It Takes Two To Tango!

I began reading the Gospel of Luke this week. In chapter 1, the angel appears to both Zechariah and Mary. Both question the angel yet Zechariah is chastened and Mary gets a free pass. I used to think it was because of Mary’s youth or that she is a girl or that the magnitude of the news caused God to handle her more gently. But in reading this anew, I realized that, even though they both received impossible news (the prospect of children even though they were either too old or unmarried) and both had questions, Zechariah’s question expressed doubt (How can I be sure of this?) while Mary’s expressed faith (How will this be?) Zechariah wanted a sign or some assurance that this would happen. God gave him one - the sign of silence because he “did not believe.” Mary expressed certainty that this would happen but asked “how.” She was wanting to know what she was suppose to do to make this happen. She assumed that she would have to take an active role in this process and that a suitable partner must be available. There is (at least in her day) only one way to get pregnant. It takes two to tango. Was she to marry Joseph quickly and purposefully get pregnant? But then God delivers the bomb shell - she would become pregnant through an act of the Holy Spirit. She did not have to do anything. God would take care of everything. Her response is astounding without a trace of doubt, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Her cousin, Elizabeth, confirms her faith by saying, “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

God speaks. He doesn’t waste words. What He says, He will do. I can doubt and live in instability or I can believe and walk with confidence. Blessed are we who believe that what the Lord has said will be accomplished!

Why I Am What I Am

*I originally was going a different route when I started this post but it went this direction and I'm going with it. My mom asked me long ago about my decision of not being Baptist anymore and I never gave her an answer. Here, at last and at least, is part of that answer.

One of the most influential books in my life has been Visioneering by Andy Stanley which I read in 2000 or 2001. Already wrestling with a discontentment and sensing that things weren't the way God intended them to be, this book resonated in me, put words to my groanings, gave hope, lit a fire of passion for something more. It was the beginning of the end. It began the unraveling of the old methods and ideologies that, to me, had become tired and worn and gave birth to something new, more refreshing, real, hopeful, powerful. Because my relationship with Christ had become religionized, my God had shrunk to fit my beliefs. It was time to lose my religion and let God be God and Christ be Christ. This is an ongoing journey and its a journey of a lifetime.

This journey (not Andy's book) is one of the reasons I stopped being a Baptist. In a sense, I felt slightly deceived. I was discovering that God was bigger than the Baptist belief system under which I was operating. I had been a Baptist all my life but I was sensing some definite shortcomings in methodology and teachings. I was ready for a change. Baptist was not how I wanted to be known. It was not how I wanted to be defined. It was not the label I wanted to carry. And it was one of the reasons I chose to be non-denominational when we started our church in 2002.

This does not mean that I am anti-baptist. I love and appreciate my Baptist background. The Pointe Church, where I currently attend, is a Baptist church but they hide it well. Most of my family and friends are Baptists. But I am not for denominationalism. I imagine someone who is far from God and wonder what they must think when they see all the different churches. I remember one person saying that they wanted to be a Christian but they didn't know which kind to be. This reminds me of the Corinthians who were divided and lined up behind the various teachers. One says, "I am of Paul," the other, "I am of Peter," and yet another, "I am of Apollos." (I am trying hard not to be the guy who piously cried, "I am of Christ," but I feel for that guy.) Now it is "I'm a Baptist," or "I'm a methodist," or, heaven forbid, "I'm a charismatic."

I understand the reasons behind denominations and can even appreciate the plusses of being in a denomination but I also believe that denominations have attributed to the "religionization" (I think I just made that word up) of a faith that was meant to be so much free-er, bigger, untamed, and unconfined. We are in danger of missing God and what He wants to do when we think we have God all figured out. It's time to simply be Christ-followers and adhere as closely as possible to the Word of God in our personal walks and in the practices of our churches. I know that there are many denominational churches who try to do this and do it well but for me it was time to go a different route.

The Blessing of my Mother-in-law

Things have gone pretty well since moving my mother-in-law in with us. Its only been 2 weeks but everyone is adjusting well. It has been a lot of work to bring her to our home. Here are some thoughts on all of it:

• I want to say, first of all, that Pattie and I feel called to this. We believe that this is at least one of the reasons we are not in Denver yet. Because it is our call and she is our mother, it is not a burden or a chore but a joy and a privilege to serve her and God in this capacity. That doesn't mean it is not hard or sometimes difficult. It means that the joy is greater than the challenge.
• Obeying God's call often means re-ordering and re-arranging your life. With us it meant changing our whole house. We put mom in our Master Bedroom, Pattie and I moved into Rayanne's room, Rayanne moved downstairs into Joe's room, Joe (and his drums) moved into Ben's room. That puts Ben on the air mattress in any available room when he comes home. We moved our living room set into our sun room and brought mom's chair and couch into our living room. So far, everyone is happy with all the changes.
• It has been a joy to see family and friends that are coming by to see her. We love our extended family and we don't always see them as often as we would like. Our house is open to any and all visitors.
• The hospice nurses, after examining mom, both came to the same conclusion - they believe that she only has about 3 months. They say 3-6 months but closer to 3. This makes the moments even more precious.
• As a Pastor, I am learning that the "show" is on the stage but true "service" is in secret. I miss the stage or more accurately, the preaching. I miss sharing God's word and teaching truths that God continues to show me. It is a definite calling and love in my life. It is actually a place where I feel more productive, useful, of value. But Jesus taught that true greatness was not bestowed because of title but in our willingness to accept the lower position of servanthood and that true leadership was not found in instructing but by practicing and providing an example. It is good for me to see this. It will be good for me not to forget this.
• I'm thankful that my kids get to spend the next few months with their grandmother.
• I see God granting the desires of mom's heart. Living near her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids was her wish and now she is here. She wants to go to First Baptist Woodstock one more time. We plan on doing this next Sunday. To see God care for her in these ways exalts Him in my eyes and heart. He truly is our Great God!
  

A Little Inspiration

These people inspire me and their words encourage me.

Joshua to the Israelites: "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Jonathan to his armor bearer: "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. PERHAPS the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few."

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to Nebuchadnezzar: "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Job to his friends: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him."

David to his oldest brother, Eliab: "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"

David to King Saul before he fought Goliath: "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

David to Goliath: "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."

Mordecai to Esther: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

Esther to Mordecai: "I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

Peter to Jesus: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Thomas to Jesus: "My Lord and my God!"

Faith (Part 2)

The second thing that came to me in response to Matt 17:

2. What areas of my life am I evidencing "little faith?
I immediately thought of a couple of areas where I am beginning to be concerned ("concerned" sounds better than "worry".) One of the areas is something that God has provided for me over and over again in the course of my life but the need is arising again. I wonder if God will act on my behalf again. Am I being over presumptuous to expect God to provide this need in the same way as He has done in the past? In Matthew 16, Jesus makes a reference to "bread." The disciples mistakenly think he is speaking of food. This makes them realize that they have no bread. Jesus rebukes them, "You of little faith (there's that phrase again!), why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?" Jesus seems to be saying, "Haven't I proven to you that bread is no issue. Didn't you see how I can provide? Don't you realize that this is one issue you don't have to worry about?" How many times must God prove to me that He can meet this need before I rest in Him and trust Him completely? How long will Jesus have to put up with me? God constantly reminds His people on how He has rescued, redeemed, provided for the one's He loves. A few times Jesus encountered people that He described as having "great faith." They were people that were beyond "hoping" that Jesus would act and lived in the realm of "knowing." I choose to believe that God will meet this need again. I choose faith over worry. I choose great faith. I'll let you know when God acts on my behalf.

Faith

I've been reading through the Gospel of Matthew when I came across the story of a demon possessed boy in chapter 17. The father of this boy asks for Jesus' help and confides that the disciples were unable to help him. Jesus seems very frustrated at this point and says "how long shall I put up with you?" and then heals the boy. His frustration seems to be with the failure of His disciples rather than the request of the father. The disciples ask Jesus why they couldn't do it, to which Jesus responds, "Because you have so little faith." Two things come to my mind:

1. Faith is not evidenced in the attempt but is seen in the results. Jesus continues, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." I would argue that the disciples had exercised a "mustard seed" of faith based on the fact that they attempted to cast out the demon. They tried. They got involved. They did not ignore the boy's need. It reminds me of another story when Jesus says the same thing to Peter when he steps out of the boat and actually walks on water but then begins to sink. The comment of "little faith" is directed to Peter and not to the other disciples who remained safely in the boat. Peter attempted but Jesus does not pat him on the back and say "Nice try!" Attempting may be an act of courage or even obedience but it does not impress Jesus as an act of faith. Courage may allow us to initiate action and obedience may motivate us to action but they they do not necessarily constitute faith. Faith yields results. The lack of results seems to indicate to Jesus that the action was done without faith. "Nothing will be impossible for you!" Faith produces something. Faith never yields nothing. Nothing is impossible. Something happens, something moves, something grows, something changes. Nothing is impossible. Jesus seems to contradict Himself by rebuking the disciples for "little faith" and then saying that mountains can move through "little faith." The Message brings clarity to this: When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, "Why couldn't we throw it out?" "Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle." Am I taking God seriously? Am I attempting things in my own energy or am I truly exercising faith? God honors faith. He honors courage and obedience only as it is exercised through faith. Do I just keep trying things or am I actually doing things? I would rather fail at the attempt than to stay in the boat or sit on the sidelines but maybe I shouldn't settle for just attempting. I choose to believe today that God wants to do the impossible in my life. I choose to believe that He wants to move the mountains in my life. For that matter, I also believe that God wants to move me to the mountains! I'll have to write my second thought later.