What (or who) are you looking at?

Have you noticed that when you stare up at the sky, down at your feet, or even across the lawn, people will notice and ask, “What are you looking at?” The Bible tells us that we should be looking not at an object, but a person — Jesus. In the book of Hebrews, we read:

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2

If we spend our days looking at Jesus and trying to follow His example, others will notice. They will want to know what it is that motivates you, what gives you strength. This is an opportunity to issue the invitation that we also find in the Bible — “Come and see.” We find an example of this in the book of John. It starts with looking — John the Baptist looks at Jesus:

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” John 1:39

This gets the attention of some of his disciples, and they respond this way:

^” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.” John 1:37 

Jesus then issues an invitation:

“Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.” John 1:38-39

Sometimes, that’s all it takes. Look at Jesus and answer the questions of those around you with a simple invitation. Jesus will do the rest.

For more about evangelism see these posts:

Evangelism–Thinking Outside the Box

resuscitating evangelism by Jordan Easley and Ernest Easley–Book Review

Mercy Ministry & Evangelism — Fanning the Flame CD

Times are Changing

I’ve been reading a lot lately about change and the concept of liminality. Liminality (from the Latin word līmen) means “a threshold.” It is the quality of ambiguity which occurs at the beginning of a major change, and it can be disorienting. During a liminal stage, one is standing between their previous way of structuring their identity, time, or community, and a new way which has not yet been revealed or accomplished.

This is exactly where I’ve been since my husband retired a little over a year ago. He is no longer the pastor of our home congregation, and we are attending there only sporadically. We have given up the plethora of duties and roles we assumed there, and although we have not been idle, I feel a lack of permanence. This is scary, but also exciting. What will I do next? What does God have planned? Can I still be useful during this late stage of my life?

This transitional spot I’m standing in reminds me of chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews (my favorite book). It begins with:

” Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

Then it lists many heroes of the Old Testament, describing the things they did in obedience to God’s call (this has been called the hall of fame of faith). It ends by saying:

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40

You and I are part of that “great cloud of witnesses.” I don’t know where God is taking me next, but I know He has a plan– a plan that is better than anything I might dream up for myself. I may not feel comfortable, but I’m comforted! You should be, too.

For more posts about change see:

Are You Willing to Change?

A Generational Change

Fanning the Flame #10 — Creating a Culture For Change

By Faith

The sermon I heard this past week was based on some of my favorite passages of Scripture– the 11th and 12th chapters of Hebrews. These verses speak of some of the great heroes of the faith, those who have gone before us (and by the way they were also just regular folks with plenty of flaws). Even those who came before the birth of Christ were counted among the faithful because they were looking forward to the One to come, they believed in the promises of God.

 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

One of the hymns went right along with the message. It’s by the Gettys (wonderful contemporary hymnists) and I know our readers will love it as I do.

F

For more contemporary hymns see these posts:

A Favorite New Song

Leaving a Legacy

New Song #2

Conference Theme

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV)

The theme for the recent AFLC Conference was “God rewards the faithful” based on the Bible verse from Hebrews above. I’ve been puzzling over this. What is our reward? Some proponents of the “prosperity gospel” would have us believe that if we’re faithful we’ll receive worldly rewards — plenty of money, a great house, good health and so on. Others may assume that faith will ensure a happy family life and good relationships. Obviously, that isn’t true. And a careful reading of the context of this verse (the hall of fame of faith, it’s been called) lists people who suffered in a variety of ways. Yes, some were healed or spared from injury or saw miracles, but others:

“… were tortured…. faced jeers and flogging…were stoned… sawed in two…persecuted and mistreated…” Hebrews 11:35-37

Doesn’t sound like a great reward, does it? In Chapter 12, we see the rest of the story. When we endure suffering for God’s sake, because of our faith:

“…it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace…” Hebrews 12:11

Our reward is reconciliation with God through the imputed righteousness of Christ. If you’re wondering what this is here’s a definition:

“Imputed righteousness” is the doctrine affirming that the personal righteousness of Jesus Christ is instantly transferred to a sinner at the point of “saving faith.” Accordingly, the believer ceases to be the sinner he was and forthwith becomes a new creation–a perfectly righteous person.

When through faith, we become righteous, we will also be fruitful. Not prosperous in the things of the world, but in the things of God. We can be peaceful because we know that God is in control of our lives and will work all things out for our good, and the good of others. What reward is better than that?

For more posts about the book of Hebrews see:

Interactive Bible Study-Hebrews Chapter 13

Thankful for Leaders –Hebrews Chapter 13

Thankful for Faith -Hebrews Chapter 11

Behold the Man #2

I posted earlier this month about a phrase that caught my attention —Behold the Man!–this is what Pilate said when he brought Jesus out to face the crowd demanding his crucifixion. God evidently isn’t done with teaching me about this yet, because it came up again, in a different form.

My husband and I watched a miniseries entitled North Water. It tells a dark and disturbing story that I didn’t especially enjoy. However, the first episode was called “Behold the Man!” so that got my attention. Now, this series has nothing to do with Jesus. It focuses on the depravity of man. The main character, a surgeon named Patrick Sumner, suffers betrayal and is exposed to all sorts of difficult experiences. He encounters thievery, perversion, murder, selfishness, addiction and more. He almost dies as the result of the sinful behavior of others. He starts out as a “good” person who wants to do the right things, but by the end of the story he also kills a man and steals his money. Some would say his behavior was justified because he was trying to right the wrong that had been committed against him, but sin is still sin.

So, what is my takeaway from this? The comparison between the human being Christ was (sinless) and the human being I am (sinful). Christ was able to suffer many of the same things Patrick did. He was betrayed, deserted, mocked, beaten and finally killed. Yet, as the Bible tells us:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15

Patrick cracked under the strain of sin. He couldn’t be righteous. He needed a Savior. So do you and I! Behold the man Christ, and behold yourself. Be thankful He could do what we cannot.

For more posts about the atonement of Christ see:

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Most Certainly True

Interactive Study Blog – Hebrews Chapter 10

Behold the Man!

As part of my morning devotions, I’ve been reading through the gospel of John. Recently I came to the section of the passion account when Jesus comes before Pilate. Pilate has had Him flogged but finds no reason to punish him further. He brings Jesus out to the crowd, hoping they will agree to releasing Him. Here’s the way the scene is described:

“So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ‘Behold the man!'” John 19:5

After finishing with John, I turned to the next chapter in a book about art I had been using (Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey–Book Review). Imagine my surprise when the painting being discussed was Ecce Homo (it means Behold the Man) by Caravaggio! It’s a picture of the very same event I just read through in my Bible!

This was too much of a Godcidence to ignore, so I’ve spent some time meditating about it. Here’s what I’ve concluded. The disciples and other people from the time of Jesus had a hard time seeing Him as God. They knew Him as the son of Joseph and Mary, a carpenter, a teacher. They were constantly forgetting (even right after the fact) that He could perform miracles. He told them he would die and rise again — more than once–but they still had trouble believing it.

Fast forward to 2022 — we’re in the opposite predicament. We’re so accustomed to understanding Jesus as the Son of God, that we often forget that He was also fully human, just like we are. During the week of His passion, He was repeatedly flogged, spat upon, betrayed, demeaned. We don’t stop to think how difficult that was for Him to bear in His humanity. How would we feel? Would we be able to keep our focus on God and His Holy Will? Probably not. Almost certainly not.

So, it’s good to remember during this period of Lent, just how much Jesus suffered for us. He couldn’t brush it off, just because He was God. The pain and suffering was exactly the same for Him as it would be for any of us. Never take that for granted! Behold the man!

“¹For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15

For more about Christian art see:

Praying with Art

Contemplative Vision by Juliet Benner–Book Review

Shades of Light by Sharon Garlough Brown–Book Review

What Stands Out–Nehemiah

Recently I’ve been using the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan to read several chapters of the Bible each day. Because I’ve become used to reading in a slow, meditative way (lectio divina), I’m finding that even when I read more quickly, certain things stand out. Here’s what stood out for me in the book of Nehemiah.

“We will not neglect the house of our God.” Nehemiah 10:39b

In case you don’t know, or don’t remember, the book of Nehemiah is the last historical book in the Old Testament, and it is a record about how the Jewish people returned to Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon. They rebuilt the walls of the city and revived the worship life of the nation. Reestablishing the temple required sacrifice. The people (according to God’s law) were to give a tithe (one-tenth) of all they produced for the support of the Levites (their priests) and to maintain the place of worship. After 40 years of exile, they were more than willing to do this.

This verse makes me think about my own commitment. Of course, this does mean money. Am I happy to give one tenth of my income to take care of God’s house? Or do I sometimes regard this as a hardship? Do I think of supporting the chuch as a joy and a privilege, or do I grouse about how little others give? Do I give my first fruits, or just what I have left over after doing what I want to do?

We can neglect the house of God in other ways, too. During this time of the pandemic, many of us have become accustomed to avoiding church services. Watching the Pastor preach on Zoom or YouTube services may be better than nothing, but should not become a continual substitute for meeting together, as Paul urges us to do in the book of Hebrews:

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another ….” Hebrews 10:24-25a

Meeting together encourages us to love and serve others. It fosters accountability and Christian action; it reminds us that we are not alone in our Christian walk. How lucky we are to have a church building and a church family!

In our country, it’s easy to take our churches for granted. I do it sometimes, and you probably do, too. The people of Nehemiah’s time knew what it meant to enjoy God’s law in God’s house. Take a page from their book — don’t neglect the house of the Lord. It’s a privilege we should never take for granted.

For more about the church see:

Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered by James C. Wilhoit

We (the Laity) Are the Church

Do I help or hurt the Church?

What My Faith Means to Me #3

This was written by husband for one of his seminary classes, and I thought it went along well with the earlier posts by our daughters when they were confirmands.

When I think about God I think first of the awesome wonder of a Being who can create all that is from nothingness, simply by willing it into existence. It is so far beyond my understanding that simply trying to establish boundaries for this act of power, to express parameters for such a God is impossbile. My mind can conceive many wonderous, Wonderland-like things, but creation, ex nihilo, is so frar from my understanding of what is possible that I can only accept it on faith.

The author of Hebrews describes faith as …the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (11:1). Hope and evidence, yearning and established fact. It is in this faith, this gift of God that I can come to terms with that which is beyond knowing. The Hidden God reveals Himself to His creatures in ways which we can only dimly comprehend. In this realm of the poorly understood Truth, we are forced to become like children, guided toward places we can only imagine, trusting the choices of the loving Father who leads us.

When I was a child my father would take our family on Sunday afternoon drives in the country. After leaving our neighborhood I would be totally lost, unable to recognize any reference points in the landscape around me. Yet I never worried about the unfamiliar homes, fields and woods that we saw. My trust in my dad’s ability to bring us safely back to our home was absolute.

Just so my faith in the loving heavenly Father is absolute. As my father’s repeated ability to find our home again reinforced my trust in him, so the long record of God’s faithfulness and care for His people reinforces my trust in Him. In Scripture, in the lives of people I have observed, and in my own life, God’s faithfulness is always apparent, always comforting, always objectively true.

To be continued …..

For more about faith see:

What Does It Mean to Walk by Faith?

What My Faith Means to Me #2

What My Faith Means to Me

Jesus, the Word of God

“It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, which is the true word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers will bring us to him. ” C. S. Lewis

“ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

“ In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:1-2

Our High Priest

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin .”Hebrews 4:15

When we are challenged by the difficulties of life, it may help to meditate on the verse above. Jesus, although God, was also fully human and experienced many of the same situations that we do. For example:

1. He was betrayed by a friend (Judas)
2. He felt overwhelmed by His mission (in the Garden of Gethsemane)
3. He grieved when His friend Lazarus died
4. He was rejected in His home town
5. He was tempted by the devil in the desert
6. He became angry with the moneychangers in the Temple
7. He allowed Himself to become weak and be arrested
8. He suffered when he was beaten
9. He was ridiculed by the guards
10. He appeared to be a failure when he died on the cross

How did he manage to endure all this without sin? He prayed; He turned to the Scriptures; He trusted God; He kept His mind of His mission and His goal, instead of the esteem of the world.

We’re not perfect, like Jesus. We will sin. But we can follow His example, and be comforted.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2