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  Mark 9:45 am on August 29, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  TRUST – the WAY and the DESTINATION 

  “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me…” — Jesus, John 14:1

  “TRUST” is the main issue on Jesus’ heart as he gives his disciples a “farewell” speech.  There is such deep Trinitarian theology in these few chapters, I’m really looking forward to dwelling in the reality of the Godhead over the next few days.  But truly, Jesus does not begin his final talk with his disciples by reinforcing their doctrinal beliefs, or by pop-quizzing them on their Trinitarian orthodoxy…no, to Jesus there is something far more important than anything else.

  Deeper than theology, deeper than doctrine…is TRUST.  It is the first developmental task a human must achieve.

  Fully-formed adults all around us are still waiting for someone to teach them how to trust, and thus still function as scared, insecure little infants.  The cynicism and skepticism of this age is profound, and I believe it is partly because we put our trust in things that will inevitably fail us.  Politicians, love-relationships, money, our health…

  But Jesus promotes an attitude of TRUST.  Trust in him.  He is worthy of your trust…quite possibly your most precious asset. Not only is it the avenue by which Christ can enter our hearts and we enter his, but it transforms our approach to life!  If you have an ATTITUDE of TRUST, then your APPROACH to every relationship will grow out of faith, not fearfulness.  Jesus, no matter what happens in this election, or relationship, or job, or doctor’s appointment…JESUS will always be trustworthy – he will never fail us.

  In what, specifically, is Jesus asking us to trust him?  From his words, it seems he wants us to trust that he is both the WAY and the DESTINATION.

  Speaking with his disciples, Jesus begins admitting to them that he is leaving and preparing a place for them with the Father.  He tells them that they “know the way,” and will come after him to get there.  Thomas, thankfully, asks a clarifying question – “How will we know the way if we’ve never been there before?”

  Jesus then turns the metaphor of “way” on its head and says that they know the Way because they know him – Jesus IS the Way!  But he goes on to say that he is in the Father and the Father is in him.  Also, he says that the place that God dwells is in Christ – the new Temple.

  If we see Jesus as both destination and way, we will develop a sense of spiritual satisfaction, and continued development in our maturity as disciples.  We aren’t left hungering and craving something new all the time (new ideas about God, a new church or community to meet my needs, etc) – we already have complete “arrival” in the person of Jesus – but we don’t see the Way of Jesus as a once-and-for-all list of propositions to be defended…we are always on a journey with him – he our “trailblazer” (Heb 6:20) and we are his followers!  In following Jesus, we live in humility – realizing that we haven’t “arrived” yet – we are still “the Wandering People of God,” hoping and longing for the complete rest waiting for us when we know and can see with our own eyes the answers to all our questions.

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  Mark 3:48 pm on August 17, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: fatherhood, LK10 Community (3), mowing, Ray Vanderlaan   

  Praise and Seeking Approval 

  

  So Jesus explained, ”I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

  Jesus, John 5:19

  I only want to do what I see my Father doing. This powerful verse and insight into Jesus’ relationship with Father reminds me of watching my little brother follow my dad up and down the backyard with a toy lawn mower as my dad cut the grass. Following in his footsteps. Getting so close that by the end of the day, both of them had green shoes and were covered in dust.  Jewish disciples in ancient times had a phrase that I just love – they wanted to follow their rabbi with such passion and closeness that they would be “covered by the dust of his sandals…” reminds me of mowing the lawn – out on mission with Father – and the delight that we share as we do the work together is wonderful and meaningful…

  Isn’t this true discipleship? Knowing where God is and following after him as close as we can? Doing only what we see him doing? Listening carefully to God’s voice, then boldly doing amazing things in HIS name, not our own.  My friends at LK10.com say, “Mission flows from listening…”

  Set up next to this beautiful image of listening to one voice is the temptation of listening and following many false voices. Jesus states that he does not accept the praise of men. But the Jews alternately seek each other’s praise, which leads to a disbelief in Christ and an ambivalence toward God. Jesus says in v44 that you can not believe if you accept the praise of one another, but make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God. The only way to come to belief is to think for yourself, and stop seeking human approval!

  But what does “the praise that comes from the only God” look like? I thought I was supposed to be praising him! I’d love to know you’re thoughts on this, but I think that if God is my Father, then I should hope that he would want to praise me for doing good work, work I also see him doing. That praise may be his provision, or his healing presence (from past wounds, or physical healing), or his overwhelming love and acceptance of me as his adopted son, or his strength to silence the praise of men and let me think for myself, which leads to deeper belief in Christ.  Just some starter thoughts…

  What other ways does God praise us, even as we live our lives as praise to God? Lots to ponder here…

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  Mark 8:55 am on August 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: 1918 Flu Pandemic, bathroom remodeling   

  The Symptoms and the Disease 

  There are two kinds of churches out there.  (Hold with me your disbelief for just a moment.)

  The first are those that look into the Gospels, Acts, and the whole of Scripture and see the methods by which the community of God experienced revival, expansive church growth, and lives changed.  They then begin to mimic the methods.  They set up revival meetings, plan altar-calls, organize regimented discipleship tracks, push church growth strategies (“What color should we paint the bathrooms?”)  and more.  They are well-meaning and genuinely want to experience what they read in the Bible.  The early church’s explosive power of love and transformation is compelling…but ultimately unsatisfying.

  The second kind of church hears the story of the people of God throughout the Scriptures – reads Acts 2:42-46 and does not get teary-eyed at the amazing community formed, the dynamic teaching, miracles, or sharing that seems to be ubiquitous in the early church.  No, the externals are not what they get fired up about- they want the wine.

  They want the disease- not the symptoms only. They want God’s Spirit to fill them today, but not just like it did in the early church.  God Spirit is always taking hold of people who don’t assume what will happen to them after it does.  They aren’t forecasting revival or common purses, or neighborhood restoration projects…they are simply desperate for God’s Spirit!  Now, they will still pick out colors for the bathroom – but it will be an afterthought; because they’re focus is not anxiety-driven (“What will make people like us and make our church grow?”), but rather God-driven (“We are so focused on our love for God that our growth as a community and transformation as a people is a unnoticed byproduct of God’s love to us.”)

  Catch the disease – don’t yearn for the symptoms.  People can tell the difference.

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  Katrina, miller, Katrina and one other person are discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    miller 10:12 am on August 17, 2010 Permalink

    don’t many churches start out as the latter and become the former?

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    Mark 2:47 pm on August 17, 2010 Permalink

    I think so Miller – good thoughts. Its possible that we could drill that down to people too – first we listen to God, then we speak humbly of God, then we speak boldly for God, then we make others listen because we think we are God. — that’s a botched quote from somewhere…

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    miller 3:15 pm on August 17, 2010 Permalink

    yeah… love you man, and i miss you tons! when you get ready for a sabbatical, you and Katrina need to come see us

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    Katrina 12:27 pm on August 19, 2010 Permalink

    Hey Miller – what’s the nearest airport??

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    miller 5:38 pm on August 19, 2010 Permalink

    Albuquerque! but we can pick you up and bring you home!!!

    when you comin’???
    

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    Katrina 12:03 pm on August 23, 2010 Permalink

    We will start saving. Will be in Abilene for lectures – the first time to TX since we moved. Will you be Abilene then?? Say, we fly into Albuquerque…. Is there a time that works better for you than another??