Along the way ... February 25, 2014

During the past two weeks I have been thinking about the difference between power and authority: first, as it relates to Jesus' ministry, and second, as it relates to our own.

To put it simply, power is the "ability" to do something.   Power comes in many forms.   Power itself is not evil, but it can be used in evil ways.   For example, Adolf Hitler following Friedrich Nietzsche emphasized the "will to power".  In a sense, it is a "survival of the fittest", or a "might makes right" mentality.   Lord Acton is famously quoted as saying, "power corrupts ... and absolute power corrupts absolutely".  Power has a tendency to go to our heads, as sinful human beings.

However, authority is different.  Authority is the "right" to do something.  Authority requires power (ability) but authority also carries with it a stamp of approval.  Authority is the right to do what we have been empowered to do.

For Jesus, authority was so much more important than power.  We see this demonstrated in the story where Jesus is sleeping, and the disciples are battling a sudden, deadly storm on the Sea of Galilee.  As one commentator says this storm was not just any storm; the powers of evil that were behind it.
So in other words, it was a spiritual attack!

Yet even though Satan had the "power" (ability) to control the wind and the waves, only Jesus had authority over them.   So when Jesus speaks the wind and the waves listen because He has authority to tell them what to do.  (Matthew 8:23-27; especially verse 26)

In the same sense, in Matthew 10:1 Jesus gives His disciples "authority" to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.  Not only did Jesus give them power, but He also gave them authority.   And authority is more important.   When power meets power, the most powerful wins.  But when authority encounters power; authority wins because God gets involved as we speak and act with His authority.

One other thing we must keep in mind is that "authority" also requires appropriate or "right" action.  If we have the "right" to act on God's behalf, then we must also act "rightly".   If we don't, then we lose our authority.   For example, if we were to attempt to use God's authority to crush another human being either physically, emotionally, or spiritually, then we lose our authority because we do not act in line with God's will.

I know this gets to be pretty deep stuff, and I also know that I have only begun to scratch the surface of what is here, so I would be interested to hear your own thoughts on the matter as we journey together along the way ....

Along the way ... February 11, 2014

Lately I have been thinking a lot about time.  Time spent, time invested, time wasted, time redeemed, etc.  Time is limited.  Each of us gets the same amount, no more and no less.  Yet how do we utilize the time we are given?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 challenges us to think differently about our time.   According to the Teacher (Koheleth) there is "a time for every purpose under heaven and a season for every activity under the sun".   There is real wisdom in those words, and I believe it is important for us to consider them further.

Think especially of some of the contrasts covered especially in verses 2-8:

"a time to be born, and a time to die, 

a time to plant, and a time to uproot, 

a time to kill and a time to heal ..." 

I have the unique privilege of serving in diverse sometimes even opposing fields.

I serve as a chaplain (a peacemaker and minister of reconciliation) in the US Air Force.  Some have said the purpose of the US military is to kill people and to break things.  Yet there is so much more.
The US military is also engaged in humanitarian relief following natural disasters and other tragic events.  In the military there is a time to kill, but also a time to heal.  It is important that we give emphasis to both.

I also serve as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church in North America and a member of the board of Christian Reformed World Missions.  CRWM partners through its Hope Equals initiative with Christian Peacemaker Teams; a pacifist organization calling Christians to serve as peacemakers through non-violence in some of the most war-torn areas in the world.  ("A time to kill and a time to heal")

What I believe the Teacher wants us to realize is that no one occupation (killing or healing) needs to take up all of our time.  

As controversial as it may seem, in a broken world there is a time to kill.  Sometimes evil rears its head in awful ways through another human being, and the only way to stop the killing is to kill the perpetrator.  Police officers especially live with that tension every day.   Moreover, what seem equally controversial to some, there is also a time to put away our weapons, let down our guard, and seek healing.   Knowing which time is which is the role of wisdom.

What do you think?  Do you agree with Koheleth?  Are there other perspectives or contrasts that speak to you?  I invite you to share your thoughts as we journey together along the way ...

Along the way ... February 4, 2014

            Sunday in my sermon I said because God’s kingdom has come exclusively in Jesus we have a choice to make.   Jesus extends an invitation to all of us who believe to live the new way in His kingdom, but we each have a choice; we can accept Jesus’ invitation or reject it. 

            Now let me be clear, I believe there are two invitations, although one directly follows the other.  First Jesus invites us to believe; to believe God’s promises are being fulfilled in Him.   Salvation (forgiveness of sins and eternal life) come to all who accept Jesus invitation to believe in Him.  Yet once we accept that invitation, Jesus invites us to embrace a new way of living; life in His kingdom where increasingly sad things are coming untrue.

            Yet this second invitation is the one we most often refuse.   Why?   I suppose because it requires sacrifice.  It is the world where we are called to set aside our “rights” and “privileges” for the good of others.  It is the world where we are called to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, give more than is required, love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, offer forgiveness freely, set aside judgment, let go of worry, etc.

(see Matthew 5-7).   It is not about earning our salvation or even adding to it.  Jesus took care of that at the cross.   Rather it is about living in the way God always intended for us to live.  And now we can because the Holy Spirit lives in us.

            I was reminded last night of the scene from “The Matrix” when Morpheus offers Neo a choice between the “red pill” and the “blue pill”.  If he chooses “blue” his life will go on as it always had, he will know nothing more, and he will be unchanged.  However, if he chooses “red” then his eyes will open, truth will be revealed, and his life will forever be changed.   I believe Jesus is offering His children the same choice when He invites us into kingdom living.  

            So the question remains for each one of us:  Are we going to accept Jesus’ second invitation?  Will we accept his invitation and begin to live the new way as we journey together along the way….?  

Along the way ... January 28, 2014

Sunday I preached on two stories from Jesus' life - two stories that are sometimes called a "Markan sandwich" - Jairus' sick and dying daughter and the woman with a 12 year illness.  (Luke 8:40-56 and Mark 5:21-43)  Jesus heals them both miraculously, and in lots of ways unexpectedly to show that in Him God's kingdom has come.

But what caught my attention was the words of children's author Sally Lloyd-Jones who wrote,

"Jesus was making the sad things come untrue.

He was mending God's broken world."
(Jesus Storybook Bible, p. 220)

I have wrestled with defining the kingdom of God since seminary, and yet I believe Ms. Lloyd-Jones has captured it beautifully.  I know there are all kinds of theological terms that can be used to describe and/or define God's kingdom, but in reality this is the one that captures for each of us what God's kingdom means to us.  - Jesus came to make the sad things in God's broken world come untrue!

What a wonderful sentiment!  What an amazing truth!  The sad things are coming untrue!

Now I imagine each one of us can think of some sad things we wish were untrue, and the good news is that those things are coming untrue and one day will be completely untrue!  On that day, the day of Jesus' return, "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:4).  

I know for me this has become especially significant as I have dealt with my dad's recent death.  If not for the hope of the resurrection and the promise that the sad things are coming untrue, I would not know how to go on.  However, in light of God's promises, I know I will see my dad again and right now he is experiencing no pain or sickness, he is already made new, as all things will be one day.  

So what about you?  What sad things are you glad will one day become untrue?  

Along the Way ... January 21, 2014

Sunday I taught on Simon's call story from Luke's perspective (Luke 4:38-5:12).  It is always interesting to compare the accounts of the different gospel writers of the same events.  For example, for Matthew and Mark (Matthew 4:18-20; Mark 1:16-18) it is easy.  "At once they left their nets and followed him."  But Luke offers a few more details that give us insight into the process by which Jesus called Simon in particular.

As I have been reflecting on Simon's call story, I have been challenged to think about my own call story, and the developing process it has been and still is.

My call began at my baptism.  I was baptized as an infant, and at that time God promised me that I was His child, and as I grew older I came to realize that God's promise was fulfilled in Jesus.  So I placed my faith in Jesus and accepted the name I had been given in my baptism; child of God.

As time has passed, through the work of the Holy Spirit, I have grown in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.  I have come to realize that the good things I do cannot make God love me more, and the bad things I do cannot make God love me less.  His love is consistent, or as the author of the Jesus Storybook Bible puts it, "God loves us with a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always, and forever love."  This has freed me to really love and serve God and others.

So I no longer (at least most days) seek validation in what I do, but realize that God loves me for me simply because I am His child.  This frees me to serve in greater ways.  I can serve every person (big or small, rich or poor, important or those on the margins) because God sees us all the same.   We are all created in His image, and reckoned to Him in Christ.  At the cross, the ground is level.

And this is why I serve as a chaplain in the New Mexico Air National Guard.  I serve because God is present and war fighters need to hear of His love and grace, they need to be reminded that God loves them no matter what, and they need to know that Jesus is the proof of God's love.   This is not something I knew so well 20 years ago when I first served in the US Air Force, so I would not have been as good a chaplain then, as I believe God has equipped me to be now.

I could go on about how God has pursued me, but I want to invite you to share your own story.  How has God shaped you for kingdom service, and what opportunities is He giving you today to serve?

Along the way ... January 14, 2013

This weekend I was serving those who serve in the New Mexico Air National Guard, and I was reminded of the power of presence in representing Jesus.

First, I was privileged to attend a Yellow Ribbon event with a group getting ready to deploy down range.  This particular group is one with whom I have spent a good amount of time since joining the Guard last May.  I spent the day basically "hanging out" with them, listening to their stories and situations, and eventually leading a class later in the day.  Many of the airmen expressed appreciation for my presence with them and through my presence God gave opportunities for me to speak truth in ways that brought encouragement.

Second, as I reflected on that day, I thought about the sermon text I had chosen for Sunday: John 8:12.  Jesus said, "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  Along with the recognition that Jesus is the light of the world, I also pointed out that in Matthew 5:14, Jesus also said, "You are the light of the world ..."   This teaching is for all who put their full trust in Jesus, believing God's promise fulfilled in Him, and receiving the Holy Spirit.  A few verses later, Jesus highlights how our lights shine brightest.  "Let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  Jesus says our lights shine brightest in what we do.  That's particularly relevant to a military community where proselytization is frowned upon, and I believe it is also relevant to each of us living and working in our society today.  People will see Jesus in us, and they see Him best in who we are and what we do.

I invite you to reflect on the truth that Jesus is the light of the world, and the related truth that Jesus says "you" are the light of the world, and then share your thoughts as we journey together along the way ...

Along the way ... December 30, 2013

Yesterday I attended worship at the Rock Church in San Diego, CA.  Guest preacher Derwin Gray challenged us to write a love letter to God thanking Him for adopting us in Jesus.  So from here on that is what this post will do.

Dear Father,

I count it a privilege to call you Father and to be known as your son because of Jesus.   This year especially this privilege is a real gift.  As you know, a few months back I lost my earthly father.  He was a great dad, not perfect, but I am thankful he was my dad.  The day after he died, I was sitting alone preparing to take the first of two major tests in Officer's Training and I silently whispered, "Father you are now my only father."  And I cried a little.  Those tears were because I missed my dad, but also because I knew I would never be alone because you will not ever abandon one of your children.  I don't know what it was like for you to have to forsake your son in order to adopt me,  but I imagine it must have been extremely difficult.  Thank you God for not abandoning me, and thank you Father that no matter what may come I know I will never be alone.

Your loving and grateful son,

Joe