"be with Him and be sent out"

Yesterday I was reading from Mark 3. In this passage, Jesus has just recently started His ministry. He has been healing the sick, paralyzed, and demon possessed. He has already gained so much attention for these acts, that he can no longer go into a town without a huge crowd demanding his attention. So, in Mark chapter 3, when he wants to have some quality time with His disciples, he walks up a mountain and asks them to follow. Mark doesn't record the words that were spoken up on that mountaintop that day, but this was the moment of "calling" for the apostles. This was the time they can point back to and say, "this is where it started." Christ imparted a powerful sense of direction for their lives and future ministries. As Mark describes it in verse 14, "... (Jesus) went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out."


Here's an excellent example of what leaders call a "statement of purpose" Jesus calls 12 of those closest to Him and gives them two mandates that they are to order their lives and ministry around from this point forward: 1) Be with Him and 2) Be sent out.


If you think about it, the same mission that was given for these 12 apostles 2,000 years ago is awaits us today. The two simple mandates for us to live our lives by, are also imparted as our own: be with Him and be sent out. Yet, how often do we struggle with either the lack of implementation or the overexertion of these purposes? We either add 10 million other things to our "list" of mandates or we feel like the two we were given are far too impossible. Beware of falling into either of these traps. We can't live a life of self-defeat, nor a life of Christian perfectionism. We must get back to this original "statement of purpose" for our lives. As modern disciples, it's time for us to reorient ourselves to the two same mandates given all those many years ago: BE with Him and BE sent out! Can you imagine how the world may be impacted if we were to dedicate our lives to this? 2,000 years ago, the original disciples left their mark on the kingdom due to following these mandates. May the same be said of us 2,000 years from now.

realignment

I was reading a devotional this morning and walked away feeling both challenged and encouraged.  We don't realize how impactful having an incorrect (or small) perception of God is on our day-to-day lives.  "We must see and believe Him as big enough, kind enough, real enough, and strong enough to move in power in our everyday lives..."  Indeed, we must. May we be enamored by the "bigness" of God, so much so, that our own finite perception of the world, our problems, and ourselves, is aligned with His infinite perspective--a perspective that contains never-ending love and all-surpassing power.  

We Could Change the World by Matt Redman

“We believe that Your grace is stronger than all our faults and failures, we believe that Your love is deeper than our hearts could fathom…so could we live like this?”

A big view of God is a cure for so many of the things in life that would stand in our way or slow us down in ministry. When we really grasp the heights of who He is, and the depths of His heart for us, and the strength of His power in us, we can live a whole different kind of life. The way we view God will radically affect how our lives operate. Do we really get the fact that His grace is so strong it can cover all of our faults and weaknesses? Have we faced up to the fact that He is strong and wise enough to see us around, or through, even the most difficult of obstacles?

There must be nothing in our hearts, minds or lives that overshadows the truth of who God is. We must see and believe Him as big enough, kind enough, real enough and strong enough to move in power in our everyday lives- no matter what we’re facing. The first step for a worshipper is to confidently get to grips with just how magnificent and mighty He is. The next step is to let that confidence in God seep into the very depths of our hearts and minds, forming a holy confidence on the inside of us. When that truly happens, we will dream bigger dreams and live brighter lives.

Psalm 18 contains the heart-flow of an optimistic, bright-thinking worshipper. He approaches life with a great big view of who he can be, and he can do, in God:

“With Your help I can advance against a troop, with my God I can scale a wall”…He enables me to stand on the heights.” (v.29, v.33)

I wonder if you are in the depths today, struggling to think brightly or find a solution to a dilemma? Perhaps you are facing a battle you feel too weak to fight- or obstacles you feel powerless to climb? Let the optimistic outlook of the psalmist inspire you today. You are not alone in the struggles you face, or the help you need. Join with that ancient biblical songwriter in his confident proclamation, right here and now, and let it become your motto for today: “He enables me to stand upon the heights.”

Thoughts From A Tennessee Cocoon

This was a poem that I wrote in a poetry class in 2008.  I minimally edited it for this blog.

This poem seems fitting as the sweltering heat of summer finally begins to settle in.  It also feels particularly poignant now that I have moved away and not only reminisce on childhood summers, but also summers in my home state of Tennessee.

Thoughts From A Tennessee Cocoon

Fireflies flitter,
electrify the night.
A cricket's melody floats
on pockets of sticky air.
Tennessee summer heat,
too stubborn to leave with the sun,
too reluctant to relent.
Even the cool bed sheets,
a cocoon too soon occupied,
now cramped with clammy air.
Still the constant zephyr,
the sweet solstice swoons,
sweeping over my face,
whispering pleasures of life,
pleasures of summer.

Before drifting asleep
on a cricket's-sung tale,
another story settles in my ear,
summoning recollection--my own
days at Cherokee Circle,
sun-bleached hair, bicycle fringe.
Exploring the mimosa,
tanned body clambering,
resting in its arms,
outstretched.  My bony fingers finding
its pods, patiently peeling husks,
bean by bean,
the entertainment of onlies.
Here awaken days of my own--
days of summer.

Now at the end,
I quietly surrender
to the comfort of my own bed,
to the call of the cicada's tune,
and the cool wind's breath
mumbling sighs of a forgotten time--
uttering murmurs of childhood,
murmurs of summer.

What is our Foundation? Devotional Thoughts from 2003

I read 1 Corinthians 3:11 this morning and I was reminded of a devotional I gave about 10 years ago.  I was chaplain of a club in college at that time and had shared some thoughts about this verse.  I rummaged through my old journals and was able to find the entry from this devotional.  It was an encouragement for me to read it this morning, so I thought perhaps it might be an encouragement for you as well.  :)  (I have slightly adapted it to make it more applicable.)

WHAT IS OUR FOUNDATION

"What is something that we strive for? What is our sole pursuit? What do we desire above all else?

When I think of this, I am reminded of a verse I ran across last semester--1 Corinthians 3:11.  'For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ.' My prayer is that this would be our theme.  When I was asked what my vision was for this club, I said 'love and unity,' but above all else I desire that we get back to our foundation, that we renew our passionate pursuit of Christ.  For you see, unity, friendship, and loving one another are all noteworthy causes, but they are not a foundation.  Fellowship, Bible studies, serving others, and all the things we stand for are good fruit, but they are not a foundation.  Christ is our foundation and our pursuit is to glorify Him.

For if we fail at this, we fail completely.  If we fail to glorify God, we fail at serving others.  If we fail to glorify God, we fail at unity.  If we fail to glorify God, we fail at fellowship.  If we fail to glorify God, we fail at loving one another.  'For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ.'

I am reminded of a person in the Bible who truly understood this--the lady with the alabaster jar.  She was so focused on Christ that she was willing to be shamed, willing to sacrifice all, willing to risk everything to break her alabaster jar at the Savior's feet.  The disciples, when they saw her act of worship, thought it was a waste--even though they loved Jesus.  Matthew 26:8-9 says that they were 'indignant' because the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor.  But Jesus commended the woman because she had realized what was most important.

See, the disciples had a good cause.  You could even say that they desired to do an act of service to Jesus by offering money to the poor, but they came about it in the wrong way--their focus wasn't in the right place.  Although the woman with the alabaster jar may have seemed wasteful in the eyes of others, she was commended in the sight of her Lord, for she sacrificed all she had to glorify Him.  She put everything aside for her passionate pursuit.  She knew WHO her foundation was and did all she could to honor him.

Can the same be said of us?  Are we more like the disciples--pursuing good 'causes' but forgetting our focus?  Or are we more like the woman--remembering the most important thing, our Foundation, and giving all we have to glorify Him?  For no other foundation can we lay, than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ. "

Seeking Out Shekhinah

"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. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the

Majesty in heaven." Hebrews 1:1-3

Have you ever thought about the “glory” of God?  What is IT?  To the audience that is listening to Hebrews for the first time, they are very familiar with God’s glory.  Most scholars believe that we aren’t quite sure who the author of the book of Hebrews is, but they tend to agree that the book (or sermon) is directed towards a group of Jewish Christians who are now reconsidering their faith in Christ due to trials or persecution. 

The Jewish people knew about God’s glory.  They had SEEN it.

Remember when Moses began leading the people out of Egypt?  There was a cloud to guide them by day and a pillar of fire to guide them by night.  God’s glory. 

Remember when Moses went up to Mt Sinai and the cloud covered the mountain?  When he came down, his face was radiant, and he had to hide it from the people.  The glory of God.

Remember when Moses asked to SEE God’s glory?  God had to hide him behind a rock and pass by, while covering with His hand.  THAT is the glory of God.

So, for the readers (or listeners) of Hebrews, they understood the weight of God’s glory.  This was something powerful and majestic.  It’s the essence of God.  And no man can stand in it’s presence. 

And Moses wasn’t the only one in the Bible who wanted to encounter this powerful yet deadly force of God.  This morning I read Psalm 44.  In this heart-felt confession, David seeks out the glory of God as well.

"Send out your light and your truth;
   
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
   
and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
   
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
   
O God, my God."

David ASKS to go to the “holy hill,” to the dwelling of God.  David grew up hearing the stories of the cloud on the mountain.  He knew what it meant to ascend the hill.  Exodus 24 calls God’s glory on the mountain a “devouring fire.”  Even God tells Moses, “man shall not see me and live.”  Yet, this is what David requests—to be brought to God’s holy dwelling.

I can’t help but compare myself to David.  I have to ask myself if I have the same amount of desire.  If I KNEW that it could cost me my life, would I still be willing to ask to experience God’s presence?

The funny thing is, it does cost me my life.

Hebrews 1:2 tells us that Jesus is the “radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” To encounter Christ is to encounter the Shekhinah glory of God.  Yet, just as it was with Moses and David, it’s not without a cost. 

Christ paid that price for me to be able to encounter the glory of God and still live.  Yet, despite the weight of this sacrifice, I am so easily satisfied with the things in my life that I don’t actively seek out more of God’s glory.  I am challenged by the desire of Moses and David, who wanted to experience God in His fullness, even if it meant laying their own lives down.

Today, I have been given an even greater opportunity than Moses and David had. I have Christ living inside of me—“the exact representation of God.”  This was something they could only dream of and long for.  So, what’s next?  To what extent am I willing to go to experience more of God? Moses and David only had to ask.  Perhaps I should start there too.

what to do with all these questions...

Recently I was traveling back from overseas.  I had a layover in the Miami airport and decided to grab some lunch.  As I was standing in line waiting to order my food, I overheard a conversation going on behind me (yes, I was that creepy eavesdropper).  A guy asked his friend a question. It seemed like he had some sort of developmental issue, based on the sound of his voice.  He wondered if his friend would like to partake in their recent comforts now that they were back in the States.  He asked if he would get on the computer and use the internet.  His friend responded that he didn't need to get online and that he could just wait until they got back home.  The first guy thought this was odd and encouraged his friend to reconsider by saying, "You don't want to get on the internet? You know, Wiki something?? There are so many unanswered questions out there....I have forgotten them all."  

I remember standing there, letting his response wash over me.  Here's this guy who many people would completely disregard as soon as he opened his mouth.  Perhaps people would assume that "he's not all there" or that he doesn't have as much to contribute as the next guy.  Yet, here he is, saying the most profound statement I had heard in a long time.  Yes.  There are TONS of unanswered questions out there (many of which we can find with a click of a button--thanks, Wikipedia).  And yet, we can become overwhelmed by the enormity of them all.  We choose to forget them, to tuck them away in the back of our minds, as a matter of survival.  We don't like to live in the tension of the unanswerable.  

I was recently listening to a podcast of This American Life called "Self-Improvement Kick."  In this episode, they follow the story of a guy who was unable to put these thoughts away.  His questions consumed him and drove him to drastic measures.  He reached a point in his life where he wrestled so much with the unknowns of life that he put his career on hold to go in search of answers.  He visited the holy land, talked to shamans, fasted...nothing worked.  Eventually, he decided to sell everything he owned and walk across country on a "pilgrimage," of sorts. He followed in the footsteps of a lady named "Peace Pilgrim." He would rely on the kindness of others for every amount of food or shelter he received.  He would simply meet people along the way and allow God to provide for all of his necessities.  Needless to say, he only made it 40 miles.  After 3 days, cold and tired, he saw a billboard on the side of the road.  It simply said, "It's ok to make mistakes as long as they are new ones."  That's when he realized he had made a mistake going on this "journey."  He decided to throw in the towel and call for help.  Through the generosity of his friends and family, he was able to stay at a hotel that night.  Here's how the episode summarizes that final step of his pilgrimage: 

"'Probably the culminating moment in all of this was probably sitting in that bathtub (in the hotel) and just being so exhausted that I just didn't care anymore if I had the answer. It just wasn't important.'

He'd been on this journey, most of it alone and suffering, and trying to figure out the meaning of life...And three days in the cold made him realize he was doing this to himself. He was making himself suffer.  And he could stop.  Which landed him in the same messy place so many of us are in, not having any answers.  So we just ignore the questions and get on with our lives."  

Here's the lesson the Peace Pilgrim  learned in all of this:  There are so many unanswered questions out there.  You just have to forget them all.

Yet, how is this a true ending to the journey?  To resign yourself to a life of ignoring, stifling, and stuffing seems monotonous and hardly sustainable.  Won't the questions pop up again at some point?  Maybe you lose a loved one.  You get cancer.  You go to a wedding.  You watch a sunset.  Soon, there are cracks in life where the questions will begin to bleed through.

And aren't the questions there for a reason?  (That's a question about a question, isn't it?? Wait...that makes my head hurt.)  I mean, the fact that we have questions at all is something to revel in.  There's something magical and purposeful about "searching."  You recognize that it doesn't all end with us.  We aren't all there is.  We aren't the "cheese."  And neither is this world.  There's something more.  Something bigger.

So, although we never find the answers to all the questions, we MUST continue to search.  Why?  Even though we may end up frustrated or weary... even though we know that we won't know it all...there's something to be said about the journey.  There's joy in the searching.  There's peace in the tension.  And at the end of the day, the questions are still better than the alternative.

Yes, there are a lot of unanswered questions out there.  But I pray to God that I never forget them all.

 

 

"I can't get no satisfaction..."

I have found there are seasons in life that I may "marinate" over a certain set of scriptures and keep coming back to it over weeks or months at a time.  Right now, it's Psalm 103.  Regardless of what I may be facing at the time, this passage seems to have some little nugget that hits home.

The little nugget that has been sitting with me lately is found in the first set of verses in the chapter:


Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.


He "satisfies our desires with good things."  

Desires are a gift from God.  Can you imagine life without any desires? I mean, life would be horribly boring.  We would be the most mundane, uninteresting people.  Desires push us forward.  The motivate us.  They inspire us.  We achieve and attain because of this thing called desire.  

However, we have all seen the flip side of desire.  When desire takes root and overrides reason or control, we see how destructive it can be.  Addictions, crimes, and many sins arise out of the result of desire gone wrong. 

Instead of God saying that we have to get rid of the desires that can lead to such things, He offers us an opportunity to actually fulfill them.  He is able to satisfy our desires with good things.  If you have ever encountered someone battling an addiction, you can see this process play out.  You don't overcome addiction with a list of "do's and don'ts."  Yes, there is a behavioral piece to the problem that needs to be addressed.  However, the way to achieve long-term success in being free is to find fulfillment in something outside of the addiction.  To answer the question:  "What need is being met within the addiction and how can that need be met somewhere else?"

That's what God does with us.  He doesn't ask that our desires be taken away from us.  He has created the desires.  They are from His hand.  It is our sin and brokenness that taint desire and turn it into something potentially harmful.  Our desires become destructive when we seek their fulfillment outside of God.  However, if we allow God to satisfy these desires, He is able to bring life and goodness.  Our fulfillment is found in Him and Him alone.  

Praise be to God, who doesn't ask that we lose our desires, but to find them met in Him.