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

Lessons from a criminal

Tomorrow is known as “Good Friday”.  It seems strange to call the remembrance of an innocent man’s murder anything close to “good”… but that’s what we often see when God steps into our lives – what we assume doesn’t always match up with reality.

Jesus was wrongfully arrested, tried in a kangaroo court, and then used as a political pawn before being sentenced to death on a cross…all despite being innocent.  That certainly doesn’t seem “good”, either.  Crucifixion was one of the most barbaric ways to die, as the victim bleeds out, slowly suffocating as their strength fails while the hours, and even days, drag on.  The Romans perfected the process to exact as much pain and suffering as possible.  Over a 500-year span, it is estimated that Rome crucified somewhere between hundreds of thousands to as many as two million people.  That doesn’t sound “good” at all.

Yet, we still call the day Jesus was crucified “Good Friday”.  However, Jesus wasn’t the only person nailed to a cross that day.  Let’s take a look at Luke’s account:

Luke 23:32-42
Two others – criminals – were also led away to be executed with Him.  When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.  Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”  And they divided His clothes and cast lots.

The people stood watching, even the leaders were scoffing: “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One!”  The soldiers also mocked Him.  They came offering Him sour wine and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”

An inscription was above Him: This is the King of the Jews.

Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at Him: “Aren’t you the Messiah?  Save Yourself and us!”

But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment?  We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

The Jewish nation looked forward to the day when the Messiah would arrive, rescue the nation from their oppressors, and set up the kingdom which God had promised for centuries.  This future resurrection/redemption is likely what the criminal was referring to.  Because of this, the criminal who had just put his faith in Jesus, believing that He was the promised Messiah, was probably surprised by what Jesus said to him next:

Luke 23:43
And He said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”

When would this criminal see Jesus again?  When would he receive eternal life from Jesus?  Today.

Jesus’ gift of eternal life, for all who believe in Him, isn’t an IOU that will be fulfilled at some point in the future.  No, when we believe in Jesus, He gives us eternal life today.  Right now.  Not something to earn, not something to prove.  It’s His gift to you, and we can receive it because of His death on the cross.

He paid the penalty for our selfish, sinful lives – and because of that we are able to live the life we were initially created to live out.

John 10:10
A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

The Greek word for may have is a present tense verb.  Jesus meant that we can have an abundant life right now, just like the criminal received.  All we have to do is believe that Jesus is who He says He is – the Messiah, the Savior sent by God – just like the criminal did.

And if Jesus considers a criminal who has been condemned to die as someone worth saving, then His offer is good for any of us, too.  That is good news for us.  That’s why it’s called “Good Friday”.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

They asked Jesus for permission to kill

In Mark’s gospel, when Jesus’ twelve disciples are first chosen, we find something curious…the first three listed all have nicknames:

Mark 3:14-17
He appointed twelve, whom He also named apostles, to be with Him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons.  He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, He gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, He gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”)

Interesting name for James and John – “Sons of Thunder”.  I don’t believe this was necessarily a tribute to their father Zebedee, either.  In Luke’s gospel, we find a bigger clue:

Luke 9:51-55
When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined to journey to Jerusalem.  He sent messengers ahead of Himself, and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for Him.  But they did not welcome Him, because He determined to journey to Jerusalem. 

When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”

Whoa.  There’s a lot to unpack here.

You can understand why James and John are upset with the Samaritan village – after everything Jesus has done for this marginalized group during His ministry.  Jesus gave the Samaritans the clearest presentation of the gospel and had stayed with them before (John 4:1-43).  Later on, Jesus would use a Samaritan a the “good example” in one of His teachings (Luke 10:25-37), and He also had no issue healing them (John 17:11-19).  From these examples, we see Jesus’ heart toward this group of people that mainstream Jewish society routinely excluded, sneered at, and generally despised.

When Jesus’ kind feelings and actions were not reciprocated, James and John became indignant.  They wanted to administer justice, right then and there.  Even go so far as to make “an example” out of this hard-hearted town.

Did you notice whom they wanted to hand out the punishment?  They didn’t ask Jesus to do it for them.  Instead, the Sons of Thunder asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”  They had every confidence in their ability to do this.  Jesus had previously given them the ability to heal and to cast out demons, so, in their minds, they were good to go, just like the prophets of the Old Testament, as soon as Jesus gave the word.

Instead of giving permission, Jesus gave them a reprimand:

Luke 9:56
But He turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.

Jesus shut down their request, removed them from the situation, and made them walk it off.

Put yourself in Jesus’ sandals for a moment.  Two of your three top lieutenants just tried to wipe out an entire town, and do it under your authority.  How would you be feeling toward them, especially when you think of their next assignment? 

Do you still have confidence in them to represent you well, if they were out on their own?
Would you consider firing them?
Do you feel at least a little wary or guarded? 
Would you consider assigning some extra supervision before you can trust them again?

That’s not the approach Jesus took:

Luke 10:1
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and He sent them ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He Himself was about to go.

They were rebuked, but they were not kicked off the team.  They messed up, but they weren’t demoted.  Jesus still included them in His plans.

How often does the church side-line someone, especially someone in their teens or twenties, the moment they “mess up”?  They get treated like a child and barred from helping in any major capacity again. 

But is that what Jesus did?

Nope.  Instead, He gave them more responsibility at the next opportunity.  He sent them out to essentially be His PR Crew – and without His direct supervision!

So, come on, Church.  Give the next generation a place to lead – and possibly fail.  If/When a failure occurs, it’s on us older believers to straighten them out, pick them back up, and help them get back in the game as soon as possible.

Christ didn’t give up on James and John when they failed, and He hasn’t given up on us when we have failed Him, either.  So, let’s follow His example.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite: My spammed identity crisis

My spammed identity crisis
Originally posted on October 27, 2022

I hate SPAM.  I really do.  And as much as I despise that nasty concoction sealed in tin cans and sold in the grocery store…I’m not talking about that today.  The SPAM that I really hate is the one that shows up in my email inbox. 

Although I use the SPAM-filters on all my personal and work email accounts, there is always some junk emails that get through.  “Buy my stuff”, “Click this link” – makes me just roll my eyes.  Sometimes, the topic of the email is relative to something I’ve searched for or shopped for recently.  I bought some cordless power tools this past summer, and ever since I keep getting emails that I’m the “lucky winner” of a new tool set.  Other times, I can tell that my email address was sold to some list of random ads, clickbait, and phishing scams…often profiled to whatever demographic they believe I fit in: “Your Paypal account is locked”, “Life insurance – cheap quotes”, “Free phone – please respond”, “Find singles in your area” and on and on and on…

Looking at my SPAM file now…if my identity was defined by how these entities view me…here’s who I would be, based on just the SPAM I’ve received today:

The lucky winner of gift cards to both Kohl’s and Delta Airlines, a Milwaulkee Power Drill set, a Yeti backpack, as well as sweet deals for Canvas Prints, Gutter Guards, and a compression knee sleeve. 

Going back a couple more days, the SPAM companies’ picture of my identity includes:

Someone who is in need life insurance, a sloth Christmas t-shirt (twice), a sexy message from “Sofia”, a pizza oven, another power drill set, an American Airlines gift card, dementia information, and a warning that my McAfee account will be removed today!

It would be absurd for me to look at these junk emails and believe that they define what I should buy, where my interests are focused, or who I am as a person.  These strangers and their algorithms use scraps of data about me to construct a common-denominator profile, firing off anything a guy my age(ish) might be interested in.

But how often do we allow others to define our spending habits, our interests, or our value as a person?  It is very easy to allow the opinions of coworkers, fellow students, or celebrities to change our focus.  How much of our inner dialogue is shaped by what we see in commercials or on what the algorithms show us on social media?  How many of our wants, fears, and racing thoughts are driven by others and their view of what our identity should be?

We look for external affirmation because we know our internal thoughts can be biased.  The good news is that we can choose who is (and who isn’t) allowed to speak into our lives about who we are. 

Ever wonder what God says about our identity?

Once we believe in Jesus for eternal life (John 3:16), we automatically become children of God (John 1:12).  Here are a few more characteristics that God declares about His kids:

·       We’re rescued out of our old life and have a new home – one of love:

Colossians 1:13
He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.

·       We find forgiveness:

Colossians 1:14
In Him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

·       We have been brought near into God’s family.  God is no longer relationally distant from us:

Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

·     We have a home, a place where we belong:

Philippians 3:20
Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

These verses are a small sampling of what God has to say about our identity.  We can find many more identity descriptions throughout the New Testament books.  I suggest reading the letters I quoted above – Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians – as these books talk a great deal about who we are in God’s family.  They are quick reads that will have great insight into who God says we are.

So don’t allow SPAM emails, social media algorithms, or other imperfect humans to determine your identity.  Instead, look to the one who gave you eternal life and made you a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  If we trust Him with our eternal destiny, then we should be able to trust Him with our identity.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite: Yeah, it's that easy

Yeah, it's that easy
Originally posted on November 12, 2020

We like things to be easy, but we’re very leery of an easy solution to what we see as a difficult problem.  We don’t go to a doctor unless we can’t get well taking care of ourselves at home.  We hire professionals to do repair work because we don’t have the skill to fix it ourselves.  We expect the experts to solve our hard issues with complex solutions…but when they come back with simplistic answers, we become skeptical, even angry.

Naaman was the commander of the army for the king of Aram.  He was an accomplished warrior and leader, but he was plagued by a skin disease.  He had tried everything to cure it, but nothing had worked.  When he heard there was a prophet in Israel who could cure him, Naaman immediately sought him out.  When he finally arrived at the prophet’s house, Elisha wouldn’t see him.  Instead he sent out his messenger:

2 Kings 5:10-13
Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your skin will be restored and you will be clean.”

But Naaman got angry and left, saying, “I was telling myself: He will surely come out, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the skin disease.  Aren’t Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?  Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?”  So he turned and left in a rage.

But his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?  How much more should you do it when he only tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?”

Naaman expected a big show from Elisha or to have the prophet give him some difficult task to prove his worthiness for healing, but he was given neither of those.  Instead, he was only told to wash off in the Jordan River.  This was too simplistic for Naaman’s expectations.  After all his struggles and attempts to fix it himself, surely there something more fantastic than dunking in the muddy Jordan river to fix his problem.  However, after his servants’ prompting, Naaman relented.  He went to the Jordan, washed seven times…and he was healed, just as the prophet had said.

The people of Jesus’ day also had the same problem with an unexpectedly easy solution.  As the crowds were starting to grow and follow Him around, Jesus challenged their motives in seeking Him out.  While doing so, He also confronted their preconceived ideas on how to obtain eternal life:

John 6:26-28
Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.  Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal of approval on Him.”

“What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked.

Notice their question – they were looking for works, plural, expecting that Jesus was about to give them a long list of behaviors with do’s and don’ts, if they were to earn eternal life.  The Jews were used to performing ceremonies and rituals, as well as following the Mosaic Law and the teachings of the Pharisees…so they were ready to hear commands for them to perform multiple difficult works, each to be checked off and help them earn eternal life from God.

Instead, Jesus answers them in the singular:

John 6:29
Jesus replied, “This is the work of God – that you believe in the one He has sent.”

I can totally see Jesus putting “air quotes” around the word “work”.  His answer is pretty much tongue-in-cheek, because we cannot earn eternal life by working – instead, we simply believe in Jesus for eternal life, and we will have it.  Notice too, what Jesus said about eternal life – “the Son of Man will give [it to] you.” 

But if eternal life truly is a gift from Jesus…then what did Jesus mean by telling them to “work” for it?

Jesus was warning them not to put in the effort to seek Him out for merely their next physical meal, but they should instead seek Him out for what He freely offers – eternal life to all who believe in Him.  Of course, they had trouble with how “easy” of an answer Jesus gave them, so He continued to teach them, still using the bread analogy:

John 6:35, 40
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them.  “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again…For this is the will of My Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Although the crowd struggled with His teaching, Jesus did not add any other pre-conditions (like confession, repentance, or vows of good behavior) or post-conditions (like continuance in good works, baptism, or church attendance) to His offer of eternal life.

Over and over, when Jesus is witnessing to others, the only condition for them to receive eternal life is to simply believe in Him.  This might sound strange to you, too.  You may have heard something different in church.  You may think that it’s too good to be true.  But don’t just take my word for it – read through the book of John, the only book in the New Testament written explicitly to unbelievers, and you’ll see a no-strings-attached offer repeated: Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe in Him.

Yeah, it’s that easy.

Have you accepted His free gift?  Do you believe in Jesus for eternal life, no strings attached?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

My pride vs. My favorite recipe

Let me give you a peak behind the preacher’s curtain.

This past Sunday, I guest-taught at our church.  We were in Week 3 of a series called “Habits of Connection”, where each week we look at habits and practices that can draw you closer to God.  This hasn’t been your typical “You should read your Bible and pray more” type of series, either.  The first two weeks were about the Habit of Self-Examination and the Habit of Simplicity.  My topic for the third week was the Habit of Solitude and Meditation.

When the church hears teaching from the Bible, it is always helpful for the preacher to make connections between what the text says with modern-day examples.  Where eastern mystical meditation is about emptying your mind and disassociating from your thoughts, the aim of biblical meditation is to fill your mind with God’s Word and ponder over it, allowing God’s thoughts to renew our minds.  Maybe it’s because I attended so many Baptist Church potlucks in my youth, but any time I talk about biblical meditation, the best example I can give is to compare it to a slow cooker meal.  I’ll ask the questions, “What’s slow cooking in the back of your mind?  Is what you’re dwelling on helpful or harmful?  Do those thoughts bring you closer to God?”

But rather than simply talk about slow cooker recipes in general, I find it easier to talk about one specifically – one of my favorite recipes.  It only contains 4 ingredients and 2 spices, but it makes a fantastic meal.  I’ve brought this simple recipe to all sorts of events, including work holiday potlucks, and it’s always a hit.  So much so that people have stopped me in the hallway at work to ask, with a tone of hopeful anticipation, “Are you bringing it again this year?” 

And, truth be told, I’ve enjoyed being “that guy” who has “that recipe” that everyone enjoys.  But for this past Sunday, I knew that simply talking about the recipe wouldn’t be enough.  I wanted to really drive home the point that taking the time to meditate on the Scriptures is worth the effort and time – that slow cooking mental meals has a great result.  So, I got up a little early on Sunday and started a double batch of my favorite slow cooker recipe to share with the church after service.

But here’s the kicker…the real peak behind the curtain…part of me didn’t want to give out the recipe.  Sure, I was fine with others enjoying what I had prepared, but if I told them how to make it themselves, then I would lose my chance to be “that guy”.  If everyone at my church knows the recipe, then I wouldn’t be able to bring this simple/awesome meal to any future gatherings – because the odds are someone else might do the same!  (and yes, I know I’ve shared the recipe in a blog before, but divulging my favorite recipe hits a little different when you give it away to people you see every week!)

Fortunately, that slice of my ego was rather small, and I told me to get over myself.  But, in all honesty, a little bit of “awwww, man…” lingered in the back of my mind.  However, having the meal available after church was a huge hit and a great tie-in reminder from the message about meditation.  And, of course, I was asked by a lot of people to share the recipe.

We agreed to send it out as part of the church’s weekly email.  So, with my tongue planted firmly in my cheek, I say, “There goes any chance of me being ‘that guy’!”  But as I’ve reflected on Sunday’s message and the discussions it led to, God has allowed me to see something bigger.  A peak behind His curtain, if you will.

Now, whenever anyone from the church makes my favorite slow cooker recipe, they’ll be reminded of how powerful biblical meditation can be.  Thinking God’s thoughts after Him and pondering over the thoughts of our Creator has a way of renewing our minds and refreshing our spirits.  And…AND…if they share that delicious, hearty meal with someone else, then they may have the opportunity to share with others – who didn’t hear me speak last Sunday – what meditating on God’s Word has done for them.

Remember this scene from Jesus’ ministry?

John 6:5-9
So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him, He asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?”  He asked this to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do.

Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish – but what are they for so many?”

That boy didn’t have to share his lunch.  But because he was willing to offer his small amount to Jesus – he got to see a miracle come from what he was willing to let go of. 

That boy gave up five barley loaves and two fish.  I gave up a recipe.  God can, and has, used both to draw people to Him in ways that wouldn’t have happened if both of us had held on to what was “mine”.  And these offerings to God are going to pay eternal dividends, far into the future – each time someone reads John 6 and each time someone makes my slow cooker recipe.

This isn’t a “look at me” story…it’s really a “look at God” story.  Look at what He can do, as He allows us to partner with Him, when we choose to let go of what we have and trust Him with what happens next.  It’s really about finding our identity in Him, rather than being “that guy”.

So, when you’re presented with an opportunity to partner with God, I pray that you let go of your stuff and take hold of Him.

Keep Pressing,
Ken 

God from the machine

Ancient Greek and Roman plays were often complex stories – layered with situations and personal tensions in order to create circumstances of comedy or tragedy for the main characters to work through.  One particular motif was to simply pile on the problems, one after another, until there was no chance for the characters to find resolution or peace.  Despite any efforts of the characters to find a solution or rescue themselves, all their choices only made their circumstances worse.  Then, suddenly, a new character would be introduced – a Greek or Roman god – who would enter the scene, miraculously fix everything, and restore order. 

The god would make a grand entrance, either lifted on stage through a trap door or hoisted over top to be lowered down to the characters by a crane.  The use of the grand machine entrance was to bring the audience wonder and astonishment as the god’s influence changed the lives of the characters.  As such, this plot device to rescue the story or characters became known as Deus ex Machina – literally, “God from the machine”.

Our world feels a bit like that kind of plot line, doesn’t it?

Wars rage across the planet and on our news feeds.  Natural disasters have hit hard this year – flooding, mud slides, wildfires, earthquakes – at the cost of many lives.  Political tensions are running higher than ever, as yelling and name calling has given way to violence and assassinations.  These things are happening across multiple nations, but the volume continues to increase, louder and louder.  Social media, once hailed as the modern way to connect with others, consistently causes division and stokes animosity.

Despite all our best efforts, technological advances, and great intentions, there are days when the light at the end of the tunnel appears to be getting smaller, even fading out.  You may question if there even is a light in the distance, anything other than a foolish hope that humanity will one day get our collective act together.  Because, in the end, despite all our energies spent, death overtakes every one of us.

But…what if the ancient playwrights were on to something?  What if their use of the Deus ex Machina motif was actually tapping into a deep cry from our hearts – that we know we need to be rescued?

It’s through Jesus that our rescue is made available.  He offered eternal life to anyone who would receive it as a free gift (John 3:16), and He repeatedly promised that He would one day return, providing a rescue to all who had believed in Him for eternal life.  Even the last words Jesus speaks in the Bible attests to this:

Revelation 22:20
Yes, I am coming soon.

How soon is “soon”?  After all, it’s been nearly 2000 years since Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead.  Although this seems like a long time to wait, according to the prophet Isaiah, the wait will be worth it:

Isaiah 25:6-9
On this mountain, the Lord of Armies will prepare for all the people a feast of choice meat, a feast with aged wine, prime cuts of choice meat, fine vintage wine.

On this mountain He will swallow up the burial shroud, the shroud over all the people, the sheet covering all the nations.

When He has swallowed up death once and for all, the Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face and remove His people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken.

On that day it will be said, “Look, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us.  This is the Lord; we have waited for Him.  Let’s rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

One day, death will be swallowed up in victory.  God will overcome the darkness and rescue us from our hopeless situation.  But not only will He fix everything on the large scale, He will also individually fix us – wiping away our tears and removing our disgrace. 

At that time, we will all agree – it was worth the wait.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

At His lowest moment, they needed Him

How close are you with your cousins?

I wasn’t all that close to mine, mainly because we lived so far apart that it was unlikely we’d see each other more than once a year.  However, I have met other people that tell me they are so close to their cousin, they may as well had been raised as siblings…even to the point that their cousin knew and understood them better than their actual siblings did.

Did you know Jesus had a similar family situation?

Growing up, and even into His ministry, Jesus’ brothers didn’t believe in Him (John 7:1-9).  Can you imagine having a literally perfect older brother?  Yeah, I wouldn’t be too thrilled with him, either.  But Jesus did have a cousin whom He was close with.  His name was John.

John was born six months earlier than Jesus, but even in the womb, he recognized who Jesus really was (Luke 1:44).  John’s mission was to announce to the nation of Judah that the Messiah was coming (Luke 3:1-6).  He was even given the honor of baptizing Jesus (Luke 3:21-22), signifying that a new era in God’s relationship with mankind had begun.  John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, those chosen by God to point the people toward the coming Messiah and King.  But John was the only prophet to actually know the One he was pointing people to.  John knew better than anyone on the planet what Jesus had come to earth for, giving up his own opportunity for fame and fortune among the Jewish people.  His understanding is wholly encapsulated in his statement:

John 3:28-30
You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’ He who has the bride is the groom.  But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice.  So this joy of mine is complete.  He must increase, but I must decrease.

John’s mission as a prophet wasn’t just to announce the Messiah, but to also bring the people to recognize their need for the coming Messiah.  His teaching routinely convicted people of their sin – some wanted to know how to deal with their sinful state, but others wanted to hide from it.  And John wouldn’t just call out the average citizens…he had no issue calling out the religious leaders for their hypocrisy and political leaders for their selfishness.

As you can imagine, this caused John some trouble.  At one point, King Herod arrested John and had him thrown in prison.  Then through some shrewd political maneuvering, others manipulated the King into beheading John (Matthew 14:1-12).  This act shocked the people and word spread quickly to Jesus.

Matthew 14:13
When Jesus heard about it, He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone.

I don’t blame Him one bit.  You find out that your closest friend – your cousin that’s practically your brother – has been murdered on the King’s orders.  The person who understood your life’s mission the best has been violently taken away…and all Jesus wanted was some time to Himself, some time with just Him and the Father.  But that’s not what He got:

Matthew 14:13-14
When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns.  When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd

How deflating that must have felt.  Jesus wants to grieve, but even in His lowest moment, the people still needed Him.  They were still drawn to Him.  So much so they ran around a body of water to chase down His boat, in the hopes of meeting Him on the other side.

I admit that if I were Jesus, I would have been mad at that scene as I brought the boat into shore.  Too emotionally tired to explode with anger, I likely would have shut down in depression.  Every instinct in my body would have been to turn the boat around and go drop anchor in the middle of the lake…and I’m pretty sure I would have given in to doing so.  My internal dialogue would have been screaming, “Don’t they know how broken I feel right now?  Can’t they see I need to get away!”

Instead, this is how Jesus saw them:

Matthew 14:14
When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick.

Jesus had compassion on them because He still saw them as they were, instead of viewing them as hinderances to His own desires.  They were sheep without a shepherd.  They were listless and leaderless.  They were drawn to Jesus, even if they couldn’t fully explain why.  They just knew He had what they needed.  Jesus did get His time alone with the Father a little while later (Matthew 14:23), so He could properly grieve and process the loss of John.

Therein lies the challenge for us.  When life punches hard – and it will happen – are we going to see people through the lens of our suffering or through the lens of compassion?  When you’re ready to leave and your classmates or coworkers ask you to help them out again…or that little hand reaches under the bathroom door when you just wanted a minute to breathe…or you’re in a rush at the store and down the aisle comes an elderly lady with a lost and confused look on her face…how will we see them?

I hope we choose compassion.  We cannot go wrong when we see people through that lens.  Even when we’re low, we can still compassionately connect and even meet some needs.  When we do, I’m convinced God will grant us the time we need to rest and process.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Fulfilling our need to be reconciled

I was sitting in church recently, when the pastor included a familiar passage in his message.  When this situation happens, it’s an easy trap for believers (especially if they have been taught from the Scriptures for a few years) to think, “Oh that passage.  Yeah, I’ve heard this one before.  I know what that means.”

And while it is 100% true that God’s meaning of His word does not change, the depth of our understanding and ways in which we apply the truth of God’s word most certainly can change.  Often these two arrive hand-in-hand – when we understand better, we can become better at applying.

That’s what happened as I sat there listening.  Our pastor was discussing what we share as believers by being a part of God’s family, and he took us to the familiar passage in Paul’s second letter to the believers in Corinth.  This is where Paul says that we share a mission to be Christ’s ambassadors to the world, specifically reaching out to others with the message of reconciliation:

2 Corinthians 5:18-20
Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.  That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us.  We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

Now, I’ve heard a number of sermons cite this passage, and they typically emphasize each believer doing their part in getting the good news about Jesus out into the world.  Those sermons focus on Paul’s use of the word ambassador and the ambassador’s job to represent God and His interests, purpose, and design for human life.

However…my mind went somewhere else.  I made a connection that I hadn’t thought of before…one that left me both stunned and (honestly) a little agitated.  It wasn’t about the job of an ambassador; I understand that part.  Instead, it was realizing exactly how God expects us to do the job of an ambassador. 

Let me take you through my thought process:

C.S. Lewis famously said in Mere Christianity that “Every Christian is to become a little Christ.  The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.”  God’s plan for our lives is to make us more and more like Jesus, such that when the world encounters us, they have the opportunity to see Jesus.  And if, according to Paul, Jesus reconciled the world to God the Father THROUGH HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS…and I, as a Christ-follower, am to become more like Jesus…who has given the message of reconciliation to us…

THEN…for me to be an ambassador that clearly and correctly represents God…I have to be willing to die, just like Jesus was…and whatever God asks me to let die, for the sake of others being reconciled to Him, I need to give up – just like Jesus did.

As this conclusion dawned on me, sitting in church…my immediate, raw, and unfiltered thought was “Oh, come on!  Really?” 

I mean, I get that we need to be “good ambassadors”, play nice, and be good neighbors in the world…but that’s not what we’re called to do, is it?  No, after becoming the new creation through Jesus’ free gift of eternal life (John 3:16), He then calls us to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24-25).  The cross is an instrument of death.  We’re not supposed to just carry the cross, we’re meant to use it.

So, ever since this realization, the question I’ve been pondering is “What in me has to die so others can be reconciled to God?”  I’ve grappled with a few ideas…several of them are hard to let go of.

That’s a tough question, isn’t it?  What about you?  What in you has to die so others can be reconciled to God?  What has to die so you can become more like Christ?  Here are a few options:

Our need for validation from others.
Our self-centeredness.
Our shame.
Our suspicions of people not like us.
Our desire to appear like we have it all together.
Only seeing people as tasks or obstacles.

I’m sure you could add something of your own, too.  I suggest picking one and taking it to God.  Tell Him you want to be a better ambassador, and that you’re willing to give up what He asks of you so that others will be able to hear the good news – Jesus sets us free and gives us eternal life, all we have to do is believe in Him for it.

The question still stings a bit, but we can trust that God’s answer is for our good and His glory:

What in me has to die so others can be reconciled to God?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

What a baby can tell us about Bible study

Let’s be honest…newborn babies don’t do a whole lot.  They eat, sleep, poop, and cry.  For the amount of work and round-the-clock effort they need, a running joke you’ll often hear new parents say is, “It’s a good thing they’re cute…”.

The terms “new birth” and “born again” are frequently used in the New Testament to describe what happens to a person who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  When you believe this, Jesus promises that we have new, eternal life:

John 3:16
For God loved the world in this way: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Of course, Jesus’ disciples heard all about this “new life” as they followed Him during His earthly ministry.  So it’s not surprising that they would use similar terms in their own writings.  At the beginning of his letter to believers scattered across modern-day Turkey, Peter not only refers to our new birth, but two things we have been born into:

1 Peter 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Because of His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

Peter says we have been born into a living hope for the present life and into an inheritance in the life to come.  After reminding his readers how unique and special this new life is (despite any persecution they currently face), Peter encourages them to leave behind their old lifestyle and pursue living out of their new life as a believer.

While that sounds like a great idea, his readers need to know how to get there.  Does he expect them to just white-knuckle their way through life, avoiding all the bad behaviors they can along the way?  No, he doesn’t.  Instead Peter gives them practical advice, by going back to the new birth analogy:

1 Peter 2:2-3
Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Three observations about a newborn infant in Peter’s example:

1.      The attitude of the baby – How quickly does a newborn reach for his mother’s breast?  Babies might not know much, but they know where to go for what they need, and they will aggressively grab and pursue the nourishment they desire.

2.      The appetite of the baby – They are hungry, and only milk will satisfy.  How often do babies need to eat?  About every 3-4 hours, right?  How does that time frame compare to how often we go to God’s word for nourishment?  A baby wouldn’t survive eating just once a week on Sundays.

3.      The aim of the baby – He’s not eating just to fill his belly.  As he takes in the milk, his body uses it to grow.  A baby is not meant to stay a baby forever, and neither are we.  As we feed on the pure milk of the word, we will then grow up and mature in our new life.

Peter’s point is that we go to God’s word to sustain and develop our new life – but note that he said grow and not “know”.  While you cannot grow without knowledge, the focal point of our study of the Bible is growth, not simply collecting trivia.

You cannot grow out of being a spiritual infant without a steady diet of God’s word.  It is God’s primary tool for developing His children.  Growth may be scary or messy at times, but life is bigger, better, and full of more opportunities for those who mature and grow.  That is how we experience the promised living hope now and prepare for our future inheritance.

Keep Pressing,
Ken