. It was quiet, it was empty’ it was wrong. Not the way IWU is meant to be. So I say, welcome back…This is the first Monday Memo of a new school year so with it allow me to address a few words to different groups…

First, to seniors, you moved onto campus for the last time in your college careers, and I’m sure this final transitional time seemed somewhat ominous. Life stands before you and all of its glory (but that also includes all of its complexities and anxiety). As the semester moves forward, I will be writing to you specifically as I will attempt to prayerfully assist you in making decisions for the future. But this Monday Memo is not for you, but please read on…

Next, to juniors and sophomores; these are the best days of your lives. You know this campus and all its routines like the back of your hand. You have made the Wal-Mart runs (daily I might add) to buy the items which will put the finishing touches on your room. Ladies, you have put the final nick-knacks on the wall and may even have color coordinated the throws with your comforter. Guys, you have purchased a semester supply of Febreze and are good-to-go. In actuality, you are old-timers who know the people and places which are required to get things done…in only one trip to the Records rather than multiple ones. For you, IWU is comfortable and life seems so familiar. Welcome home. I will be writing Monday Memos to you as well this semester; what can God do in your lives to shake you out of the comfort zone and call you to radically abandon safety as you enter deeper into His Kingdom? But this Monday Memo is not for you, but please read on…

Finally, to freshmen and transfers, this Monday Memo is for you. Each day of this last week could probably be described as “newness overload.” Too many new places and with far too many names. There is the Phillippe Performing Arts Center but in actuality we only call it, The PPAC. We have an OLD College Church which has an alternative venue for chapel service, but it looks nothing like a church. We have a student center that looks like a Mall with its own coffee shop. We have residence halls galore (with a variety of names; have you figured out where ToHo is?) and academic buildings in every direction. You have discovered that the campus is loaded with real places with real names but often we only refer to them by acronyms or abbreviations. I aplopgize to you if you have been confused. I promise you that by fall break (another inaccurate term, because it’s only one day long), you will feel right at home.

But let me try to end this memo with a few suggestions which may help this week set a good foundation or your long-term academic success at IWU:

Make Fall Summit a priority. Try to think of your education holistically rather than compartmentally. You grow as a person, body mind, and spirit. Classes for the most part are seen as your intellectual development. But if you have not picked up on it, we endeavor to offer you an integrated education; where we are concerned about your spiritual growth and your academic development. Set aside MTW morning and MT evening for worship. BTW, Dave Ward is one of the finest preachers your will hear anywhere.
Get to know your professors. Make certain in the first several weeks of the semester to stop by the office suite of the Religion Division (2nd floor NCMC). If you do not know him/her, introduce yourself and set up a time for coffee or even a lunch. In my educational career, the time apart with professors had an equal or greater impact on my life than the time in class.
Seek out a church home. Chapel is not a church. Certainly it is a worship experience and spiritual food. But I encourage you before the semester gets too far along to find a local church to call “home.” Now, many of you will say that your church home is, well, back home. But in the ensuing semesters, you will grow academically and spiritually in ways you never imagined. And the people “back home” will not see this. They may always see you as the high school graduate who went off to IWU. I will ask you to put yourself into an accountable relationship with a multi-generational congregation with folks who can watch you, encourage you, challenge you, etc. Moreover, many of you will never return to your “home church” with any sort of regularity. SO, finding a local church to worship and serve in now…will be setting an agenda for the rest of your lives.

Lord,
For Summit this week, I pray that You would anoint Dave Ward, embolden his heart, and quicken our ears.
For relationships across campus, I pray that You will bind together students and faculty into an academic and spiritual collaborative community.
May we learn from one another in the beauty of Your Spirit.
May we see the local church as Your Body;
May the Body pour into the students, and
May the presence of the students encourage the local church.
Amen.

Now, Go With God.

April 21, 2008 - Last of the School Year

2008-04-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

A “Go with God” moment,

This is the last Monday memo of the school year, and for you graduates, this is the last one of your undergraduate career. What final words might be significant to the future which looms ominously before you?

If you recall, since Easter, we have been looking together at the early church which is metaphorically in God’s waiting room; the time between the Cross and Pentecost (i.e., Coming of the Holy Spirit; Acts 2). I told you last Monday that 40 days after Easter, Jesus ascends to the right hand of God the Father (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9, 6:55)…and from that point on Jesus is speaking into the ear of the Father. And this is Jesus’ final destination until His Second Coming.

Now, what implications of the Ascension of Jesus can actually serve as a suitable final word? It has everything to do with the most important spiritual discipline you will have in your personal life and in your ministry for the Lord as you leave the hallowed halls of IWU. It has to do with your prayers. For I know one thing for certain, there will be times in the future (maybe even many times) when you are praying and it appears as if God is not answering. And this may cause doubts to rise in your hearts. You may sense that God does not care or may be ignoring your prayers for some reason. Some of our past students have even drawn the conclusion that God is not even there! On all counts you would be wrong. Remember these words; appearances may be deceiving. The issue may be that your theology of prayer has not incorporated Jesus’ Ascension into it.

Let me explain. Most of us understand prayer in a minimalist way, as a simple cause-effect action. We pray (cause) --> God acts (effect). And when it does not happen in precisely the fashion we originally requested, we think of there are only three possible avenues available to the Lord: (1) Yes, (2) No or (3) Not Yet. However, the ascension of Jesus to the right hand of God tells me there might actually be another viable answer. Jesus takes your prayers to the Father and their response (did you catch the plural?) is not limited to a simple yes or no, nor to an issue of mere timing. In actuality, the Father-Son-Holy Spirit may develop a Trinitarian response which when implemented may only vaguely resemble what you originally requested. Do you really think that the work of God is limited to what we can conceive of in our earthly prayer closets? So, my friends, my parting words to you about prayer is that His answers do not always return to earth in the same form that we originally articulated them. This is Good News. Maybe even Great News.

Let me put it to you this way, the Spirit is at work in the voicing of the request:
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)

Personally, this truth enhances my prayer life for I know that praying with absolute perfection is not a prerequisite to engaging in conversation with God. We merely need to start with a desire for God’s will (read fist half of the Lord’s Prayer; Matt 6:9-10). Then the Holy Spirit takes our prayer directly to the Ascended Jesus…
He (Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25).

Imagine, a heavenly counsel meeting regarding you and your prayers. And then the answer comes:
When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. (John 16:13-15)

It’s great to know that we do not command God to do our will; but rather we make a human suggestion based upon our perceptions of the world and the needs which surround us…and then we can release them to God to re-create our prayer to be fashioned into the image and likeness of His perfect will.

This hope in the efficacy of prayer is the last thing I want to leave with you this year. God is more faithful than you could ever guess. When it appears as if your prayers are not being answered; when it appears as if God does not care…appearances may be deceiving. God may well be at work in ways you never imagined. He is bigger than the greatest of our meager thoughts. Friends, when the door of despair may appear to be opening wide, and you think God is not listening…remember the Ascension. Jesus is your Advocate, whispering into the ears of the Almighty Father, devising ways to reveal to you and the world how He has “blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3). My last words to you; prayer works; but not in our simplistic manner; but with a Trinitarian response of perfection. Please, when the prayers you offer seem ineffective and you think the Lord of the Universe does not care for you; do not forget the words of Stephen as he is being stoned to death for his faithfulness:
Full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55-56)

Because Jesus has ascended to heaven; appearances can be deceiving. Please remember this when you think prayer doesn’t work. In actuality, things are even better than you ever could ever imagine.

Lord:
Your ways are not our ways.
We pray with human insight and are often ignorant of the complexities of life situations.
Today, we give You permission to act in our lives with the beauty of Holiness
And with the redeeming omnipotent love which characterizes You.
We trust in Your Triune person to always have our best interests at heart.
May we not be deceived by the World’s simplistic substitute.
Rather, we bow low in order to hear and see clearly Your re-fashioned answer.
Lord, Hear our Prayer.
Amen

Now…for the summer or for the rest of your life; I beg you, always Go with God!

April 14, 2008

2008-04-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

A God withGod moment:

Remember friends, Pentecost (the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church) is approaching. Ever since Easter, we’ve been moving toward this climactic event asthe fulfillment of Jesus’ richest promise. (As an aside, it may only seem like you are inching, but this time of the semester, any movement forward is a true blessing).

Here are Jesus’ closing words and deeds in Luke’s Gospel: Luke 24:49-53
“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. (Luke 24:49-53)

Just a few observations. First, this is not only the end of Luke, it is the zenith. The story of Luke began in Chapter 1 with Zechariah meeting an angel in the temple, and not believing the words being spoken. All of Luke has been pointing to this very place, true temple worship, continually not erratically or only occasionally.

Second, note that Jesus has now ascended to heaven. Think of the significance this way; earth was forever changed in Luke 2 with the Incarnation. Now heaven is equally enhanced for the Incarnation eternally lives on in the Resurrected Jesus. And He now stands at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56), making intercession for us. So, not only is heaven changed, but with Jesus praying for us, our lives on earth are indeed soon to be changed as well.

Third, just before leaving this earth, Jesus blesses the disciples. What a powerful word which can easily be reduced to a “benediction” at the close of a Worship service. Maybe the best way to conceptualize the term "blessing" would be to hear the initial series of blessings that come from the lips of God Himself. In the Creation story of Genesis, God blesses mankind as He creates the man and the woman (1:28). Also in the climax act of Creation, He sanctifies the Sabbath day and blesses it (Genesis 2:3). Friends, just as God blesses the earth at the moment of Creation, Jesus equally blesses the world at the time of re-Creation.

Thus, as we prepare to celebrate Pentecost as the high point of Jesus’ re-creative work; let’s not minimize its impact. It’s much more than being touched by the Spirit. It is being completely remade in His Image, the Imago Dei. Maybe the best parallel of what the reality of Pentecost is comes from Genesis 2, “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” So, this Pentecost (May 11) as God breathes upon the Church, remember, He really is the air that we breathe.

Lord Jesus;
This last full week of the semester, we need Your blessing.
Would you please whisper into the Father’s ear on our behalf.
Would you speak our name in heaven
So we may be recreated here on earth
to live our lives as you did.
Amen

Now, Go with God.

April 7, 2008

2008-04-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

A God with God moment:

The last several weeks we have been pondering together what it means to be post-Easter but pre-Pentecost. In essence, waiting for the climax of the New Covenant. In a different setting I said, “the Cross and the empty tomb of Easter would have only been an historical remembrance if it were not for the transforming reality appropriated by the filling of the Church by the Holy Spirit.” So, once again we return to the meaning of formation of the “Body” by the Work of the Spirit.

We have looked at places in scripture such as John 17, where Jesus specifically and poignantly prays that His followers; both present and future, “be one, as He and the Father are one.” Profoundly, there is to be a Trinitarian-likeness regarding the way we relate to one another. Anything short of that would fall short of Jesus’ own request of the Father.

Earlier, we looked at Acts 2:42-47. There we discovered that a Spirit-filled community is to communally focus on the right priorities; read that as devotion to (1) the apostles’ teaching, (2) the fellowship, (3) the breaking bread, and (4) the prayer. An ethical result of that affection is that we recognize the needs which folks have in our vicinity and we are empowered to rise up and sufficiently meet them.

This week, I want to point you to well know passage found in the Book of Philippians. The climax of this passage is known as the Christological Hymn in 2:5-11…but I want you to first locate what precedes it in the text. Read carefully 1:27:
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Let me try to fill this verse out in its own context. This is the beginning of an entirely new argument. Previously Paul has been giving biographical information to one of his favorite churches. But now he is switching to their ethical responsibility. May I try to enhance the beauty of the language in the original Greek.

“Whatever happens” should really be translated as: Only one thing. Paul is about to summarize his understanding of the Gospel in a brief statement.
“Conduct yourselves” (notice the plural subject) is a very unusual word. It does not merely mean “live” but it means specifically “live as a citizen.” This is a call to loyalty; maybe better translated as “live as a citizen of the Gospel.”

So if there is only one thing that we should be focusing on; at its tantamount to declaring what our oath of citizenship might be; go on Paul, tell me what it is…ready;
Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.

It seems as if “one-ness” is not only an important ingredient in “Body-life.” It may actually be the central issue. Please, I encourage you to take a few minutes to read thru the passage as a whole (Phil 1:27-2:18). And do so slowly, taking in the theme of unity. Realize a few things that may be missed in the NIV.

All pronouns are plural; no exceptions.
Note the call to thinking alike (i.e., thinking like Jesus not like humans; it occurs three times in 2:2-5).
Also note how this reaches a climax, not in the example to be like Jesus in 2:5-11 but this is the result if we follow the model of Jesus:
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Again, do not be surprised that “your salvation” is plural and that the verb is present tense (do this continually). Do not misunderstand what Paul is saying. This is not a works-righteousness theology. Far from it. We are saved by grace thru faith. But here, Paul is telling us that we will exercise and strengthen our salvation muscles as we do so corporately. We need one another in this world, and in the next! He is also telling you that your salvation is not a private party. He wants us to know that this is a global celebration. For that is the way things are in heaven. Do you not want our citizenship here on earth to model life in heaven?

And it appears as if this only comes thru Pentecost; the one-ness that comes thru the Spirit.
Wow, Pentecost Sunday...May 11, I can hardly wait.
Come Lord Jesus, Come.

Now, Go With God.

March 31, 2008

2008-03-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

A "Go with God" moment.

Last week was Easter Sunday. But life moves on, whether we want it to or not. In actuality, the lilies and the empty tomb is a fading memory; especially with countless school project deadlines looming on the horizon. But never fear; Pentecost is fast approaching.

Question; What is the “point” of Pentecost?” Is the gift of the Spirit given to provide each Christian with assurance that they are saved? Certainly that is a fine answer…but it could be more? Is there a deeper theological agenda that God has in store with our lives?

It initially comes to light in the Old Testament when we note that salvation is always seen as taking place in families, tribes, or what might be termed “community.” My Inductive Bible Study class just finished doing an interpretative assignment on the Book of Ruth. One truth that arose is that the actual redemption that Naomi and Ruth experienced is by the people of Bethlehem as they followed the “torah” of God. Salvation came through the Law as fulfilled by God’s people.

But is there a change in God’s plan with the life and death of Jesus? Is it now about individuals being saved? Sorry, that kind of thinking arises not from God changing His mind but from our modern American climate which elevates the rights of an individual above the group.

Jesus’ perspective can best be encapsulated with His prayer in John 17. Listen:
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. (17:1)

My first thought arises with His initial statement which give us the theme of the Father-Son relationship; mutual edification. In Trinitarian conversations, it’s not about “me” but about “we”. After that initial statement, we see that the rest of the prayer is broken into three sections;

17:1-5 Jesus prayer for mutual glory;
17:6-19 Jesus prays for His disciples;
17: 20-26 Jesus prays for all future believers.

The item of note is the similar theme which unites the second and third sections; Jesus’ prayer for one-ness:

17:11 - I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-- the name you gave me-- so that they may be one as we are one.
17:20-23 - My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Three quick points. First, this theme of one-ness comes on the heels on three chapters (John 14-16) of discussion by Jesus on why it is “good that I leave you.” For if I go away, the Father will send you another Comforter (i.e., Holy Spirit). Thus, one-ness is not based upon human effort, but it’s a Spiritual unification of the Body. Second, unity is the final prayer of Jesus for believers. Not that you be “saved” for that is simply a means to the end. The final prayer is one-ness.

Third, this changes everything with how we will now think about evangelism. For Jesus’ prayer states clearly, “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Friends, it is the Holy Spirit who makes us one and it is the same Holy Spirit who will draw outsiders in. It is the Spirit-filled body of Christ that is the key to redeeming the lost. It’s not the memorizing of the “four spiritual laws.” Nor is it a perfectly formed apologetic argument. No, its solely (or maybe “soul-ly”) up to us submitting to the Spirit of Christ and allow Him to form us into His image.

Now that’s Pentecost. I can not wait.

March 24, 2008

2008-03-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

A “Go With God” moment.

Welcome back from Easter “Holy-day.” As an aside, but I’ve heard too many times, people saying, “Have a great Easter Break”; as if this is time off to rest or to catch up on work that you are behind on. Rather, the reason IWU dismisses classes on Good Friday and the Monday after Easter, is clearly missional; so you can focus your attention on worship with family and friends on the most important “Holy-Day” of the year.

Did you also note that Easter is the end of Lent? We have spent the last six weeks preparing ourselves, through personal denial to be ready for Easter…and now its over. So now we as Christians can now put the spiritual stuff to rest until the end of the semester? Right? I mean nothing comes after Easter of any significance until Advent and Christmas. Nothing tops the Resurrection, right? Well, maybe Easter is the catalyst of another event in the life of the church is not yet completed; Pentecost. Originally, Pentecost was one of the three main pilgrimage feasts in the life of ancient Israel. It comes 50 days after Passover, with the celebration of the harvest. In the early church it also commemorates the arrival of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the praying 120. According to Luke’s theology, it is the climax of the promise made by the Father (Luke 24:45-49). Wow, the Resurrection is not the trump card? And it is what the early church was instructed to wait for in Acts 1:4-8. We are not to wait for the returning Christ, but to wait for the Holy Spirit.

May I put it to you simply? Jesus’ death and resurrection is not only to serve as a means of forgiving your sins. If that is the way you view Easter, your thinking is far too reductionistic, self-centered, and reeks of a modern western individualism. Read that statement as follows, “Easter is all about my (singular) relationship to Jesus.” Rather, the New Testament as a whole understands Easter as a precursor for making possible the shaping of the Body of Christ into His Image here on earth. This is almost exclusively portrayed in the New Testament in a corporate/community sense, not individually. Maybe we can think of Pentecost this way, “Through the Power of the Holy Spirit, WE are being fashioned into ONE.” Those are not really my original thoughts, but they are a paraphrase of Jesus’ prayer to His Father in John 17. Remember that John chapters 14-16, at least in part, are about the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus actually tells the disciples that “it is or your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

Now, listen to the Son pray:
“My prayer is not for them [disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21).

Think of it this way, Easter and the Ascension lay the groundwork for Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the church; empowering us to live a “Christ-like life.” And that Christ-like life is best described in “one-ness.” And the best model is the Trinity. The concept of Pentecost should be that we resemble the relationship of the Father-Son-Holy Spirit. And if you say, “That’s impossible,” I dare say, you have just limited the work of God in your life. Make that our life. For your faith indeed impacts my life, for good or for...well you get the picture.

So, for the next several weeks in the Monday Memo, we will be looking at what a “Spirit-filled Body” should look like. Think of this as Lenten preparation, Part 2.

BTW, Pentecost Sunday is May 11.

Let the preparation begin. Maybe begin by asking yourself these questions:

What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church?
What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit in my life?
Is there a difference and if so, why?

BTW, Pentecost Sunday is May 11.

Lord Jesus;
We desperately need the power of Your Spirit in our lives.
But Jesus, power as You define it, not my concept
Make it Your Will and Your way.
I want nothing short of Your work.
Make me an instrument for the world to see You.
You may begin today.
Amen

Now, Go with God.

March 17, 2008

2008-03-22T16:25:00.001-07:00

A "Go with God" moment:

Let me give you two scripture passages which have always seemed strange to me. The first one comes at the end of Luke’s Gospel on the first Easter Sunday. The second one comes right in the middle of the Gospel of John, yet it still occurs during Holy Week.

Listen carefully as Luke describes an event on the first Easter Sunday: “When Jesus had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” (Luke 24:37-38) My first reaction is “huh?” they did not believe because of joy? How can joy or amazement be a hindrance to anyone’s belief? I thought, you might say, that joy should be an outgrowth or a result of faith, how on earth could it prohibit real faith?

Now take a moment and hear John relate people’s response to Jesus after his Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem. Remember, throughout His ministry (at least the previous three years) he has performed innumerable signs (many more than seven, see 2:23; 20:30) bearing witness to who He is, especially in relationship to the Father. So what a shock then when we read, “Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.” (John 12:37) This one for me is especially troubling. The word “performed” is in the Greek perfect tense (sorry to be such a Greek geek), which could be translated “the signs He preformed which have an on-going substantive effect in your life.” And the word “believe” is in the imperfect tense and could be rendered, “continually chose not to believe.” So, John is really saying even though you enjoy and experience the benefits of Jesus’ signs, you refuse to acknowledge Him as the benefactor of your good fortune or believe He is God’s Son.

Wow, rejection in the face of grace. I’m thankful I live today, and am not affected by such shameful action. Or am I? Question: “Is there a danger if you and I begin to expect God’s grace to be part of every day life? To put it another way, if I no longer see it as the gift that it is but rather as what is owed to me, say a “spiritual entitlement.” Let’s see if we can come up with an example. Think for a moment about some of the special facilities we have at IWU;

McConn…I’d like a mocha-java-decaf-double-shot-latte with cinnamon and whipped cream; and just swipe me.
Baldwin, three (no count it, four meals a day with fat meal). Then there is Wildcat which serves more food selections than all the restaurants on the Bypass combined.
A state-of-the-art Rec & Wellness Center and Intramural activities night and day (often more night than day).
A NEW campus. I mean, we live on a new campus that only has one building older than any of you students. That is of course the old CM Noggle building, which is in the midst of complete renovation.
Your own private community. Now, this is not what the Apostle Paul would call the “body of Christ” but I mean you have built-in friends everywhere on campus. You never have to look or intentionally make plans to visit with someone; you merely have to look up from the book you are reading and we have created for you “instant companionship.” If you do not believe my definition, just ask anyone who has graduated recently if I’m telling you the truth. They have to go to work 8 hours a day, then stop at Wal-Mart on the way home, buy food, cook it, clean up, pay money to join a health club (if there is time to work out), and then friends, where on earth do I find friends (or if I have friends, where is the time to be with them?)

Would you mind if I asked you a few questions,

Do you ever take the gifts of the IWU campus as a personal privilege?
Do you simply assume it will be here tomorrow or that it should be yours; or maybe complain when it is not available?
Can you sincerely pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread” when you still have 90+ meals left for the semester?
Is there even a place for God to show Himself as our provider when we already have it all? Now does the passage of scripture in Luke 24 make sense, “They did not believe because of their joy?”

Let me try to make a specific application. If our faulty concept of joy is actually getting in the way of our spiritual development, “What do we do?” This week is Holy Week, the 7 days which lead up to Easter. Lent should be a time of self-denial and inner-searching. Maybe try this:

Focus upon the issues of Doulos this week. Instead of trying to find someone of the other sex as your recreation for the week (spring focus on IWU campus as we all know); what if you rather focused on re-creation; freeing someone who currently is a slave to sex.
Before you return home for Easter Break; fast and pray for at least 24 hours. Give something up that you haven take for granted. Maybe, just maybe your physical needs will become a bit less of a priority in your life.
Pray about taking a short-term mission trip. You need to see “real joy” that radiates from someone who has absolutely no material possessions. For many Americans, that is one of the greatest “signs/miracles” they will ever see.
Instead of spending $4 on a Chai Tea special drink; give the money to a redemptive cause. See number 1.
And if you do not buy the drink at McConn, intentionally invest that hour not with a casual friend but instead walk down to Colonial Oaks Nursing home (4725 S Colonial Oaks Dr, Marion, IN; 10 minute walk from campus). Spend 60 minutes with someone who has not had a visitor for a month. Call it, “Adopt a grand-parent.” Trust me on this when I say, your casual friend will never miss you; your adoptive grand-parent will not stop talking about your visit for a week! “What you do unto the least of these you do unto me.”
Direct your attention to the local church this week; i.e., attend Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Find a place to practice the Holy Sacrament of Communion.
Take 90 minutes this week and read thru John 12-21; Holy Week according to John. It will re-orient priorities.

Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

Lord,
We want joy that emanates from You; not the world’s second rate substitutes.
We fear that we might settle for the temporal over the eternal;
We do not want joy that comes from what we buy rather we desire what You have purchased for us.
We want to want what You want.
This week, Lord; we want to see with Divine eyes.
Amen.

Now, Go With God.