Good afternoon friends. There only about 27 of you who read my posts, so I think I have the right to call you friends. I am anything BUT an internet viral sensation. This one is for believers, so for the two atheists that read on occasion, you get the day off. When I spoke to you last in this arena I urged you all to represent Jesus well. I also asked you to stay away from drugs, but I was mostly being playful. I don't think my blogs are very popular within the addict community, even though I desperately wish I could be helpful to them.
Today I'm asking us to try and step back from ourselves and ask the question, "What do I stand for?"
Now, hopefully your instinctive answer is something like, "I stand for Jesus." or, "I stand for the Gospel." - or the Kingdom or something like that. Yet, indulge me for a moment. What is it that your life is really communicating? Do you know? Would it help to ask the people around you?
I have often heard the quote, "People are like tea bags. You don't know what's in them until you dip them in hot water." I have also heard it modified to read, "Christians are a lot like tea bags. You don't really know what's in them until you dip them in hot water." These are interesting times we live in, and in a very metaphorical way it's as if we have all been dipped in the cauldron. It has been equally interesting to see what has been coming out of us as a Christian community.
It really appears like we have an innate tendency to get wrapped up in the goings on of this world along with everyone else. I hope the tone of this doesn't sound harsh. It kind of caught us by surprise. (And if the whole believing church reads this blog post, I'm sure it will soon be rectified. :-).). I'm convinced that it is easy to lose track of who we are, why we're here and what we're here to accomplish.
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul tells him, "Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them." 2Timothy 2:4.
I think we have long had a sense that we're not supposed to 'live the civilian life' in the sense that we aren't supposed to spend our life running after beer and women. Or if you're a lady...wine and men. Okay. Maybe not the men. Just wine? And something about a Christian driving a Lamborghini just feels irksome. Chasing wealth and privilege just seems unfitting for us. Even the world mocks us when they see it. Still, there are 'affairs' we entangle ourselves in that have little to do with being a good soldier of Christ.
We serve another kingdom. People in this world are dying, every day, and many are headed to a Christl-ess eternity. We're convinced that's bad, so we're here primarily to be what scripture calls elsewhere - ambassadors for Christ, or ministers of reconciliation. We are supposed to be here to do our best to see that the people in our lives come to be made right with The Father through Jesus.
Is that what you're actually doing with the life you've been given? More and more, we seem to be getting entangled in expressing how we think the government should handle the pandemic. Some of us think we should all stay home and expect the government and farmers to feed us for free until the virus magically dies off. Others think that we should just go about our business, let the old people die off and let the strong survive. There is a place and time to express our opinion on occasion, but it seems as if the issues of the world have actually become our cause and we're actively campaigning for our particular flavour.
If we represent Christ, at least part of the way we conduct ourselves is meant to be 'winsome'. Our message is to proclaim Christ, and Him crucified; NOT our particular brand of theology, resistance to gun control, vaccinations or the lockdown. I wish I knew what Jesus would say in all of this. He was often approached with the issues of His time, be it Israeli liberty, Roman taxation or divorce. All I know is this - His responses never seemed to sound like the rest of ours.
So what do you stand for? Ask the question. Get an answer. Stand for Jesus.
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Sunday, May 3, 2020
Sunday, April 19, 2020
"The Christian Response" to Covid-19
Ok. It's happening to me too, and it is frustrating. It seems as if there is nothing to talk about right now besides the Coronavirus. If you pick up the newspaper, it's on the front page. The topic has pretty much dominated my social media feed. Maybe if hockey was on, we could talk about that. But here we are. What else is there?
To be fair, I haven't written in years, but this whole crisis has us talking and thinking about the very basic issues of life. Before this pandemic, our culture was wrapped up in trying to discover the new 57 or so genders and how to tell which one you were. I didn't know how to engage with that world and had very little to say. I haven't discovered more than two sexes, but admittedly wasn't going around looking under anyone's dress. Now that we are back to talking about living and dying, I feel equipped to engage.
As you may have gathered, I'm one of those people who thinks there is a God. There is life available after this life and He has both made and shown us the way to get it. For those of you who are only going to live once, I'm good with that if you're really good with it. Some of us however feel that death is a tragedy; it wasn't meant to be this way and have found our way off this rock alive in Christ. So for those of us who are in Christ, how are we to navigate these times?
Release the Panic
It's almost humorous to watch isn't it? Seriously - these are funny times. There is no shortage of the jokes surrounding the pandemic. In hindsight, one of the silliest facets of our time was watching people as they panic purchased large volumes of toilet paper. Last week there was a picture circulating on Facebook of a woman returning a whole shopping cart of toilet paper to Walmart.
Panic does not befit us. I am not saying that Christians don't panic. That would be wrong. We are subject to the same emotions as everyone else and often respond the same an the general public. I said it wasn't fitting. Our emotions aren't supposed to be our master.
We serve the God who sits on the throne of the Universe. There should be some comfort in that. He has a plan for how things are going to shake out in this world. He has promised to be with us, EVEN to the end of the age. No matter how dark these days get, and they will be dark, we can count on Him being there when we need Him most. We WILL die, yet as rough as the dying can be, He has defeated death itself. I'll put that paragraph in point form if you find it helpful.
1. He is in control
2. He is with us
3. He has a plan
4. He has defeated death
Call them facts. Call them promises. Call them what you may. These should be reason enough to let go of the panic, even if the Holy Spirit has not yet worked to quiet our troubled hearts.
Do What Needs Doing
I think resting in Christ allows us to let go of the panic, which in turn enables us to represent Him decently. Not everyone is panicked. While there are people panic buying all the flour and toilet paper, there are also a lot of people who see little need to respect the times. I had a person last week tell me, "I don't believe in all of this". They were bitter that their life had to be so inconvenienced, just because a few old people were dying.
I wasn't alive during the bubonic plague, but much has been written about how believers responded then. Although many were just as panicked as the general populace, many were also observed to care for the dying, subjecting themselves even to death. Some of you have responded similarly now. You have felt God nudging you to continue to serve or volunteer for health care in some capacity. Nobody has thanked you for responding to God's call, so I'll say it here.
Thank you.
So is that it? We should all sign up to volunteer at a Covid testing clinic? I know that what I say next won't help guide everyone of us in navigating their role during a global pandemic. I trust however that it's useful enough.
Do the most responsible thing given your situation. (Even if you could die)
The "even if you could die" clause is important here. God has a history of calling people to do what needs doing, even in the face of death. I think of Moses. I think of Gideon. I think of the disciples. I think of Paul. I think Jesus died doing what needed doing.
Staying home MIGHT be the most responsible thing for you to do. Going to work might be the most responsible thing to do. Making masks, delivering food; these could be the responsible things given your context. Who is around you and what needs do you see that you could meet?
Whether we live or die, may Christ be glorified through us. Represent Him well.
That's all for now. Stay in school and don't do drugs. I forgot. Times have changed. You can't go to school anymore. So...
Just don't do drugs.
:-)
To be fair, I haven't written in years, but this whole crisis has us talking and thinking about the very basic issues of life. Before this pandemic, our culture was wrapped up in trying to discover the new 57 or so genders and how to tell which one you were. I didn't know how to engage with that world and had very little to say. I haven't discovered more than two sexes, but admittedly wasn't going around looking under anyone's dress. Now that we are back to talking about living and dying, I feel equipped to engage.
As you may have gathered, I'm one of those people who thinks there is a God. There is life available after this life and He has both made and shown us the way to get it. For those of you who are only going to live once, I'm good with that if you're really good with it. Some of us however feel that death is a tragedy; it wasn't meant to be this way and have found our way off this rock alive in Christ. So for those of us who are in Christ, how are we to navigate these times?
Release the Panic
It's almost humorous to watch isn't it? Seriously - these are funny times. There is no shortage of the jokes surrounding the pandemic. In hindsight, one of the silliest facets of our time was watching people as they panic purchased large volumes of toilet paper. Last week there was a picture circulating on Facebook of a woman returning a whole shopping cart of toilet paper to Walmart.
Panic does not befit us. I am not saying that Christians don't panic. That would be wrong. We are subject to the same emotions as everyone else and often respond the same an the general public. I said it wasn't fitting. Our emotions aren't supposed to be our master.
We serve the God who sits on the throne of the Universe. There should be some comfort in that. He has a plan for how things are going to shake out in this world. He has promised to be with us, EVEN to the end of the age. No matter how dark these days get, and they will be dark, we can count on Him being there when we need Him most. We WILL die, yet as rough as the dying can be, He has defeated death itself. I'll put that paragraph in point form if you find it helpful.
1. He is in control
2. He is with us
3. He has a plan
4. He has defeated death
Call them facts. Call them promises. Call them what you may. These should be reason enough to let go of the panic, even if the Holy Spirit has not yet worked to quiet our troubled hearts.
Do What Needs Doing
I think resting in Christ allows us to let go of the panic, which in turn enables us to represent Him decently. Not everyone is panicked. While there are people panic buying all the flour and toilet paper, there are also a lot of people who see little need to respect the times. I had a person last week tell me, "I don't believe in all of this". They were bitter that their life had to be so inconvenienced, just because a few old people were dying.
I wasn't alive during the bubonic plague, but much has been written about how believers responded then. Although many were just as panicked as the general populace, many were also observed to care for the dying, subjecting themselves even to death. Some of you have responded similarly now. You have felt God nudging you to continue to serve or volunteer for health care in some capacity. Nobody has thanked you for responding to God's call, so I'll say it here.
Thank you.
So is that it? We should all sign up to volunteer at a Covid testing clinic? I know that what I say next won't help guide everyone of us in navigating their role during a global pandemic. I trust however that it's useful enough.
Do the most responsible thing given your situation. (Even if you could die)
The "even if you could die" clause is important here. God has a history of calling people to do what needs doing, even in the face of death. I think of Moses. I think of Gideon. I think of the disciples. I think of Paul. I think Jesus died doing what needed doing.
Staying home MIGHT be the most responsible thing for you to do. Going to work might be the most responsible thing to do. Making masks, delivering food; these could be the responsible things given your context. Who is around you and what needs do you see that you could meet?
Whether we live or die, may Christ be glorified through us. Represent Him well.
That's all for now. Stay in school and don't do drugs. I forgot. Times have changed. You can't go to school anymore. So...
Just don't do drugs.
:-)
Friday, April 10, 2020
Why Good Friday is Good
Today is Good Friday. It is April 10, 2020. If you are reading this today, you are living in one of the more uncertain times of human history as we face the Coronavirus. I thought it timely to remind us in this present crisis of why Good Friday is Good. It's a day where Christians remember the death of Jesus. So it can seem sort of weird, that we'd remember such a thing as a 'good' thing. We don't typically think of death as good.
Our Debt
In Canada, our nation is under a form of what we call 'lockdown' to try and battle Covid-19. Any services or businesses that are not considered to be essential are ordered to be shutdown. Roads are still open. Grocery stores still sell food, but you can't watch hockey, because there are no hockey games to watch. So much of Canada is living, using hydro and eating - depending on "the government" to support them for the time being. Within all this, we are amassing an enormous amount of debt.
Whether we know it or not, each one of us has a spiritual debt. There is a God. Some of you might want to fight me on that, and it's ok. But you haven't died yet have you? For those of you who have been dead for a while, you already know that there's more than this life, but you likely didn't make it to the judgment yet.
We have wronged God. The Bible word for doing wrong against God is called sin. There is a God and we owe Him what can called a sin-debt. And it's huge. It's beyond what you can pay. If you've lived life not even believing in Him, imagine how large it must be if you didn't even know what He wants.
We can handle these things a little easier when they are part of fiction. If you've watched the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, you can likely hear the words of Davey Jones as he tells Sparrow, "You have a debt to pay..." It becomes a little more aggravating when we talk about it in the God conversation because our conscience knows there is a reality to it that can't be easily swept aside.
And out of that debt, you, I - every one of us will die. (even if you think this is a fairy tale.)
Our Separation
Sin is more of a relational thing than it is a moral thing. (It does tend to have a moral component. So don't get all bent out of shape if you missed my use of the word, "more") You've been wronged in some way, by someone. Haven't you? It may be something big. It may simply something they said that bothers you. Whether your grievance is large or small, it creates a space between them and you. It can be a certain topic that you can no longer talk about with them. It could be that you don't want to see them as much as you used to, or perhaps you want them out of your life. Whether large or small, there is a separation that exists between them and you.
Out of our sin, a similar separation exists between us and God. The danger being, it can become permanent; a forever kind of permanent. Some of you don't mind the separation. You don't much like Him anyway. I like Him, so I don't understand it. But I get it. Others of us don't KNOW that we are separated from Him, and that is quite common too isn't it? Many of us harbour sour feelings towards others who simply don't know. They don't know you're upset with them. They don't know why you don't want to see them or why you don't respond to their calls or texts like you used to.
When we've been wronged, we generally have an idea of what we want from them now. Even if we want them dead. (Hopefully not). We want them to apologize. We want them to pay us back. We want them to acknowledge how they've wronged us. Whatever we want from, we expect it to be rectified on our terms.
Fortunately for us, God isn't an immature bitter grudge holder. He has shown us the way back. He has revealed, "His terms".
Our Way Back
You might want to try to be right with God however you think is best. Good luck with that. If that's your approach, I beg you. If I know you....give me a list of people who have wronged you. And I'll ask them to try to get right with you in some way OTHER than what you want. It's a dumb idea isn't it?
The nature of our sin-debt and separation is such that you and I are unable to rectify the situation. Jesus paid it/dealt with it on our behalf. Peter described it this way,
"He (Jesus) bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" 1 Peter 2:24
I guess if you don't mind your separation, this is simply "religious information". I just ask that you seriously ponder what it might be like were the separation to be locked in indefinitely.
If you never knew, but are thinking you want in, THAT is the Good News of Good Friday. There is a way in; and it starts today. Accept the payment made on your behalf - the payment made by Jesus on the cross. Then choose to follow Him. If you don't know where to start, try picking up a Bible and reading the book of John to begin with. It's easily accessible online if you can't find or don't have one.
If you are already in Christ, then be encouraged. Today is a truly good day. We grieve, we mourn and we remember, but thank God there is a way! Our debt has been paid in full. We have right standing with the King of Kings.
Our Debt
In Canada, our nation is under a form of what we call 'lockdown' to try and battle Covid-19. Any services or businesses that are not considered to be essential are ordered to be shutdown. Roads are still open. Grocery stores still sell food, but you can't watch hockey, because there are no hockey games to watch. So much of Canada is living, using hydro and eating - depending on "the government" to support them for the time being. Within all this, we are amassing an enormous amount of debt.
Whether we know it or not, each one of us has a spiritual debt. There is a God. Some of you might want to fight me on that, and it's ok. But you haven't died yet have you? For those of you who have been dead for a while, you already know that there's more than this life, but you likely didn't make it to the judgment yet.
We have wronged God. The Bible word for doing wrong against God is called sin. There is a God and we owe Him what can called a sin-debt. And it's huge. It's beyond what you can pay. If you've lived life not even believing in Him, imagine how large it must be if you didn't even know what He wants.
We can handle these things a little easier when they are part of fiction. If you've watched the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, you can likely hear the words of Davey Jones as he tells Sparrow, "You have a debt to pay..." It becomes a little more aggravating when we talk about it in the God conversation because our conscience knows there is a reality to it that can't be easily swept aside.
And out of that debt, you, I - every one of us will die. (even if you think this is a fairy tale.)
Our Separation
Sin is more of a relational thing than it is a moral thing. (It does tend to have a moral component. So don't get all bent out of shape if you missed my use of the word, "more") You've been wronged in some way, by someone. Haven't you? It may be something big. It may simply something they said that bothers you. Whether your grievance is large or small, it creates a space between them and you. It can be a certain topic that you can no longer talk about with them. It could be that you don't want to see them as much as you used to, or perhaps you want them out of your life. Whether large or small, there is a separation that exists between them and you.
Out of our sin, a similar separation exists between us and God. The danger being, it can become permanent; a forever kind of permanent. Some of you don't mind the separation. You don't much like Him anyway. I like Him, so I don't understand it. But I get it. Others of us don't KNOW that we are separated from Him, and that is quite common too isn't it? Many of us harbour sour feelings towards others who simply don't know. They don't know you're upset with them. They don't know why you don't want to see them or why you don't respond to their calls or texts like you used to.
When we've been wronged, we generally have an idea of what we want from them now. Even if we want them dead. (Hopefully not). We want them to apologize. We want them to pay us back. We want them to acknowledge how they've wronged us. Whatever we want from, we expect it to be rectified on our terms.
Fortunately for us, God isn't an immature bitter grudge holder. He has shown us the way back. He has revealed, "His terms".
Our Way Back
You might want to try to be right with God however you think is best. Good luck with that. If that's your approach, I beg you. If I know you....give me a list of people who have wronged you. And I'll ask them to try to get right with you in some way OTHER than what you want. It's a dumb idea isn't it?
The nature of our sin-debt and separation is such that you and I are unable to rectify the situation. Jesus paid it/dealt with it on our behalf. Peter described it this way,
"He (Jesus) bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" 1 Peter 2:24
I guess if you don't mind your separation, this is simply "religious information". I just ask that you seriously ponder what it might be like were the separation to be locked in indefinitely.
If you never knew, but are thinking you want in, THAT is the Good News of Good Friday. There is a way in; and it starts today. Accept the payment made on your behalf - the payment made by Jesus on the cross. Then choose to follow Him. If you don't know where to start, try picking up a Bible and reading the book of John to begin with. It's easily accessible online if you can't find or don't have one.
If you are already in Christ, then be encouraged. Today is a truly good day. We grieve, we mourn and we remember, but thank God there is a way! Our debt has been paid in full. We have right standing with the King of Kings.
Sunday, August 19, 2018
My Final Pep Talk...
I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow our summer is nearing it's end, and with that - so is our time together as a team. As I reflect on our season together I've been thinking about the kind of things I hope you will carry with you from your time on the team.
I do hope that you have grown both in your knowledge and love for the game. Soccer is a great game. It's often referred to as "The World's Game." Wherever you find people and an open patch of grass, if you bring a ball and throw it down you'll likely find someone who's willing to kick it around with you. I do enjoy the game, largely because it has given me the chance to work with you, yet there are some things I hope you take with you that go beyond the game; things that have the potential to help you as you continue through life.
Teamwork
You will likely spend much of your life on some kind of team. When you go back to school in the fall, many of you will have to work on group projects at some point. When the time comes to enter the workforce, you will likely find yourself working with or for other people.
Working on a team can't be all about you. Teams made up of people who are really there for themselves generally don't work, and they really aren't much fun be on. There are times when you won't get the role or position you want. I hope that when those times come that you will be as willing to give your best where you are needed, just as you were for me and your team this summer.
Your willingness to work together, to do what needed to be done ESPECIALLY when it wasn't what you wanted, was what made this team so fun to coach and to play on.
Sportsmanship
If you're honest, none of you really much care that I'm a mechanic, or that I'm good at what I do. You likely aren't much impressed that I'm an elder at my church. You do care how I treat you. It matters that I do my best to give you equal playing time. It matters that I'm really on your side. The point is this:
Who you are is much more important than what you do or accomplish.
If you're a jerk, few people on your team are impressed by how many goals you can score, your ability to deke out the other team or perform a bicycle kick during the game. It's great if you can do those things, but what matters more is how you relate to other people.
Our most talented players this season carried themselves with a quiet humility. You have likely played on teams with people where that wasn't the case. They were good for sure. They knew it, and they made sure everyone around them knew it as well. I'm so happy that's not the story of our team.
Perseverance
You were with me until the end. Literally. All 17 of you were there for our final day together. Throughout the season, I never sensed that you gave up during a game, even when it became obvious you weren't going to win.
Please keep that. Hold on to it and face life with it. Learning to keep going starts now. It starts where you are in grade 7 and 8. A lot of life can be hard. Maybe at school you're scared to give a presentation to the class. Muster all the courage you find and do it anyway. Don't allow surrender to be the thing you turn to and don't let it become the pattern for your life.
Even when life gets really hard, even when it seems you just can't win - play on. There are times to quit and move on, but don't surrender JUST because it's difficult. Very few things that are worthwhile come easy.
You Matter
For all of my talk about teamwork, and how it's not about you - You Matter.
I haven't taught this to you like I have about teamwork, sportsmanship and perseverance. I hope however that you've 'caught' it. I hope you could tell that you matter to me. I hope you could tell by the way I made a point of greeting you when you came on the field. I hope you noticed the way I tried to connect with you, even if I did seem sort of lame and awkward about it. I hope you heard me cheering for you when you made a good play.
You matter to your family. They bring you out each week. They come when they can to watch you and cheer you on. They even wash you stinky soccer shirts that you fill with sweat on Thursday night.
You matter to your team. Each of you has helped to make the season what it was, and no matter how confident you are about your ability, without you - this team would have a big hole.
And If you'll hear me out....
You matter to God.
I'd be happy to elaborate on that, but will leave it there for now.
Thank You
I suppose there are other things I could have done with my summer. There's always something to watch on YouTube. I also have a lot of video games I could play. I can't however imagine spending my summer any other way. Having the chance to get to know you, to put on my blue shirt every Thursday night and hear you call me coach has been far better than any vacation I could have planned. Thank you for making this a joy filled summer.
I hope I have the privilege of being your coach again someday.
Coach Kevin
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
January's Over
We've arrived at the end of our time working through John's Gospel. As wonderful as it may be for you to have read my writings, what you have gleaned through John is more important. (And I hope you have) If you have read through John, I would be interested in hearing what stood our to you. What do you see in Jesus? What remains with you now that you are finished? Consider letting me know by leaving a comment.
Different individuals view the Bible in different ways. Some think it's a book that allows people to be controlled. This kind of philosophy isn't unusual and is even a common theme throughout The Book of Eli. Is that how John's writings came across to you? Did his words find a way to make you vote for a certain political candidate? Honestly, I find that thinking odd. If there is a theme to John's writings it isn't to vote Republican or conservative. The theme clearly is this - Jesus is King! Follow Him.
Whatever you decide regarding Christ as you move on, know that I haven't been here trying to convince you of some obscure theory surrounding things that happened billions of years ago. As we've looked though John, we have looked at a person and events well within the span of observable human history. In spite of this, there are still many skeptics and you may very well be among them.
If we are parting ways and you think this has all been a fairy tale, I'll give you one final piece to ponder. When we consider that John's account was written within the timespan of recorded history, the events he spoke on were either deniable or verifiable in their time. Had this been a fairy tale, the people who read it would have had the chance to do their own writing and say, "The stuff these Christians are talking about never happened."
As we look back on antiquity we find something different. We don't find early writings saying that there was no Jesus. What we do find are writings that say, "That's not the way it happened". We see the very things that John was trying to teach us. He made it VERY clear that not everyone believed in Jesus; that many people had a very different take on who He was.
The Gospels of Matthew, a Mark, Luke and John are the stories that have prevailed and they have prevailed largely due to their consistency with each other and their acceptance in their time - something we know from their available manuscripts. If you want to find other accounts of Jesus' life that are inconsistent and that we're not accepted in their time, then you will have to look elsewhere. I'm not about to help with that.
Thank you so much for journeying with me. I hope you have further to go with Jesus. Let me know how I can help with that.
Kevin
Different individuals view the Bible in different ways. Some think it's a book that allows people to be controlled. This kind of philosophy isn't unusual and is even a common theme throughout The Book of Eli. Is that how John's writings came across to you? Did his words find a way to make you vote for a certain political candidate? Honestly, I find that thinking odd. If there is a theme to John's writings it isn't to vote Republican or conservative. The theme clearly is this - Jesus is King! Follow Him.
Whatever you decide regarding Christ as you move on, know that I haven't been here trying to convince you of some obscure theory surrounding things that happened billions of years ago. As we've looked though John, we have looked at a person and events well within the span of observable human history. In spite of this, there are still many skeptics and you may very well be among them.
If we are parting ways and you think this has all been a fairy tale, I'll give you one final piece to ponder. When we consider that John's account was written within the timespan of recorded history, the events he spoke on were either deniable or verifiable in their time. Had this been a fairy tale, the people who read it would have had the chance to do their own writing and say, "The stuff these Christians are talking about never happened."
As we look back on antiquity we find something different. We don't find early writings saying that there was no Jesus. What we do find are writings that say, "That's not the way it happened". We see the very things that John was trying to teach us. He made it VERY clear that not everyone believed in Jesus; that many people had a very different take on who He was.
The Gospels of Matthew, a Mark, Luke and John are the stories that have prevailed and they have prevailed largely due to their consistency with each other and their acceptance in their time - something we know from their available manuscripts. If you want to find other accounts of Jesus' life that are inconsistent and that we're not accepted in their time, then you will have to look elsewhere. I'm not about to help with that.
Thank you so much for journeying with me. I hope you have further to go with Jesus. Let me know how I can help with that.
Kevin
Monday, January 30, 2017
Last Call
John 21
“He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:17
Some people look at this passage as if Jesus is rebuking Peter. Other’s see it as if He is giving Peter some much needed guidance. Whatever tone you think would fit this conversation, Peter had went back to his old lifestyle. Jesus had spent approximately 3 ½ years teaching Peter how to be a fisher of men, but he’s back on the boat making a living casting nets.
In Peter’s life specifically, Jesus wanted him to leave his career as a fisherman to pursue the kind of ministry he had just been trained to do. God has called or might be calling some of you to do the same and it can certainly be a very uncomfortable “career path.” If you aren’t a career pastor, ask yourself this question: Could you reasonably expect to make your living on none other than the voluntary offerings of God’s people?
I fix cars for a living. I don’t really worry about my job security all that much for two reasons. 1. I can rely on the fact that cars break down. They just do. So as long as people have cars, they will need them fixed. 2. I also know that people value their cars much more than they support the work of Christ in the world through the church. What that means is, I know their car will break and I know they will be willing to pay me to fix it. If God has called you to serve Him vocationally – thank you for trusting Him in that.
Jesus charge to ‘Feed His Sheep’ was both a specific commission over Peter’s life and a general call for all of those who have truly believed in Him. Becoming part of God’s nation isn’t merely a spiritual transaction whereby we resume life as if nothing significant has happened. When we are His, so long as we remain here in this life we have the privilege of being ambassadors of the country of Jesus. The church is therefore kind of like a foreign embassy, not representing Russia or China – but God most high.
You likely haven’t had Jesus sit you down and tell you to feed His lambs. Would it help were He to do so? Likely not. The language of His commission to Peter didn’t spell out in specifics the kind of tasks that he would have to pursue. I surmise that even after being redirected, Peter still had to think, process and pray over what exactly he was to do. I hope it reasonable to assume he would have given some thought to what Jesus had been preparing him for up until this time in his life.
Maybe the question we have to answer is this – How does Jesus want you to represent Him in this world? If you are working that through, you’re already well underway. If you’re just starting to answer the question, I won’t place on you a specific task other than to live out the simple relationship to which we are called. Spend your effort reading, studying and understanding God’s Word. Talk your observations over with other believers and make time to worship God and pray to Him. Then.....do what comes out of that. I know this process is too elementary to be impressive, but give it a whirl.
“He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:17
Some people look at this passage as if Jesus is rebuking Peter. Other’s see it as if He is giving Peter some much needed guidance. Whatever tone you think would fit this conversation, Peter had went back to his old lifestyle. Jesus had spent approximately 3 ½ years teaching Peter how to be a fisher of men, but he’s back on the boat making a living casting nets.
In Peter’s life specifically, Jesus wanted him to leave his career as a fisherman to pursue the kind of ministry he had just been trained to do. God has called or might be calling some of you to do the same and it can certainly be a very uncomfortable “career path.” If you aren’t a career pastor, ask yourself this question: Could you reasonably expect to make your living on none other than the voluntary offerings of God’s people?
I fix cars for a living. I don’t really worry about my job security all that much for two reasons. 1. I can rely on the fact that cars break down. They just do. So as long as people have cars, they will need them fixed. 2. I also know that people value their cars much more than they support the work of Christ in the world through the church. What that means is, I know their car will break and I know they will be willing to pay me to fix it. If God has called you to serve Him vocationally – thank you for trusting Him in that.
Jesus charge to ‘Feed His Sheep’ was both a specific commission over Peter’s life and a general call for all of those who have truly believed in Him. Becoming part of God’s nation isn’t merely a spiritual transaction whereby we resume life as if nothing significant has happened. When we are His, so long as we remain here in this life we have the privilege of being ambassadors of the country of Jesus. The church is therefore kind of like a foreign embassy, not representing Russia or China – but God most high.
You likely haven’t had Jesus sit you down and tell you to feed His lambs. Would it help were He to do so? Likely not. The language of His commission to Peter didn’t spell out in specifics the kind of tasks that he would have to pursue. I surmise that even after being redirected, Peter still had to think, process and pray over what exactly he was to do. I hope it reasonable to assume he would have given some thought to what Jesus had been preparing him for up until this time in his life.
Maybe the question we have to answer is this – How does Jesus want you to represent Him in this world? If you are working that through, you’re already well underway. If you’re just starting to answer the question, I won’t place on you a specific task other than to live out the simple relationship to which we are called. Spend your effort reading, studying and understanding God’s Word. Talk your observations over with other believers and make time to worship God and pray to Him. Then.....do what comes out of that. I know this process is too elementary to be impressive, but give it a whirl.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Why
John 20:24-31
“...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31
And finally we see his heart; John’s heart. We are near the end of his firsthand account of Jesus’ life and I hope we consider it a privilege to know why he took the time to write it out. It’s between you and God whether you respond the way John had hoped. He wrote in the hope that you (and I) would:
1. Believe Jesus is The Christ
2. Believe Jesus is the Son of God
3. That by believing, we would have life in Jesus’ name
It isn’t as if John wanted us to receive 3 separate things, like a toaster, a baseball and a new kitten. I’m just listing them so as to address the implications of each.
Jesus is The Christ
“Christ” is a title. It was another word used to describe the deliverer, or Messiah. The Jews generally looked towards the Christ as being someone who would restore Israel to her sovereign place among the nations. God’s purpose for the Messiah was much grander – all of humanity.
Depending on your worldview, you might not think humanity is in need of saving. We are indeed making progress in many ways. There are facets of life however that our advancement simply cannot help with. We are medicated more than ever and medicine has its place, but we’re really losing ground to anxiety and depression. We have more communication tools at our disposal than ever before, but are increasingly disconnected from one another. Feel free to believe that we are not falling apart, but you do realize that we have no solution to our own mortality. The Christ was to reconcile God with mankind. Try inventing a pill or an app that does that. Jesus is not just “A” deliverer, but “THE” Messiah, once for all time.
The Son of God
God’s love for the people He created prompted Him to send His very own Son. I love a few people. I do not love any of them enough to give them my son. As God’s Son, Jesus is uniquely situated to represent us before The Father as well as The Father to us in a way that no other can. The Christ had to be The Son. Anyone else would merely be a representative.
You May Have Life in Jesus’ Name
If I tell you Jesus wants you to have life now, how would you interpret that? He does care about your life now, but that doesn’t mean that by believing you will be healthy and wealthy. As for this life, I think the implications for faith in Jesus have more to do with receiving the peace, strength, hope and perseverance in the midst of life. It’s not just life that John is referring to: It is life in Christ’s name. Our life, our identity is to be lived out in Christ. His name is the name we are to be known for. His name is the flag that represents our lives. If we are His, we are to be known primarily as His, not for our “own” accomplishments. As for the life after death, He’s taken care of that too.
“...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31
And finally we see his heart; John’s heart. We are near the end of his firsthand account of Jesus’ life and I hope we consider it a privilege to know why he took the time to write it out. It’s between you and God whether you respond the way John had hoped. He wrote in the hope that you (and I) would:
1. Believe Jesus is The Christ
2. Believe Jesus is the Son of God
3. That by believing, we would have life in Jesus’ name
It isn’t as if John wanted us to receive 3 separate things, like a toaster, a baseball and a new kitten. I’m just listing them so as to address the implications of each.
Jesus is The Christ
“Christ” is a title. It was another word used to describe the deliverer, or Messiah. The Jews generally looked towards the Christ as being someone who would restore Israel to her sovereign place among the nations. God’s purpose for the Messiah was much grander – all of humanity.
Depending on your worldview, you might not think humanity is in need of saving. We are indeed making progress in many ways. There are facets of life however that our advancement simply cannot help with. We are medicated more than ever and medicine has its place, but we’re really losing ground to anxiety and depression. We have more communication tools at our disposal than ever before, but are increasingly disconnected from one another. Feel free to believe that we are not falling apart, but you do realize that we have no solution to our own mortality. The Christ was to reconcile God with mankind. Try inventing a pill or an app that does that. Jesus is not just “A” deliverer, but “THE” Messiah, once for all time.
The Son of God
God’s love for the people He created prompted Him to send His very own Son. I love a few people. I do not love any of them enough to give them my son. As God’s Son, Jesus is uniquely situated to represent us before The Father as well as The Father to us in a way that no other can. The Christ had to be The Son. Anyone else would merely be a representative.
You May Have Life in Jesus’ Name
If I tell you Jesus wants you to have life now, how would you interpret that? He does care about your life now, but that doesn’t mean that by believing you will be healthy and wealthy. As for this life, I think the implications for faith in Jesus have more to do with receiving the peace, strength, hope and perseverance in the midst of life. It’s not just life that John is referring to: It is life in Christ’s name. Our life, our identity is to be lived out in Christ. His name is the name we are to be known for. His name is the flag that represents our lives. If we are His, we are to be known primarily as His, not for our “own” accomplishments. As for the life after death, He’s taken care of that too.
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