Today in Mark 7, I have seen some scripture in a new and piercing light. What I will write may feel offensive to some, but I am highly convicted that God's message is clear and one that we will either respond to or ignore:
A bunch of the religious folks came to Jesus and asked him why His disciples weren't washing their hands before they ate. These religious and seemingly spiritual people insisted upon the keeping of certain traditions that they felt made a person clean and acceptable before God. One such tradition, established by older generations, was the mandatory washing of hands before eating. Their exact words to Jesus were, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders?"(Mark 7:5) Jesus' response to their question was harsh. He called them "hypocrites," told them that they were giving him only lip-service rather than true heart devotion, and that their worship was useless. Finally, He said the words that really struck me: "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men... You have a find way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions." (Mark 7:8-9)
For those of us who have been in church for years, are an active part of our churches, or have even been turned-off by a poor church experience, I believe this story holds stunning application to church culture. This story, I believe, demands some questions to be asked:
Are we just being religious and going through the motions of man-made traditions? Are we insisting upon the keeping of empty church traditions and programs simply because that's the way things have always been done? Are we continuing in the "traditions of the elders" not because they are effective methods of producing glory for God but simply because we're scared of change and of what unknown things God might ask of us? Are we content to cling to our church traditions because they only require surface-level lip-service rather than costly, life-changing surrender to Christ? Have we actually set aside the clear commands of God's Word and chosen instead to rest comfortably in the keeping of useless church rituals? Are we mistakenly calling those rituals "worship" and fooling ourselves into thinking that God is pleased with our show?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Jesus Offers Hope When Life Doesn't Make Sense
John 11 tells a story with a wonderful application to our lives when our circumstances are painful or just don't make sense:
Mary and Martha were the sisters of Lazarus. Scripture indicates that these three were good buddies with Jesus, the miracle worker. It says, "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus" (John 11:5). Yet, when Lazarus gets sick and his sisters send word to their all-powerful Lord so that he can come and heal Lazarus, Jesus did absolutely nothing! "When he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days" (John 11:6). Jesus explains his inaction by saying, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (John 11:4). At this point in the story, I imagine that Mary and Martha may be feeling pretty hurt, even betrayed. They have walked in close fellowship with Jesus, and Jesus has repeatedly proven his ability to perform miracles and heal the sick, yet He chooses to do nothing to heal their brother. Ouch.
Moving on in the story...... Jesus becomes aware that Lazarus is no longer sick - he has actually died. Listen to Jesus' seemingly not-too-compassionate comment about Lazarus' death: "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe" (John 11:14-15).
Jesus finally went to see Mary and Martha. By the time he arrived Lazarus had been dead for four days! Both of the women said, "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died" (John 11:21, 32). I believe I would have probably said the same thing, maybe with some anger in my voice. But, to their surprise, Jesus told them that their brother would rise again. Jesus looked at Martha, in her grief and anguish, and assured her of who He was and what He could do. He then asked her, "Do you believe?" (John 11:26b). Martha said, "Yes, Lord, I believe!" With Mary, Jesus did not have this sort of spiritual conversation. With her, He cried.
Jesus then went to the tomb and commanded the stone to be rolled away. He said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40) Sure enough, Lazarus walked out of the tomb alive. Scripture then says that "many" who were standing by witnessing this whole situation put their faith in Jesus.
The application of this story, to me, is clear and powerful:
God will allow us to experience all sorts of pain and circumstances that don't make sense from our earthly perspective. We may feel neglected, forgotten, betrayed, or angry at Him. We know that He loves us and we know that we love Him, and so we wonder why in the world He would allow life to happen like it does. However, He has a wonderful, eternal plan at work, and He knows that our pain can be "for God's glory.... so that God's Son may be glorified." God is both wise, glad for the dark times because of their potential to grow our faith, and compassionate, crying with us as we hurt. God will work in and through our ugly life circumstances in order to bring us to a place of greater belief in Him. Our belief will enable Him to work wonders. Then, as others witness our spiritually-mature, faith-filled responses to hard times, they will see the greatness of our God and be drawn to Him.
Yay, God - you have a purpose in the pain!
When life doesn't make sense to me, you are holding everything in your hands.
Mary and Martha were the sisters of Lazarus. Scripture indicates that these three were good buddies with Jesus, the miracle worker. It says, "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus" (John 11:5). Yet, when Lazarus gets sick and his sisters send word to their all-powerful Lord so that he can come and heal Lazarus, Jesus did absolutely nothing! "When he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days" (John 11:6). Jesus explains his inaction by saying, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (John 11:4). At this point in the story, I imagine that Mary and Martha may be feeling pretty hurt, even betrayed. They have walked in close fellowship with Jesus, and Jesus has repeatedly proven his ability to perform miracles and heal the sick, yet He chooses to do nothing to heal their brother. Ouch.
Moving on in the story...... Jesus becomes aware that Lazarus is no longer sick - he has actually died. Listen to Jesus' seemingly not-too-compassionate comment about Lazarus' death: "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe" (John 11:14-15).
Jesus finally went to see Mary and Martha. By the time he arrived Lazarus had been dead for four days! Both of the women said, "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died" (John 11:21, 32). I believe I would have probably said the same thing, maybe with some anger in my voice. But, to their surprise, Jesus told them that their brother would rise again. Jesus looked at Martha, in her grief and anguish, and assured her of who He was and what He could do. He then asked her, "Do you believe?" (John 11:26b). Martha said, "Yes, Lord, I believe!" With Mary, Jesus did not have this sort of spiritual conversation. With her, He cried.
Jesus then went to the tomb and commanded the stone to be rolled away. He said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40) Sure enough, Lazarus walked out of the tomb alive. Scripture then says that "many" who were standing by witnessing this whole situation put their faith in Jesus.
The application of this story, to me, is clear and powerful:
God will allow us to experience all sorts of pain and circumstances that don't make sense from our earthly perspective. We may feel neglected, forgotten, betrayed, or angry at Him. We know that He loves us and we know that we love Him, and so we wonder why in the world He would allow life to happen like it does. However, He has a wonderful, eternal plan at work, and He knows that our pain can be "for God's glory.... so that God's Son may be glorified." God is both wise, glad for the dark times because of their potential to grow our faith, and compassionate, crying with us as we hurt. God will work in and through our ugly life circumstances in order to bring us to a place of greater belief in Him. Our belief will enable Him to work wonders. Then, as others witness our spiritually-mature, faith-filled responses to hard times, they will see the greatness of our God and be drawn to Him.
Yay, God - you have a purpose in the pain!
When life doesn't make sense to me, you are holding everything in your hands.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Growin' Like a Herb!
A couple of months ago Nick brought me home five bags of herb seeds: basil, cilantro, dill, thyme, and parsley. While I felt loved by his gesture, I did have a teeny bit of disappointment because I was just planning to go out and buy already-grown herbs. Wasn't sure how I felt about having to start them from seed and wait for them to grow. Now..... it is official.... I'm thankful it's happened this way. God has taught me a lesson in the growing of my herbs.
Though it seemed like it took forever, the little boogers finally sprouted and poked-through the soil. They grew very slowly at first because the weather was not consistently warm. Then as it became a consistent 95+ degrees outside, they shot up tall and healthy. Where at first I was disappointed in their growth, the heat came and turned them into something I was proud of. Then about a week ago I noticed that though they were tall, they weren't very full or thick. They also sort of stopped growing; like they had done enough and wanted to quit. Well, one night I was making some spaghetti sauce and needed to cut some basil. Then I made some tai grilled chicken and needed to cut some cilantro. To my delight, within one day it became evident that my cutting on those particular herbs had caused them to really thicken up and produce more! Cutting yielded growth. What might have appeared destructive to a young, new plant actually served to make it stronger and more fruitful!
I see my life and my current circumstances so clearly in this plant-picture.
Over the course of years, God has turned the heat up in my life and caused me to grow stronger and more mature in Him. It was not comfortable, but it was necessary. And now, lest I become too comfortable in my relationship with Him and feel that I have "arrived," He has taken His pruning shears to work once more. My circumstances are uncomfortable. The cutting is painful. But, I know that He has a plan and a purpose that is grander than I can see, and I know that I can rejoice in the growth and fruit that will be produced in me as a result of the trials.
I hope you can relate to this and find encouragement if you're being cut-on right now.
Though it seemed like it took forever, the little boogers finally sprouted and poked-through the soil. They grew very slowly at first because the weather was not consistently warm. Then as it became a consistent 95+ degrees outside, they shot up tall and healthy. Where at first I was disappointed in their growth, the heat came and turned them into something I was proud of. Then about a week ago I noticed that though they were tall, they weren't very full or thick. They also sort of stopped growing; like they had done enough and wanted to quit. Well, one night I was making some spaghetti sauce and needed to cut some basil. Then I made some tai grilled chicken and needed to cut some cilantro. To my delight, within one day it became evident that my cutting on those particular herbs had caused them to really thicken up and produce more! Cutting yielded growth. What might have appeared destructive to a young, new plant actually served to make it stronger and more fruitful!
I see my life and my current circumstances so clearly in this plant-picture.
Over the course of years, God has turned the heat up in my life and caused me to grow stronger and more mature in Him. It was not comfortable, but it was necessary. And now, lest I become too comfortable in my relationship with Him and feel that I have "arrived," He has taken His pruning shears to work once more. My circumstances are uncomfortable. The cutting is painful. But, I know that He has a plan and a purpose that is grander than I can see, and I know that I can rejoice in the growth and fruit that will be produced in me as a result of the trials.
I hope you can relate to this and find encouragement if you're being cut-on right now.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
I Pledge Allegiance to the Bible
I've been helping with our church's Vacation Bible School this week. Yesterday morning in the opening assembly I stood with the children, put my hand on my heart, and said the pledge to the Bible.
I was not prepared for the emotion that clinched my heart and brought tears to the corners of my eyes.
I joined my voice with the voices of over 200 other children and adults, and we all said:
I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word.
I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
I will hide its words in my heart so that I might not sin against God.
Dang. Ouch. Ugh.
Read that again. Slowly. Really think about what it says and what it implies.
That's what I found myself doing yesterday (while both fists were clinched on the backs of the two 2-year olds I was wrangling).
When I was growing up, I said that same pledge to the Bible every summer during VBS.
Oh if I had only grasped and meant the words I said.
Oh if I had only understood my desperate need to cling to God's Word as my guide and safeguard.
Then, I wondered, how many within my church and churches all around America would benefit from a regular, somber rehearsal of the Pledge to the Bible. How differently would we live if we really used God's Word as a light to our path and if we really hid it in our heart?
Take one book of the Bible for example: 1 Thessalonians. I've been reading and re-reading through it this week. Its authors convey a very serious and dedicated handling of the gospel message, a determination to please God rather than man, and an expectation that such living will be accompanied by strong opposition and suffering that must be endured. These scriptures command us to always be kind to everyone, to minister to one another, to build one another up, and to overflow with love for one another. They command us to be sanctified: dedicated to God and His divine purpose for our lives, devoted to moral and spiritual excellence, pure and separated from the world. I don't know about you, but it is evident to me that the contents of 1 Thessalonians alone are much greater and higher and holier than what my life has looked like so far.
I have not practiced appropriate allegiance to 1 Thessalonians.
I have not practiced appropriate allegiance to the Bible.
I have been aiming to do much better.
What about you? Do you need to Pledge Allegiance to the Bible?
Monday, June 6, 2011
Recognition of His Power = Recognition of Our Great Need
God has made His Spirit and His power accessible to us. That statement alone is profound.
In Ephesians 1:18-19, Paul prayed that the eyes of our hearts would be opened so that we would understand "his incomparably great power for us who believe." Do we really grasp that? The power of the Creator of the Universe, so huge that it has no comparison, is available to us!!!!!! Paul continues on to say that this power is "like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead." Wow. The power that God utilized to raise Jesus from the dead is the same power that is available to be utilized in the lives of us who believe.
Pondering this truth makes me feel keenly aware of how desperately fallen and needy we all are.
Surely we are experiencing far less that what He intends. I am convinced of it.
The more I see Him, the more I see how desperately I need Him.
The more I come to know Him, the more I cry out for His invasion in my life and the lives of those I love.
I will never have any hope of being who He's called me to be unless His Spirit does a work in me that I will never be able to do for myself.
I will never be able to join with my brothers in a mighty revival of the Spirit of God unless He breaks our hearts and sets them onto a completely new direction.
My church will never have any hope of rising to be the selfless, passionate, and repentant body of believers we've been called to be unless He has mercy and pours of His Spirit upon us.
And so, I'll keep praying.
I'll keep crying out to God to do for me and my family and my church what none of us deserve but what we all desperately need: An outpouring of His Spirit that is so powerful and so personal that it cannot be ignored. An outpouring so persistent that we all are broken-hearted over our sin and alive unto Him who desires to make much of His glory in our lives! I shudder to think of how insignificant our days and years will be if He does not do this.
In Ephesians 1:18-19, Paul prayed that the eyes of our hearts would be opened so that we would understand "his incomparably great power for us who believe." Do we really grasp that? The power of the Creator of the Universe, so huge that it has no comparison, is available to us!!!!!! Paul continues on to say that this power is "like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead." Wow. The power that God utilized to raise Jesus from the dead is the same power that is available to be utilized in the lives of us who believe.
Pondering this truth makes me feel keenly aware of how desperately fallen and needy we all are.
Surely we are experiencing far less that what He intends. I am convinced of it.
The more I see Him, the more I see how desperately I need Him.
The more I come to know Him, the more I cry out for His invasion in my life and the lives of those I love.
I will never have any hope of being who He's called me to be unless His Spirit does a work in me that I will never be able to do for myself.
I will never be able to join with my brothers in a mighty revival of the Spirit of God unless He breaks our hearts and sets them onto a completely new direction.
My church will never have any hope of rising to be the selfless, passionate, and repentant body of believers we've been called to be unless He has mercy and pours of His Spirit upon us.
And so, I'll keep praying.
I'll keep crying out to God to do for me and my family and my church what none of us deserve but what we all desperately need: An outpouring of His Spirit that is so powerful and so personal that it cannot be ignored. An outpouring so persistent that we all are broken-hearted over our sin and alive unto Him who desires to make much of His glory in our lives! I shudder to think of how insignificant our days and years will be if He does not do this.
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