She knew who He was

At the end of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, God says this about when His coming Messiah arrives:

Malachi 4:2
But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.

We need to be aware that Hebrew word kanap, which is translated wings, can also refer to an edge or hem of a garment.  This alternate translation is used in several places throughout the Old Testament.

This verse is among the last words that God spoke to the nation of Israel before going silent for 400 years.  Then, after all that time, Jesus arrives on the scene.  He demonstrates His authority through various healing miracles and teaching unlike any the people had heard before.  As His fame grew, so did the number of people who came to Him with their various illnesses and maladies.  However, there’s one healing story that did not make a whole lot of sense to me, until recently:

Mark 5:25-29
Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years had endured much under many doctors.  She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all.  On the contrary, she became worse.  Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His clothing.  For she said, “If I just touch His clothes, I’ll be made well.”  Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

Her reasoning “If I just touch His clothes, I’ll be made well.” was the part I didn’t get.  I figured that’s kind of an odd thought, but it must have been ok since she was healed, right?

But read her account in light of the promise God made through the prophet Malachi – the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in His garments.  This wasn’t a crazy lady making stuff up about God and hoping for the best…this was a woman who, even after suffering for 12 years, knew God’s word and was clinging to His promises. 

She recognized Jesus as the Messiah – and because she knew the Scriptures, she boldly stepped forward to claim God’s promise for healing.  Even though she didn’t make a spectacle of her approach and she kept to herself in the crowd, her actions were still bold…she approached Jesus with confidence in who He was and what He was capable of.

Jesus recognized that someone who touched Him had been healed, and He stopped to see who it was.

Mark 5:32-33
But He was looking around to see who had done this.  The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth.

She was caught, so to speak.  But she acted with boldness again, even though she was scared.  As she told Him the whole truth, it would not surprise me if she had quoted God’s prophecy through Malachi.  Although the words she spoke were with fear and trembling, listen to the gentle, loving response from Jesus:

Mark 5:34
“Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has saved you.  Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.”

Her faith is what saved her from her affliction.  But what was it that she believed?  She believed that Jesus was the Messiah.  She believed God’s promises in the Scriptures.  Her trust in God was what delivered her.

So how about us?  Do we believe God’s promises?  We’re told that we, too, can approach Jesus with the same boldness of the woman in Mark 5.

Hebrews 4:16
Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

But…are we like the woman in Mark 5?  She knew who Jesus was because she knew God’s word.  Do we know God’s promises given for us in the Scriptures?  Faith in who Jesus is will give us the boldness to seek Him in our time of need.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

God’s incomplete story

It must have been tough being one of God’s prophets in ancient Israel.  You know that you are commissioned for an incredible work – speaking on behalf of the Creator of the Universe, and delivering His messages to humanity.  However, it is not an easy task.  Oftentimes, the people don’t want to hear what you have to say.  Many don’t want to be called out of their self-focused, sinful lifestyles.  Sometimes, the prophet had to deliver a message of punishment for Israel…and who among us likes being the bearer of bad news?

Like many other prophets, Elijah had threats on his life, even coming from the current king and queen.  Later on, Isaiah was commissioned by God to tell Israel that national punishment was coming.  When he asked God how long he should preach this message, God replied, “until the land is ruined and desolate” (Isaiah 6:11).  Not exactly a crowd-pleasing message to share.

But staying silent wasn’t an option, either.  Jeremiah was another prophet who foretold the destruction of Judah.  Here’s what he had to say about not wanting to preach any more “bad news”:

Jeremiah 20:9
I say, “I won’t mention Him or speak any longer in His name.”
But His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones.
I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

We also have to consider that the prophets didn’t necessarily understand the full implication of God’s message.  After all, they were simply the messenger, not the originator.  In many instances, they were delivering prophecies for the people of their day, but they also often spoke of a coming Messiah…and God did not give them all the details about the salvation His Messiah would bring.  Peter also brings up this point in one of his letters:

1 Peter 1:10-12
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated.  They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.  It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you.

The Old Testament prophets did their best to discover God’s plan for the Messiah, but ultimately, they were not given the full picture.  Instead, they learned that their messages and efforts were meant to serve others…and not just their own curiosities.  Although they did not get the “full story” during their lifetime, God did give them enough information so they could do the work He had for them.

The Apostle John acknowledged being in a similar situation when he wrote his gospel message:

John 20:30-31
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book.  But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

There were lots of things John could have written about, including many signs that Jesus performed before ascending into heaven.  Those would have been really interesting to read about, I’m sure!  However, John selected specific stories from Jesus’ life that were all aimed at one purpose, the main thing John (and God) wanted us to know: so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. 

There is a parallel here between the Old Testament prophets and us modern believers.  We don’t have the full story of how and when God will move through history.  We don’t get to know the date when Jesus will return.  But there is still work to do.

Thankfully, the Old Testament prophets pressed on and did the hard work of delivering God’s message.  Many of them are commended in “God’s Hall of Fame” and you can read what God had to say about them in Hebrews 11.  We, too, can press on, sharing the message of the gospel to the people around us.  God will also commend and reward those who do the work He has for us now. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

What's in the New Testament?

We commonly refer to the Bible as a “book” – in fact, it is the best-selling book of all-time.  However, the Bible itself is a collection of 66 individual books.  These books were written over approximately 1500 years, by 40 different authors, and in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek).

Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the authors to write His words and His message to humanity.  Each author brought their own experiences, concerns, and writing style…and as such, we have a variety of literature types within the Scriptures.  The major division of the Bible’s books is between the Old Testament and the New Testament.  For this blog post, we’ll look at what God has said in the New Testament:

New Testament – This is a collection of 27 books which details Jesus’ birth, ministry, death on the cross, His resurrection, and the world-wide impact of these events.  They are divided into 5 different categories:

The Gospels – These 4 accounts tell of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection.  The only other historical contemporary to Jesus who had four biographical accounts of their life at that time was the Emperor Tiberius.  The gospels show a remarkable consistency for having been written by four different authors writing for four different audiences.  The gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

History – Just one book, Acts.  It begins with Jesus giving the disciples their mission to tell the world about Him, and then He ascends into the heavens.  The rest of the book tells how this mission was fulfilled through the early church.  It also reveals Paul’s incredible conversion to Christianity and his role as a missionary.

Paul’s letters – Not only did Paul take multiple missionary trips, bringing the gospel to several nations around the Mediterranean, but he also wrote letters to the churches he established and specific people he partnered with in ministry.  These books contain a mixture of Christian doctrine/teachings and practical advice on how to live like Jesus in a messed-up world.  Paul’s letters include: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

General letters – These are smaller letters written to larger Christian audiences.  They contain additional teachings and practical applications.  These letters include: Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

Prophecy – The book of Revelation is God’s foretelling of the end of earth’s history and the beginning of Jesus reign into Eternity Future.  You’ll find lots of symbolism and references back to many Old Testament people and situations.  Whereas Genesis begins with the story of Paradise Lost, Revelation ends with Paradise Restored.

A few things to keep in mind:

The Bible isn’t a science text – but it does contain some science references.  The Bible isn’t a history book, but there’s never been an archeological find that has contradicted a historical statement in the Bible.  The Bible never claimed to be “the book of every explanation”, but it does contain everything we need to understand God’s love and design for humanity.  The Bible tells us of God’s original partnership with us, how we fouled it up, and God’s plan to rescue us from the mess we’ve made.

I hope and pray that this brief description is helpful to you…perhaps even spurred some questions or curiosity about a book of the Bible you haven’t read in a while.  I’ll end with Paul’s encouragement to his protégé, Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I had to delete them all

I’ve been praying a lot more lately.  If that seems weird to read, well…I also admit that it is a little weird to type.  But the truth is, I’ve been talking with God a lot more in the past few months than in previous seasons.

If you’re wondering “why”, I can’t put my finger on just one thing – it’s more a list of influences, rather than a single event.  There’s no major tragedy happening (although that’s what tends to be the thing to push us to pray more).  Prayer has been the topic of two different sermon series at our church in the last six months, and the weekly Men’s Zoom call I participate in has been going through the book, Lead with Prayer.  I’ve also been using the morning prayers on the app Lectio365 as a launching pad to get my mind right before I pray.  But you know what draws me back to praying each morning and throughout the day, more than anything else?  I’m enjoying the time spent talking and listening to God.  That’s it.  When you have good conversation with someone, you naturally want to go back and converse some more.

Early one February morning before work that day, the house was quiet and I was sitting in my recliner with my eyes closed.  I had finished listening to and meditating along with the morning Lectio365 prayer, and I had just started to share with God what was on my mind.  I don’t remember exactly what I was praying about, but I was quickly interrupted with an impression/voice/idea from God.  I say “impression/voice/idea from God” because it wasn’t an audible voice in the room, but it was also not my voice – I know what I sound like when I talk/think internally, and this was not that.  This impression/voice/idea was very clear: You need to delete all the games off your phone.

I dismissed that thought and tried to continue on with what I was praying about, but the impression/voice/idea came back again, and more insistent this time: You need to delete all the games off your phone.  I argued back, even though I knew I didn’t have a good argument not to…I just didn’t want to.  The eight games on my phone were puzzle games, a hearts card game, and one hunting game.  Most of them I didn’t play often, a couple of them I’d play throughout the day when a moment of waiting or boredom hit.  They were a safety net when I didn’t want to think.  While playing them didn’t seem like that big of a deal, if you totaled up my game usage for the week, those random minutes here and there added up to about 1-1.5 hours per day.  So, after arguing with God for what seemed like forever, I slowly deleted them, one-by-one.

I’d like to tell you that I felt automatically free and within days became the most creative I’ve ever been in my life – but that’s not what happened.  That first week, there were numerous times I grabbed my phone, then I would stare at the screen wondering, “What exactly am I trying to do?”  I was getting a crash course of just how much I had outsourced my attention throughout the day. 

As the detoxing continued, the toughest time of day was later in the evenings, when my brain was too tired to think through most of my preferred hobbies (reading, writing, etc.) but I didn’t want to go to bed yet…what am I doing if I’m not staring at my phone?  This was especially hard at the two-week mark, that evening I wanted to do nothing more than download a game and just play the time away before bed.  However, what helped me get past that urge was the Bible app’s verse of the day.  It was part of something Paul said to his friends in Ephesus:

Acts 20:24
But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

That verse really challenged me – I can’t reconcile playing app games with Paul’s focused understanding of his life and mission.  Let me be clear: apps and games for enjoyment aren’t sin.  However, as these were stealing my attention, they had also become an escape mechanism.  As such, they were pulling me away from what God had already called me to do.

This realization brought another Scripture to mind:

Hebrews 12:1-2
…let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us.  Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

I love how the author of Hebrews distinguishes between our life experiences.  We encounter both hindrances and sins – and both of them can easily ensnare us.  The games I was playing weren’t sinful, but they were a hindrance.  They were holding back my attention from where my feet were in that particular moment.  And as I am now over a month past removing them off my phone, I’m beginning to think that the apps were also a hindrance to preparing me for whatever mission God has next for me.

So, I have to ask – Does my story resonate?  Is there something in your life that isn’t necessarily “bad”, but has become a hindrance to living out who you are as a son or daughter of God?  Is there something in your life that could keep you from taking on that next opportunity to partner with God?

It’s time to lay that aside.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Dermatology appointments and discipline

As I have grown older, I have added to the number of medical appointments I must attend.  Long gone are the days of being asked “Who is your primary care physician?” and me smirking while answering, “I don’t have one.  Don’t really need one.”  Now, I do have a PCP, an Ortho Doc, and a Chiropractor that are all seen at least semi-regularly.  The most recent one I’ve added, though, is my dermatologist.  Nothing to be alarmed about, but I do see him annually.

At my last visit, I had a short list of things I wanted to ask him about.  A bump here or a discolored mark there…again, nothing painful or serious, but I thought I may as well ask.  And he dismissed every single one of my questioned spots.  “That’s normal”, he said, “When we get to be our parents’ ages, this kind of stuff happens.”

However, there were three spots I didn’t ask about that he did attend to – all on the left side of my face.  He froze a spot on my temple, another on my cheek, and a third spot at the top of the backside of my ear.  “Again, nothing to worry about”, he assured me, “all three are precancerous, but it’s best to get rid of them now before they become a problem.”

I wouldn’t have guessed any of those spots were even worth questioning…and two of them used to stare back at me in the mirror each morning!  I had no chance of seeing the one on the backside of my ear, though.  So, overall, I’m thankful for my dermatologist’s expertise and observation skills.  Even if that freezing spray stings a bit in the moment, and my skin ends up all red, tender, and semi-squishy as I healed over the next week.

Receiving discipline can be a little like that, can’t it?  We want to work on our 3-point shot, and coach has us doing dribble drills.  We want to go out with friends, but dad says it’s time to mow the lawn.  We expect our boss to put us on one project, and instead, we end up doing something completely different.  We go to the gym because we want stronger arms and legs, but our instructor has us spending a lot of time working on our core and back muscles.  What we expect as our next step isn’t always what we need to work on next.

I certainly believe that God works this way, too.  If I start hitting all the red lights and get stuck behind slow people in the grocery check-out line, my immediate thought is, “Funny, I don’t remember praying to have more patience.”  When I’m made aware of situations and organizations needing assistance that I am able to provide, but I wasn’t thinking about giving away my time or money…I suddenly have a choice to make.  When I get “that call” I’ve been dreading…how will I respond?  When I am confronted with the suffering of a broken world, and despair threatens to soak my brain and weigh down my heart…where will I turn?

Towards the end of his letter, the author of Hebrews had this advice:

Hebrews 12:7,9-12
Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons.  For what son is there that a father does not discipline? ...Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them.  Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live?

For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness.  No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Sometimes, God is working on areas of our lives that we wouldn’t have chosen to work on next.  He’ll use circumstances to challenge and grow us…or grow our dependency on Him.  And it’s not fun in the moment.  However, we can’t be surprised when God’s path and plan are different than ours.  After all, He sees a bigger picture than we do.  His constant goal is that we grow so we can share His holiness – and this goal goes above and beyond our small, selfish desires for comfortable circumstances. 

God uses suffering as discipline, frequently working in the areas of our lives we think are ‘ok’ for the moment.  His work on us and with us right now through painful situations can be like treating my pre-cancerous spots.  While they’re not a huge issue at the moment, let’s just take care of them now while they are small, before they become a larger, more life-impacting problem later.

We just have to trust that God knows what He’s doing.  Even if it stings in the moment.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite: Is Jesus boring?

Is Jesus boring?
Originally posted on April 19, 2018

One of the keys to good parenting that I’ve discovered over the years is to be so predictable that I’m boring…at least when it comes to discipline and behavioral expectations – first for myself, and then for my children.  While it may have looked ‘boring’ at a surface level or even felt ‘boring’ to me, the consistency of my character provided the foundation for relationship with my children.

Especially through their younger years, our relationship always seemed to go smoother when I was most consistent.  It’s as if they took a measure of comfort in knowing not just the boundaries, but who their dad is as a person.  When I was out of sorts, they could sense it, and they became unsteady.  Looking back, the season when I was traveling extensively for work certainly took a toll on our family dynamic.  Dad wasn’t consistently there, and it showed.

However, the flip side also rang true.  The times when I was consistently tuned in to both who I am with God and what my purpose is for my children – those seasons have resulted in some of our best family memories.  (Notice I didn’t say easiest, I said best…and there is often a difference)

My consistency came directly from my connection to God.  He is our ultimate example for the parent-child relationship, such that His consistency of character (from the surface level) may even appear ‘boring’.  But when we lean into His consistency of character, we find the things we cannot achieve anywhere else in life – identity, perspective, foundation, and purpose.

But it’s hard to rely on God for those things.  We struggle with the idea that we must earn everything, including relationships.  We don’t want to admit dependency or, quite frankly, our inner-most need for it.  And this is where the recipients of the letter we call Hebrews were in danger of slipping.  The author had already shown them Jesus’ fulfillment of Mosaic law and superiority over its decrees, but there would be the temptation for them to go back to trying to build a relationship with God based upon what actions they choose.

The author addressed this concern both as a warning and an encouragement:

Hebrews 13:8-9
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by foods, since those involved in them have not benefited.

The author says his readers cannot establish their relationship with God due to the ceremonial foods they would eat, or rituals they follow.  The people’s activities were shadows that pointed to Jesus and the relationship with God only He could provide. 

Jesus hasn’t changed.  Jesus doesn’t change.  Who He was in the Old Testament, who He is in the New Testament, and who He will be in eternity future is the same Great God who loves us unconditionally, entirely based upon grace.

If you come across any teaching that even suggests otherwise, don’t be led astray.  Reject such foolishness.  We cannot earn God’s love, by cash now or on credit later.  We cannot do enough good things today to earn the start of a relationship with Jesus.  We cannot do enough good deeds later to justify His investment of eternal life in us.  No matter what we’ve done, are doing, or will do – our standing with God is entirely established by grace.

We will not find His consistency boring; rather His consistent character will show us our true identity, proper perspective, a solid foundation, a life’s purpose, and a heart established by grace.  Most of all, His consistent character shows us…Him.

Don’t be led astray.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

AI tried to write this blog. Here’s what happened.

I have been looking into AI quite a bit recently.  Mostly for my day job, but also for my own curiosity.  The company I work for provides a fair bit of training and information about AI uses, but we’re also encouraged to find new ways of utilizing this tool in our day-to-day jobs.  While that information and skill set is helpful to develop in our current economy, my personal curiosity has been more focused on how we, as a society, will cope with the massive disruptions that are (honestly) just over the next horizon.

A common use of AI today is to get help creating written content.  Anywhere in the writing process can be assisted by AI tools – whether you’re simply brainstorming ideas, looking for feedback on a final product, or anywhere in between.  I’ve been aware of these capabilities for some time, but I’ve resisted checking into AI’s ability to completely write up a blog post.  To be honest, my avoidance has been more of a pride thing than anything else…I believe I do a decent job on my own with writing.  This has been a reliable skill for me since the time we started writing three-paragraph essays in junior high school.  To give you just one example, for a season of my career, I actually taught technical writing for laboratory investigations to chemists and Quality Control management.  While others may rejoice in getting help with their writing tasks, I’ve been feeling a little threatened.  So, I’ve actively avoided exploring AI’s capabilities here.

Until last Wednesday, anyway.  I decided that I would finally take a look at what I’m up against.  I’ve used an AI model called Perplexity for a little less than a year, primarily as a search engine.  It’s not been perfect, but on the whole, it does a good job.  So, last Wednesday, I asked it the following prompt:

Write a blog post in the voice of the author in http://www.trustingson.com/the-word. It should be no more than 600 words. The topic is from Ruth 4, the generational impact of Ruth and Boaz's actions on their subsequent family line.

Now, I had preached on this chapter for my church back in May but I have not written a blog on this topic, so I was curious how close it would come to getting the topic right, but also how well it could do writing as if it were me. 

The result?  To be honest, what came out (in about 30 seconds) wasn't too far off.  I'd give it an 80% score...which is pretty scary.  There are a handful of “rules” that I go by when I write a blog, and the AI didn’t follow all of them.  But I could have easily asked it to refine the post by these additional parameters to achieve a final product that sounded even closer to my style of writing. 

I then showed the AI draft to my wife, with my head hung a little as she read through the text.  Although she was insistent that what she read "wasn't me" – I still felt like I had been kicked in the teeth.  Something that I’d always considered a strength was now easily produced with no real effort.  I then turned my attention to finishing up last Thursday’s blog My dog hates to wait.  So do I.  And I felt lousy about the AI situation for the whole next day.

And then, on Friday morning…God sent someone to rip me out of my funk.  Greg, who was also mentored by Joe Rheney and has been receiving THE WORD emails since way back when Joe was writing them, decided to drop me a message.  Here’s part of what he said:

Among the many things Joe helped us to grow in, was discovering and using our spiritual gifts. Mine is that of an encourager and comforter. I encourage you to continue your ministry with the same passion you started with and to finish with the goal and prize of hearing the words “Well done, good and faithful servant”. I personally value what you share in the pursuit reaching the finish line. Your insights, explanations, inspirations, and interpretations are an outward expression of your love and devotion to our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

I…I was stunned.  I didn’t know what to say or how to quell the multitude of emotions that started to swirl in my mind and through my chest.  God saw my funk of an attitude and prompted Greg to send me a note of encouragement.  God saw me.  And he sent help.

Throughout the New Testament, believers are often told to encourage one another.  Here are just two examples:

Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day (of Christ’s return) approaching.

1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

Thank you, Greg.  Thank you for using your gifts to support the body of Christ – even though you had no idea how much I needed it.  Thank you for listening to God’s prompt to use His gift in your life.

For everyone else, please follow Greg’s example and use your gifts to build up those around you.  Despite whatever technological advancements come next, we are still to consider one another in order to provoke love and good works…encouraging each other because our savior is coming soon.

I won’t be using AI to write THE WORD…simply because there is great value in my struggle and learnings from the Scripture, both for me and for you.  Besides, how can I claim that the Bible will change your life if I’m using a tool that keeps the Bible from changing mine?

I’ll keep using my gifts, even if it takes longer to complete my work.  It’s better that way.

I believe the same is true for the gifts and abilities God gave to you, too.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

God’s primary path for our growth

Each of us has seen this before – someone has all the raw talent in the world, but they fail to reach their full potential.  And what is the typical cause?  Because they didn’t put in the work.

Examples are easily found in sports.  We see someone who dominates in high school, is the best athlete on the field in college, but then, when they get to the pros…they quickly flame out.  Their natural abilities can take them only so far, but at some point, they need to combine their giftedness with a dedication to learning and developing.  While a few of these late-to-realize athletes may figure it out and course correct to achieve an average-to-good career, most others simply fall to the wayside, leaving a legacy of what-could-have-been.

We know of similar stories in academia and other careers.  Perhaps you’ve even lived this yourself.  Early successes can fool us into thinking we’ll always be at the top of our game, but as the road gets tougher…we’re challenged with the realization that the amount of effort and knowledge that got us to this point won’t necessarily be enough to take us further on.

That’s when these hard lessons need to be learned:
·       You don’t know what you don’t know.
·       You gotta learn that you gotta learn.
·       It takes maturity to realize that you need to mature.
·       You have to practice at practicing.

The problem?  We don’t always realize these are the lessons we need, or, worse yet, we fight against them.  We get stubborn and keep doing things the way we’ve always done it, simply because it’s worked for us in the past.  But when we stubbornly stagnate, we miss out on fulfilling our potential, and we forfeit opportunities that could have been ours.

You may not realize it, but we can stagnate the same way in our spiritual growth, too.  In fact, the author of the book of Hebrews warned his readers about this.  They had not progressed as they could have…as they should have…and they were living through the consequences of their stubborn choices:

Hebrews 5:11-14
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.  In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.  You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

They didn’t know about living with righteousness (which means to be living rightly before God) because they weren’t ready for it.  They had trouble making wise choices and difficulty telling the difference between good and evil because they rejected being trained to do so.

He includes a painful critique – though by this time you ought to be teachers.  The readers had no excuse.  They had the talent.  They had the opportunity.  They had the resources.  They had ample time.  But up to this point…they have squandered it all.  And they are struggling because of it.

But the author says they still have a way out of their immaturity, and it is a two-step process:

1.      they need to start with God’s word
2.      they need to be trained…by constant use, i.e. – they need to practice

You and I mature by taking these same steps.  Are we engaging God through His word and putting what He teaches us into practice?  God is willing to walk us down this path of growth and maturity, but we have to meet Him there.  Don’t be a stubborn infant, like the original recipients of Hebrews.  Don’t be slow to learn.  It’s time to mature.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

It’s time you do this on your own

Have you ever met someone who refused to grow up?

I’m not talking about someone who tries to keep a child-like curiosity and wonder about their life.  Instead, I’m asking if you’ve met someone who still thinks and behaves immaturely, whose view of the world is completely self-centered, small, and childish.  Have you met someone like that?  Of course you have.

Even though they are adult-sized, it doesn’t take long for a childish adult to stand out.  You can hear the whine in their voice.  Any topic of discussion is oozing with self-centeredness.  Other people only matter so much as they are beneficial to them in that moment.

Unfortunately, it’s a little harder to spot a childish Christian, but they can’t hide for long either.  When we first believe in Jesus for eternal life, we are born into God’s Family.  This new life can happen at any biological age – childhood, teens, young adult, older adult – and we all start out as spiritual infants.  However, spiritual growth doesn’t happen automatically like physical growth does. 

Spiritual growth comes from learning about God in the Scriptures (both by being taught and by your own study), applying what you have learned in your life, praying with God, and spending time with others who are in God’s Family and further along than you are.

Want to know an easy way to spot an immature Christian?  Listen to what they say.  Unfortunately, buzz words and buzz phrases have made their way into how many Christians speak…and these phrases are often held at the same level of truth as the Scriptures themselves.  How many of these phrases do you recognize?

God helps those who help themselves.
Money is the root of all evil.
God won’t give you any more than you can handle.
When God closes a door, He opens a window.

None of these are in the Bible.  In fact, some of these are exactly opposite of what’s in the Bible.  But they are often spoken as spiritual truths coming directly from Jesus and His disciples.

Unfortunately, Biblical ignorance (which is nothing more than not knowing what God actually says) isn’t just a modern problem.  At one point during his letter, the author of Hebrews had to stop and call out his audience:

Hebrews 5:11-14
We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand.  Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again.  You need milk, not solid food. 

Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant.  But solid food is for the mature – for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

No punches pulled there.

The Greek word translated as lazy – nothros – means sluggish or stupid, dull or stubborn.  And the thing to note is that they didn’t start out with this deficit!  The author says you have become too lazy to understand – their willful choices are holding them back.  They could have chosen to grow in their walk with Jesus, in fact by now they should have been teaching others, but they liked being childish so much that they refused to learn or mature.

They have become a drag to the church and are unable to confront the societal pressures they are currently facing.  Their immaturity is part of the reason why they received this letter.  The author’s hope was to spur them on to put their faith into action, so they wouldn’t regret wasting their lives on things that did not have eternal value.

And what of us?  Will we heed the same warning?

Let’s stop being lazy and distracted.  Instead, let’s get into the Scriptures for ourselves.  Then we can grow and mature into the people God has created us to be.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Round 2: Pause on abuse

Pause on abuse
Originally posted on January 27, 2022

Physical.  Mental.  Emotional.  Sexual.  Financial.  Spiritual.  Attach the word “abuse” to one of those terms and any rational person cringes at the thought of personally receiving it or witnessing another person taking it.

The Christian church has a spotty record when addressing these issues.  For years, we’ve seen pastors and clergy make headlines for misusing their positions.  Unfair fights and manipulations do happen in homes where the family goes to church.  Also frustrating is that when presented with abusive situations, many in the church don’t know how best to offer support.

We expect the church and our church family to be a safe haven from abusive behaviors, but that’s not always the case.  And as big and sensitive as this topic is, I want to focus on just one aspect.  A question that has been both wondered silently and shouted out loud:

Does God even care that abuses are happening in society at large and even in His church?  Does He not understand how much pain this behavior causes?

In all honesty…yes…God does understand the pain of abuse, because Jesus experienced it directly:

Matthew 27:27-31
Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole company around Him.  They stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet robe.  They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a staff in His right hand.  And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!”  Then they spat on Him, took the staff, and kept hitting Him on the head.  After they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

Let’s pause right here.  We often read these verses quickly and don’t fully take in the situation.  I get it, it’s painful to think about, but let’s pause for a moment and recognize that in these verses, we see Jesus experience a range of abuses:

Verbal abuse: through their mocking, taunting, and demeaning words.
Physical abuse: when they stripped Him of His clothes, shoved thorns into His head, spat on Him, and beat Him with a staff.
Emotional abuse: through their isolation, intimidation given, and Jesus’ humiliation as the whole company gathered around and participated.

Jesus did nothing to deserve this treatment.  Those in power chose to take advantage of the situation and treat Him this way.

But the abuse Jesus endured didn’t stop there.  A little later, more people joined in.  When Jesus was at His weakest point, when He was totally naked and exposed to everyone…it only got worse.  While the soldiers’ abuse happened away from everyone, isolated in one part of the governor’s residence, Jesus’ next round of abuse was in public.  While He hung on a cross, people from all walks of life began piling on.  It must have felt like the entire world was against Him.

Matthew 27:38-44
Then two criminals were crucified with Him one on the right and one on the left.  Those who passed by were yelling insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself!  If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” 

In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked Him and said, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself!  He is the King of Israel!  Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.  He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now – if He takes pleasure in Him!  For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”  In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with Him taunted Him.

While there were people who loved Him, none of them were with Him in this moment.  Most had scattered.  Some watched at a distance.  A few got as close as they could.  But as He died…He was alone.

Jesus’ purpose was to die on the cross to remove the sin barrier between God and humanity.  But was this “extra” abuse necessary for Him to complete the mission?  No, it wasn’t – but the Roman leaders allowed it.  The Jewish religious leaders were not sad that it happened.  The Roman soldiers chose to pile on what they saw as a poor, powerless, helpless Jew.

Jesus took blows that were unfairly delivered.  He endured taunting that criticized Him as a person, questioned His identity, and mocked His purpose.  However, there is hope.  His endured suffering became our peace and healing:

Isaiah 53:5 (HCSB)
But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.

Hebrews 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses – the mistakes we’ve made as well as our struggle to cope with how others have mistreated us.  Jesus wants us to come to Him, because He has mercy and grace for us.  He gets it.  He understands us.

Whatever abuse you have suffered, Jesus has been there.  He’s taken the hits.  He’s endured the taunts.  He’s suffered through others piling on insults, blame, and shame.  You are not alone.  It was wrong for Him to receive it, and it is also wrong for us to receive it.

Pain and abuse isn’t some academic discussion in Christianity – the God we worship has personal, direct experience with human suffering.  The church needs to identify and assist those who have been abused and those who are being abused now.  As ambassadors, we need to lovingly introduce them to a God who sees them and understands their history more intimately than they would expect.

If someone has taken advantage of you or abused you, let me be clear: It was wrong.  Others may not understand.  Blood family or church family may not handle it well.  But know that God understands – and in Him we can find peace and healing. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken