CHRISTMAS EXPLORED, PART 1: PROPHECY
One of the most fascinating and fulfilling areas of study of the Bible is Biblical prophecy. A lot of people associate prophecy with Armageddon, end of the world type stuff, and many parts of the Bible do have something to say about the conclusion of human history as we know it. But to fully appreciate the power of the Bible and its cohesiveness over thousands of years, you really need to delve into the prophecies that have already been fulfilled. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the four principles of Biblical reliability. In particular, Messianic prophecy, the foretelling of Christ's incarnation, was written over a century before the actual events occurred. Prophecies regarding Christ outnumber any others in the Bible, and with good reason - the redemptive work of Christ is the culminating theme of the Bible. A lot of the prophecies regarding Jesus would have been impossible for him to plan to fulfill - for instance, how could he have arranged his line of descent, the place where he was born, or the manner in which he died?
In order to set the stage for this series of posts regarding Christmas, I feel it's necessary to review some of the prophecies that were made about Jesus Christ many many years before his birth. For brevities sake, I will list only 10 of the scores of different Messianic prophecies.
1. Jesus will be born of a virgin.
All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel--`God is with us.' - Isaiah 7:14
Fulfillment:
Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiance, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All of this happened to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet:
"Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and he will be called Immanuel
(meaning, God is with us)."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. - Matthew 1:18-25
2. Jesus will come out of the tribe of Judah.
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will obey. - Genesis 49:10
Fulfillment:
Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. Jesus was known as the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Heli... ...Nahshon was the son of Amminadab. Amminadab was the son of Admin. Admin was the son of Arni.[10] Arni was the son of Hezron. Hezron was the son of Perez. Perez was the son of Judah. - Luke 3:23,33
3. Jesus will come from the line of David.
For when you die, I will raise up one of your descendants, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house--a temple--for my name. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will use other nations to punish him. But my unfailing love will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed before you. Your dynasty and your kingdom will continue for all time before me, and your throne will be secure forever. - 2 Samuel 7:12-16
Fulfillment:
This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of King David and of Abraham: - Matthew 1:1
4. Jesus will be born in Bethlehem.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. - Micah 5:2
Fulfillment:
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. - Matthew 2:1a
5. Jesus will be taken to Egypt after his birth.
"When Israel was a child, I loved him as a son, and I called my son out of Egypt." - Hosea 11:1
Fulfillment:
That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: "I called my Son out of Egypt." - Matthew 2:14-15
6. Herod's killing of the infants (an attempt to find and kill the promised Messiah)
This is what the LORD says: "A cry of anguish is heard in Ramah--mourning and weeping unrestrained. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted--for her children are dead." - Jeremiah 31:15
Fulfillment:
Herod was furious when he learned that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, because the wise men had told him the star first appeared to them about two years earlier. Herod's brutal action fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah:
"A cry of anguish is heard in Ramah--
weeping and mourning unrestrained.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted--for they are dead." - Matthew 2:16-18
7. Jesus would perform miracles.
And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will shout and sing! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the desert. - Isaiah 35:5-6
Fulfillment:
Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness. - Matthew 9:35
8. Jesus would first present Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. and Jesus would enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey.
Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times. - Daniel 9:25
Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey--even on a donkey's colt. - Zechariah 9:9
Fulfillment:
This was done to fulfill the prophecy,
"Tell the people of Israel,
`Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey--
even on a donkey's colt.' "
The two disciples did as Jesus said. They brought the animals to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.
Most of the crowd spread their coats on the road ahead of Jesus, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. He was in the center of the procession, and the crowds all around him were shouting,
"Praise God for the Son of David!
Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!"
The entire city of Jerusalem was stirred as he entered. "Who is this?" they asked.
And the crowds replied, "It's Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." Matthew 21:4-11
9. Jesus' hands and feet would be pierced, lots would be cast for his garments.
My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet... They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments. - Psalm 22:16,18
Fulfillment:
When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified....After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. - Matthew 27: 31,35
10. Jesus would rise from the dead.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your godly one to rot in the grave. - Psalm 16:10
Fulfillment:
But the angel said, "Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body." - Mark 16:6
I know there are a lot of skeptics/agnostics/atheists out there among my readers. In case you feel that this is just a story made up by a bunch of old Jewish people over the years, just remember some of these prophecies. Yes, they were written by a bunch of Jewish people over the span of thousands of years. Isn't it extraordinary that such specific prophecies could be made about a man who didn't exist until many generations, many conquering empires later? That a man born under such humble, impoverished circumstances would live to accomplish the single most important task in human history, and it was all foretold by prophets who probably had enough problems of their own in their here and now, but who were able to envision the saving Redeemer?
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Facts on Iraq
Some facts
This was forwarded to me by a friend of mine, Mike Chalmers. I thought it would be good information to pass along.
Can you circulate this? This is a letter from Ray Reynolds, a medic in the Iowa Army National Guard, serving in Iraq:
As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks of my stay in Iraq, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who did not believe the media. They have done a very poor job of covering everything that has happened. I am sorry that I have not been able to visit all of you during my two week leave back home! And just so you can rest at night knowing something is happening in Iraq that is noteworthy, I thought I would pass this on to you. This is the list of things that has happened in Iraq recently: (Please share it with your friends and compare it to the version that your paper is producing.)
* Over 400,000 kids have up-to-date immunizations.
* School attendance is up 80% from levels before the war.
* Over 1,500 schools have been renovated and rid of the weapons stored there so education can occur.
* The port of Uhm Qasar was renovated so grain can be off-loaded from ships faster.
* The country had its first 2 billion barrel export of oil in August.
* Over 4.5 million people have clean drinking water for the first time ever in Iraq.
* The country now receives 2 times the electrical power it did before the war.
* 100% of the hospitals are open and fully staffed, compared to 35% before the war.
* Elections are taking place in every major city, and city councils are in place.
* Sewer and water lines are installed in every major city.
* Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets.
* Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country.
* Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets side by side with US soldiers.
* Over 400,000 people have telephones for the first time ever.
* Students are taught field sanitation and hand washing techniques to prevent the spread of germs.
* An interim constitution has been signed.
* Girls are allowed to attend school.
* Textbooks that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the first time in 30 years.
Don't believe for one second that these people do not want us there. I have met many, many people from Iraq that want us there, and in a bad way. They say they will never see the freedoms we talk about but they hope their children will. We are doing a good job in Iraq and I challenge anyone, anywhere to dispute me on these facts. If you are like me and very disgusted with how this period of rebuilding has been portrayed, email this to a friend and let them know there are good things happening.
Ray Reynolds, SFC Iowa Army National Guard 234th Signal Battalion
This was forwarded to me by a friend of mine, Mike Chalmers. I thought it would be good information to pass along.
Can you circulate this? This is a letter from Ray Reynolds, a medic in the Iowa Army National Guard, serving in Iraq:
As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks of my stay in Iraq, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who did not believe the media. They have done a very poor job of covering everything that has happened. I am sorry that I have not been able to visit all of you during my two week leave back home! And just so you can rest at night knowing something is happening in Iraq that is noteworthy, I thought I would pass this on to you. This is the list of things that has happened in Iraq recently: (Please share it with your friends and compare it to the version that your paper is producing.)
* Over 400,000 kids have up-to-date immunizations.
* School attendance is up 80% from levels before the war.
* Over 1,500 schools have been renovated and rid of the weapons stored there so education can occur.
* The port of Uhm Qasar was renovated so grain can be off-loaded from ships faster.
* The country had its first 2 billion barrel export of oil in August.
* Over 4.5 million people have clean drinking water for the first time ever in Iraq.
* The country now receives 2 times the electrical power it did before the war.
* 100% of the hospitals are open and fully staffed, compared to 35% before the war.
* Elections are taking place in every major city, and city councils are in place.
* Sewer and water lines are installed in every major city.
* Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets.
* Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country.
* Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets side by side with US soldiers.
* Over 400,000 people have telephones for the first time ever.
* Students are taught field sanitation and hand washing techniques to prevent the spread of germs.
* An interim constitution has been signed.
* Girls are allowed to attend school.
* Textbooks that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the first time in 30 years.
Don't believe for one second that these people do not want us there. I have met many, many people from Iraq that want us there, and in a bad way. They say they will never see the freedoms we talk about but they hope their children will. We are doing a good job in Iraq and I challenge anyone, anywhere to dispute me on these facts. If you are like me and very disgusted with how this period of rebuilding has been portrayed, email this to a friend and let them know there are good things happening.
Ray Reynolds, SFC Iowa Army National Guard 234th Signal Battalion
Monday, November 29, 2004
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is over! We were in charge of the kitchen at RUMC, which fed about 325 people (homeless, shut-ins, etc.). Everything went off without a hitch. Certainly a God thing as the most I have ever cooked for prior to this day was about 35. We had turkey and all of the trimmings, plus a blanket and bread room for those in need. He even produced a chef to assist...coincidence? I think not! What a blessing God bestowed upon us...to allow us the opportunity to be a part of this day!!! It was a bummer not being with family, but given the chance to be the hands and feet of Christ there was really no choice. More later!
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
BUCKEYES WIN!!!
Well, despites some very suspect play this season the Bucks capped it off in fine fashion versus that team up North. David and I went to the game. Weather was great, band was great (OSU's of course), and the outcome was even greater. Those poor UM fans got quieter and quieter as the game progressed. The only suprise after the game was that the students didn't try to tear down the posts. Great goin Buckeyes...on to the Alamo Bowl!
View from the seat after the game:
View from the seat after the game:
Monday, November 15, 2004
Discovery Channel Cycling
What will next season bring for the boys from Discovery Channel cycling? A new sponsor and Lance states he may not ride the TDF??? Seriously?? Don't look for it to happen. Discovery has too much cash in the game for history's best cyclist not to participate in the worlds greatest racing spectacle.
Also, worth to report is the departure of Floyd Landis from U.S. Postal to Team Phonak. What were you guys thinking? America's second best cyclist; the man who powered Lance over the toughest mountain climbs last year; allowed to get away? Unbelievable. I guess we will stay tuned to see what happens. Allez Lance!
Also, worth to report is the departure of Floyd Landis from U.S. Postal to Team Phonak. What were you guys thinking? America's second best cyclist; the man who powered Lance over the toughest mountain climbs last year; allowed to get away? Unbelievable. I guess we will stay tuned to see what happens. Allez Lance!
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
MERCYME - SPOKEN FOR LYRICS
MERCYME - SPOKEN FOR LYRICS:
My favorite song (currently), by Mercy Me......
"Spoken For"
"Take this world from me
I don't need it anymore.
I am finally free
My heart is spoken for.
Oh and i praise you
Oh and i worship you...
CHORUS:
Covered by your love divine
Child of the risen Lord.
To hear you say 'This one's mine'
My heart is spoken for.
Now i have a peace
I've never known before.
I find myself complete
My heart is spoken for.
Oh and I praise you
Oh and I worship you...
CHORUS:
Covered by your love divine
Child of the risen Lord
To hear you say 'This one's mine'
My heart is spoken for.
By the power of the cross
You've taken what was lost
And made it fully yours.
And i have been redeemed
By you that spoke to me
Now i am spoken for
Covered by your love divine
Shout out there is a Lord
To hear you say 'this one's mine'
My heart is spoken for
2X
Take this world from me
Don't need it anymore..."
My favorite song (currently), by Mercy Me......
"Spoken For"
"Take this world from me
I don't need it anymore.
I am finally free
My heart is spoken for.
Oh and i praise you
Oh and i worship you...
CHORUS:
Covered by your love divine
Child of the risen Lord.
To hear you say 'This one's mine'
My heart is spoken for.
Now i have a peace
I've never known before.
I find myself complete
My heart is spoken for.
Oh and I praise you
Oh and I worship you...
CHORUS:
Covered by your love divine
Child of the risen Lord
To hear you say 'This one's mine'
My heart is spoken for.
By the power of the cross
You've taken what was lost
And made it fully yours.
And i have been redeemed
By you that spoke to me
Now i am spoken for
Covered by your love divine
Shout out there is a Lord
To hear you say 'this one's mine'
My heart is spoken for
2X
Take this world from me
Don't need it anymore..."
Monday, November 08, 2004
Showtime
Showtime
Certainly a long read here...but very worthwhile. Faith in action...
If you're like me, you believe the good news that Jesus Christ offers everyone. You want your friends to respond to Christ's invitation to eternal life. You live every day surrounded by people whom you genuinely care about but who really don't understand what your commitment to Jesus Christ means to you-or what it could mean to them. You're weary of Christian caricatures on television. You're tired of seeing people roll their eyes when someone mentions Jesus.
Let's face it. Our world is wary of words without deeds. While President Bush was flying around in Air Force 1 making statements immediately after the September 11th attacks, people criticized him. They picked at his words and parsed his phrases. No matter what he said, he couldn't get it right. But when he went to Ground Zero, grabbed a bullhorn, and stood amid the smoking rubble, surrounded by rescue workers and grieving family members, the whole country stopped to listen. It almost didn't matter what he said. The fact that the leader of the free world had come down to stand in the pain was comforting and inspiring. Simple words and consistent actions were what won the president respect that day.
And that same approach is what the world needs from the followers of Christ: simple words, consistent actions. Believers who proclaim with their lips and demonstrate with their lives the good news of God. Disciples who both show and tell the gospel. But as my friends Mick and Shari would insist, some of us should stop telling until our lives show the difference that Christ makes.
Making a Difference
A story circulated in Detroit about the early days of Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company. It concerned a machinist who over a period of years had "borrowed" tools from the plant. Although it was against company policy, everybody did it, and management did nothing about it.
One day, however, the machinist was converted. He was baptized and took his baptism seriously. The day after, he gathered all the tools he had collected over the years, loaded them into his pickup, took them to the plant, and presented them to the foreman with his confession and a request for forgiveness.
The foreman was so overcome by the man's honesty that he cabled Henry Ford himself, who was traveling in Europe. After the foreman explained the event in detail, the story goes, Ford cabled back. "Dam up the Detroit River," he said, "and baptize the entire plant."
The world is yearning to see the difference a true, effective, and fruitful faith can make. The world is longing to see the gospel demonstrated in our lives with as much passion and vigor as we proclaim it with our lips. The world needs to meet people like my friends Al and Enid.
Al and Enid are members of my church. After Al completed a successful career as president of a large real estate company in Southern California, they retired to a condo overlooking the ocean in our beach town. They had planned well and retired comfortably. They were in good health and were eager to travel. They had achieved the world's definition of success, and no one would have begrudged them a desire to spend their twilight years basking in their achievements and living in prosperity.
Now, Al and Enid have always been involved in ministry. Numerous pastors and missionaries serving throughout the world were once part of their youth group when they were sponsors. But it has been during their retirement years that they have truly made an impact. Though they easily could have chosen to spend the rest of their years enjoying worldly success, Al and Enid have touched many people by preaching the gospel with their lives.
Enid has been a mentor to many women, a trained caregiver to people in crisis, and a deacon bringing the love and care of the church to people in her neighborhood.
Al was part of the search committee that called me as pastor. After I settled into my new job, he came to me and said, "Tod, I have maybe ten good years left, and I want to make a difference for Christ." We talked over lunch one day, and he joined our church staff as an unpaid director of lay ministries. His job was to inspire and mobilize our congregation to service. And what a job he did. As a result of his efforts, over 90 percent of our congregation filled out gifts-discernment surveys and then through Al's leading found meaningful ways to serve. On our first lay-ministry appreciation celebration, over five hundred names were listed among those who had served during the year.
But Al and Enid didn't stop there. Putting his business acumen to work, Al taught our church staff how to be more efficient in strategic planning. Together, Al and Enid reinvigorated our church's prayer ministry, enlisting over six hundred people to pray every day for the church's staff and lay leadership, writing daily prayer devotionals for teachers in our church and reorganizing a telephone and email prayer chain. All the while, they kept caring for and encouraging a young minister who was in his first call as senior pastor.
Al and Enid have inspired the people in our church to serve with gusto and wisdom, and they have received a lot of recognition. But even our congregants don't know the half of it. After Easter, Al and Enid often take lilies left over from the service to shut-ins. When we had a building campaign, they sacrificed three years of fun vacations in order to give generously to the project. Enid leads a spiritual formation group for women and regularly visits an elderly invalid at least once a week.
Al takes ice cream to a neighbor in his nineties, also a shut-in, who had never professed faith. For months, while eating the treat Al brought, they watched the Jesus film together.
When another elderly man named Andy became invalid, AI became a daily source of support to him. Andy's wife had died a few months earlier, and he had no family to look after him. AI took over his affairs. He organized a crew of people to clean out his condominium, saw that it was sold for a fair price, paid all the bills, haggled with health-insurance companies, got Andy placed in a comfortable nursing home, and visited him every day until he finally died in peace, holding the
hand of a nurse who was a member of our church. For months afterward, Al took care of Andy's estate and saw that Andy's wishes were carried out. As Andy's pastor, I was stunned when I found out that this quiet little man had left over $150,000 to our church as a token of his appreciation for the care given to him by our church elder and his good friend Al.
When my own aunt Dorothy McPhillips died, my brother said about her, "If more people were Christians like her, more people would be Christians." That's the way that I feel about Al and Enid. I think Mick and Shari and all my other friends would want those very words said about them someday. I know I would. Don't we all? Ultimately, lives that effectively "preach the gospel at all times" are what faith is all about.
Frustrations in Faith and Fly-Fishing
A few years ago, my wife and I took our two children on a ten-day vacation in the Canadian Rockies. Some old friends joined us, and we tooled around in two rented RVs, looking for elk, bears, waterfalls, and glaciers. As we went, everyone put up with my penchant for seeking out fishing holes.
For me one of the trip's highlights was that I finally was able to use the fly rod that my staff had given to me as a gift for completing my Ph.D. Five-weight, fourpiece, great action-it's a beauty. My friend Rob and I got up early one morning, piled into one of the RVs, and headed out of Jasper National Park to the Fraser River below Mount Robson in British Columbia. There we met our guide, who had promised to turn us into fly-fishing fanatics. We looked forward to fulfilling the adage "Give a man a fish, and he'll eat dinner one night; teach him to fish, and he'll be late for dinner every night."
Our guide was an earnest young guy who had plenty of experience and was eager to show us his skill. He offered me a rod to borrow; I scoffed and pulled out my new bad boy. Trout beware.
But the first place we went, we struck out. (Even the guide!) So we decided to try a little lake. Two hours later, we had nothing but stories of the several that got away. We got hits; we even hooked a couple of pretty small ones-we just couldn't seem to reel them in. It was both fun and frustrating. I may have had a brand-new rod, but it was painfully obvious that I didn't know how to use it very well.
As we drove home, we realized that while our guide was a good guy, his youth probably made him intimidated by us. (Only more so, I think, when he found out that his two students were a pastor and a lawyer.) He was supportive and encouraging, but he didn't offer much in the way of instruction, correction, and teaching. He had tried really hard to impress us with his ability, but he hadn't really done all that much to improve ours.
I figured there must be about a thousand tips he didn't tell us. I found myself wishing we could have another day on the water with an old fisherman. You know, some old guy who has failed so much that he now rarely does, who's forgotten more than I'll ever know, isn't afraid to tell me what I am doing wrong, and, especially, could help me figure out how to make this brand-new rod really work.
I hate things that don't work. I know, hate is a strong word. But many of you will understand. Let's say you get a brand-new laptop computer. You are looking forward to new power, new speed, to surfing through the World Wide Web like a long-boarder on a deserted Hawaiian break. You can't wait for the ability to crunch numbers, generate a spreadsheet, fire off a memo, and order Chinese takeout all at the same time. You can really get to work.
You take it out of the box, set it up; it hums right along, the screen flickers, the words scroll across the screen. Ahh . . . some new gear. A new gizmo. You happily start putting it to good use, all the while laughing at the instructions sitting in the box, like you're in a present-day version of the Treasures of Sierra Madre: "Manuals? We don't need no stinking manuals!"
And all is going well until. . . a button sticks. The cursor doesn't respond. The program freezes. A message flashes on the screen: "Fatal Error, Fatal Error." "Argh!" you shriek. "Either something's wrong with this thing, or something's wrong with me."
For many of us, this kind of experience is similar to our experience of faith. It all started out so promisingly. We had such peace, such power, such a sense of having a direct line to God. Then, a glitch here, something gets stuck there. The same Bible that once seemed interesting now puts us to sleep. Our prayers bounce off the ceiling and crash down on our heads. We feel like we're talking into a void. Our patience is waning; we are tempted by old desires and overwhelmed by what feel like unconquerable struggles. Soon we are ready to compromise the very things we claim are most important. If we had a diagnostic tool, we fear it would say, "Fatal Error." We think to ourselves, Either something's wrong with this Christianity thing or something's wrong with me.
You deeply want a faith that helps you make a difference in the hurly-burly of everyday life. You especially want a faith that makes a noticeable difference-a difference that others will notice-but your faith seems ineffective at best, a downright disappointment at worst. After trying to do it on your own, perhaps you are now looking for a guide, a teacher, an old fisherman.
Let me introduce you to the apostle Peter.
Learning from an Old Fisherman
The book of 2 Peter is attributed to the chief disciple of Jesus, Simon, whom Jesus called Peter. By most scholarly accounts, this book was probably written for Peter by one of his disciples who edited his many teachings. Don't get me wrong. I believe Peter is the author. But Peter was a fisherman, a man of deeds, not words. Somebody wanted to write a tribute to the old fisherman and premier apostle that encapsulated his final teaching, so this person, this scribe, edited the teachings of Peter into something like his last words or a final testament of wisdom to be passed down to a new generation. The language of 2 Peter is that of a learned ghostwriter who was making sure that his mentor's effective real-world faith was communicated clearly. This was as common then as it is today, and the subtle message woven throughout the letter is indeed a tribute: "Peter didn't just teach this stuff; he lived it. His most powerful message was his life. And from him you can learn to live the faith."
This letter starts with greetings and a prologue that sets the stage, and then the main section of the first chapter, verses 5-7, features a list of character qualities. After the list is a summary of the benefits of having such qualities, followed by a warning and then an encouragement.
For this study, I will often refer to two different translations of 2 Peter 1 :3-11. One is the New Revised Standard Version:
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is nearsighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.
But I also want to offer a translation of my own. Not unlike Peter's first-century scribe, I want to capture some of the nuances of the original phrases in contemporary language. As I have been mentored by Peter's teaching and life, I want my contemporaries to learn from him also. So compare my own paraphrase of this passage with the NRSV:
Because in Jesus Christ you have all the power you need to live well and in a manner worthy of God, and because through trusting in his promises you are freed from the polluting bondage that holds the world captive, you must use that godly power to produce from your faith everything that you need for life:
From your faith, produce virtue that is commendable
by the world's best standards.
From your virtue, produce a wisdom that can apply
that virtue in real-world situations.
From your wisdom, produce a self-control that can
enjoy freedom in Christ while knowing safe limits.
From that inner strength, produce endurance to face
whatever challenge arises before you.
Let this constancy of character reveal integrity of actions and beliefs, both in worship and in life, and especially in the Community of Faith, through loving vulnerability and generous mercy.
Last, let all that is produced through your faith lavishly and consistently overflow in redemptive love to everyone in your life.
If these traits are part of your walk and increasingly so, you will never be ineffective and unfruitful in knowing our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. But beware! If you neglect these things, you are walking blindly on the edge of a cliff, forgetting that only God's gracious forgiveness has brought you safely to this place in the journey. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, put your faith to work in the real world and demonstrate that it is indeed genuine. If you do this, you will never stumble as you live as a citizen of God's kingdom now and forever.
Faith and Love
As you can see, the center of this passage is a list of character qualities. Throughout history, people have made lists of virtues, as well as vices, for the sake of moral instruction. Such lists are prominent in the philosophy of Stoicism, which began under Zeno (340-265 BC) and was the dominant worldview in the first-century world that Peter addressed. Philosophers like Philo (ca. 20 BC-AD 50), Seneca (ca. 4 BC-AD 65), Epictetus (ca. AD 50-130), and Plutarch (AD 50-120) all made abundant use of these lists in their teaching. In American history, both Benjamin Franklin and George Washington worked their entire lives on well-known lists that they presumably used to stimulate their character development.
In most cases, the writings of the New Testament adopted and then adapted Greco-Roman lists to reflect Christian values. Thirteen lists of virtues appear in the New Testament, all but two of which are found in Epistles:
2 Corinthians 6:6-8
Galatians 5:22-23
Ephesians 4:32; 5:9
Philippians 4:8
Colossians 3: 12
1 Timothy 4:12; 6:11 2
Timothy 2:22; 3:10
James 3:17
1 Peter 3:8
2 Peter 1:5-72
If we were to diagram Peter's list, it might look like a set of stairs that starts in the lofty heights of faith and descends, with each virtue leading to the next, until the list ends in the down-to-earth expression of love:
Faith producing virtue
_ _ Virtue producing wisdom
_ Wisdom producing self-control
_ _ Self-control producing endurance
_ _ _ _ Endurance producing godliness
_ _ _ Godliness producing mutual affection
_ _ _ _ _ _ Mutual affection producing love
Note that in the ancient world, the first and last words in lists like this were the most important. Our list in 2 Peter begins with faith and ends with love. The writer is telling us that of all the items in this whole glorious list, we are to focus first on faith and last on love. Or in the words of St. Ignatius, "If you be perfect in your faith and love toward Jesus Christ, . . . these are the beginning and end of life-faith is the beginning and love is the end." Paul emphasizes this point even more clearly in Galatians 5:6 when he writes,
The only thing that counts is faith working through love.
Nothing New
If you read the whole letter of 2 Peter (and you could do so in one short sitting), you can almost hear the pathos, the pleading. It sounds like it was written by someone who saw many people excitedly make great confessions of faith but then end up stumbling so badly that they contradicted the faith they claimed. We read in 2 Peter 1 an admonition to "support your faith" by developing character, by cultivating virtue, by expressing with our lives the qualities that speak effectively to others. We are taught that faith is effective when character is being produced in our lives-when we are people who not only confess faith in Christ but also reflect Christ through virtue, wisdom, self-control, endurance, godliness, affection, and love.
This catalog of admirable qualities ends in a verse that seems to jump right off the page:
For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice that this is written to believers, those who have knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, a fact which becomes even clearer if you look at verse 2. But here the writer says that his intention is to help believers keep from being ineffective and unfruitful. In other words, this is written to Christians whose faith is not working like they know it should. It is written to those of us whose faith is not causing the good effects that Christian faith should inspire, who are not producing the fruit of godliness in their lives, whose lives are preaching a different gospel than their lips.
Ineffective. Unfruitful. Strong words. But perhaps they are accurate words for most of us. We are believers. We know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We have been baptized, we have confessed our faith, and we may even have had miraculous life-transforming moments. But something nags us:
Is this all there is?
If I have faith, why does it seem like I make so little difference in my family, my job, my community?
If Christianity is the truth that gives us life eternal and abundant, then why doesn't it seem to work the way I hoped it would?
Why don't people who are hurting seek me out?
Why don't friends who need hope ask me about my hope in Christ?
Why is my faith so . . . ineffective and unfruitful?
According to some recent statistics, there are two billion Christians in the world today. Fully one-third of the world's population confesses faith in Christ. So let me ask you, When you read the headlines of the Los Angeles Times or the Washington Post, do you see much evidence of that? Or how about this: 80 percent of the people in Orange County, California, where I live, claim to be Christians. Eighty percent! Maybe I just expect too much, but doesn't it seem like all this Christian faith in the world is "ineffective and unfruitful"?
Well, this isn't just a contemporary problem. Imagine, if you will, that you are living late in the first century. You are a disciple of Peter, and you can remember his martYr's death in Rome. You remember what it felt like when you heard that your mentor, the old fisherman, the great apostle, the all-too-human but oh-so-passionate Simon Peter, was dead. The Roman authorities sentenced him to die on a cross like the Lord he loved, but he declared he was not worthy to die like Jesus did and insisted on being crucified upside down.
Such commitment. Such passion. Such a witness to the power of trusting Christ. Just the way he lived inspired people to emulate him-even you. His faith was so relevant, so real.
Peter's life was a mixed bag, you remember. He first met Jesus on a boat, where Jesus outfished him with a miraculous catch, and he ended up face down, asking for mercy. He was the guy who confessed Jesus as Lord before anybody else did. And he was the one who failed miserably by denying Christ the night he was crucified. Peter had spent hours telling you and his other disciples all those stories. The story of his faith, the story of his failure. The story of confessing, the story of denying. Peter knew all about stumbling, about failing, about the frustration of knowing Christ and still not living faithfully to Christ. Yet in the end, because of his faith, he was faithful. His life was effective, and in you it had bourne fruit.
But when you take a look around, you see people who are taking the message of faith and turning it into a license to sin. They look at faith as a Get Out of Hell Free card that they stick in their pockets and forget about until they die. They are neglecting the life of discipleship, the joyful and narrow path of following Christ in daily life. Oh, many are confessing their faith, enamored by the message of grace displayed in the life of the Carpenter from Nazareth, but so few are living it like he did. And you see the cynicism of unbelievers who scoff at the idea that this new religion makes any difference at all.
So you pick up your quill and papyri and write a tribute, a collection of Peter's teachings, things you heard him say, with some light editing of your own. With the inspiration of the Spirit, you pass on Peter's teaching to Christians who are stumbling all around you. And you try to drive home a central thought: faith is not something you have; it's something you do.
Faith That Works
The purpose of faith is to let God's power and presence flow from God into your life and through your life into others. For faith to work, it must be put to work, and not just in churches and Bible studies but in boardrooms and classrooms, at kitchen tables and in police stations,
and in intimate family moments that no one else sees.
In Peter's letter, we learn about faith that makes a difference. Faith that is effective and fruitful. Faith that not only takes us to the mountaintop, giving us spiritual goose bumps and tears in our eyes, but also causes us to roll up our sleeves and return to the real world of human need. Faith that brings God's love, compassion, and truth to bear on the world around us.
To have that kind of faith-faith that works-we need to understand that (1) it depends on God's work and power, (2) it requires our trust, and (3) it results in our living it out. Let's look at each of these.
1. Faith that works depends on God's work and power. As we in California learned a few years ago during several long, statewide blackouts, you can have the best transmission lines in the world, but if energy stops coming from the source, blackouts follow. Everything starts with the power source. In the same way, all genuine virtue and change in life depend on God's work and power in our lives. In verse 3 we read, His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us (NRSV). In other words, showing and telling the Christian life is not the result of any virtue, talent, or ability of our own.
Instead, it is the public demonstration of what God has been doing in our lives since the moment he graciously gave us eternal life.
Note that "preaching the gospel with our lives" begins not with our lives but with the gospel. All effective faith must rest on and daily demonstrate our deep awareness that, left to ourselves, we would never live one effective Christ-displaying day ever. Left to ourselves, we would never seek God. Left to ourselves, we would never be transformed one bit. And all effective faith begins with that knowledge and rests and relies on God's grace and power in our lives, which leads to the second point.
2. Faith that works requires our trust. It may sound simplistic, but effective faith must be genuine trust, and genuine trust is living in complete and utter dependence on the grace and mercy of God every day. Effective faith is not about depending on God's grace for salvation and then doing the best we can on our own steam; it is faith that displays the trust we have in God's grace for our salvation by living it out. Effective faith demonstrates that we know that we have been "saved by grace through faith" (Eph. 2:8 NRSV) and then in awe-filled gratitude to God seeks to demonstrate the difference that that knowledge makes.
Second Peter 1:4 reads,
Thus he has given us . . . his precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world.
Notice that we are transformed and faith works in us "through" trusting God's promises. Only through that trusting faith do we "escape from the corruption that is in the world." Only through faith are we saved and become believers. This trusting is what makes us different from the world. No matter how much we may focus on our efforts to display the Christian life, we can't leave behind the requirement of trusting God in Christ. All attempts to teach values or character devoid of faith fall short. If we want Christianity to make a difference in the world, each person who claims to be a Christian must in fact trust Christ for salvation and live each day demonstrating the difference genuine faith in Christ makes; this takes us to our last point.
3. Faith that works results in our living it out. For some of us, all this talk about work and faith gives us the theological heebie-jeebies. Isn't faith the opposite of works? Isn't the point of faith that our efforts are worthless, that we can't really do anything? Isn't that what Ephesians 2:8-9 means when it says we are saved by faith and not by works?
I once heard Dallas Willard make a helpful comment. He said, "Grace is opposed not to effort but to earning." We cannot earn our salvation through our works, but grace does inspire us to work. It inspires us to faith filled effort.
Which brings us to the crux of this passage.
Show Time
Verse 5 includes an interesting and often confusing sentence. It reads,
You must make every effort to support your faith with goodness.
At first glance, this seems to be saying, "Do all you can to add goodness to your faith." It seems to imply that faith, pure and simple, isn't really enough. A quick read through the passage may lead us to think that effective faith is really "faith plus a whole list of virtues." But that is not what is meant by the word for support here. It is not about adding to our faith; it is about providing evidence for our faith the way a courtroom witness "supports" the truth by testifying to it. It's about expressing the genuineness of our faith by living it out.
This meaning becomes even clearer when we consider that the word for support here is a word that was used of wealthy patrons who paid for an acting troupe's costumes and equipment. Picture a troupe that has been lavishly equipped with all they need to perform. This text tells us that God outfits and equips us with goodness and all the other character qualities in the same way that a patron equips a group of actors. Then God the patron demands that we put on a show that puts to use all that he has graciously provided. In other words, we are to make every effort to put on and put to use the very character of God that he has put into our lives.
This image of a patron equipping actors to display what he has given them is the central image of the text, the key metaphor. We are to "support" the veracity and reality of the faith we have in Christ by "showing" it through increasingly virtuous character. We are not trying to earn the approval or acceptance of God by doing so, but we are to express or demonstrate to a watching world that we have been graciously accepted by God.
From beginning to end, God is the one who provides the faith, and we believers are to put that faith on display like an acting troupe puts on a performance. Paul says something similar in Philippians 2:12-13:
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Or as one of my seminary professors once put it,
We work out what God has worked in us.
One More Word about Effort
G. K. Chesterton once said, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." And maybe in the final analysis that is why faith is so often ineffective and unfruitful. We really don't try it fully. We talk a good game, we accept the grace that God has poured into our lives, but we don't really commit ourselves to living out the gospel. We want to be people of character who are respected by others, but we don't dedicate ourselves to allowing God's transforming power to work in every area of our lives-because, frankly, that takes work.
I know that all this discussion about work and effort can be discouraging. It just feels, well, tiring. And most of us have plenty of work to do. We don't want to work. We want our faith in Christ to make our lives easier, less work. But let me help you think about this differently.
Yes, developing character is difficult work, and it takes effort, but it's not labor. It's art. Throughout ancient history, there always has been a strong tie between ethics and aesthetics. Historically, what was truly beautiful was also morally good. Increasing in godly character as this passage describes is not drudgery but passionate action. It is bringing forth and putting on display the beauty of God in the way we live.
Living out our faith is like being a musician who dedicates himself to notes and scales to express the song that has captured his heart. It's like being a painter who looks intently at color and light, disciplining her hand and eye to reveal the vision in her soul. It's like being a photographer who works at making a picture not just another snapshot but a poignant moment in this world. Or even a fly-fisherman creating the beauty of a fly rod moving between twelve and two in four-four time, casting the looping line into quietly moving water.
That's what first drew me to fly-fishing. The art of it. That's why I put in the effort to learn and grow as a fisherman. I wasn't inspired by a mental picture of me standing hip-deep in cold water, swatting mosquitoes while untangling my line from a tree. I was inspired by watching a man casting into the Madison River at Yellowstone as the sun went down and a herd of bison ambled by.
It is work, but it's inspired work, artistic work. Work that expresses something of the grace of God. To borrow the words that Malcolm Muggeridge used to describe Mother Teresa, it is the process of becoming "something beautiful for God."
In the classic fly-fishing story A River Runs through It, the narrator quotes his father, a fly-fishing Presbyterian pastor: "AIl good things-trout as well as eternal salvation-come by grace, and grace comes by art and art does not come easy."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Questions to Consider
1. How do you feel when something important to you doesn't work? How do you respond?
2. Think of a time when you felt like your faith didn't work. What did you feel? What did you do?
3. With two billion professing Christians in the world, why doesn't faith make a bigger difference
in the world?
4. Reread 2 Peter 1:3-11, especially verse 8. According to this passage, what do we need to be "effective and fruitful" in our knowledge of Jesus Christ?
5. What does it mean for you to "support" your faith (v. 5)? What do you need from God? What do you need to do to respond to God's power and promises?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This article has been adapted from the book Showtime by Tod Bolsinger, published by the Baker Publishing Group.
©2004 Tod Bolsinger
Certainly a long read here...but very worthwhile. Faith in action...
If you're like me, you believe the good news that Jesus Christ offers everyone. You want your friends to respond to Christ's invitation to eternal life. You live every day surrounded by people whom you genuinely care about but who really don't understand what your commitment to Jesus Christ means to you-or what it could mean to them. You're weary of Christian caricatures on television. You're tired of seeing people roll their eyes when someone mentions Jesus.
Let's face it. Our world is wary of words without deeds. While President Bush was flying around in Air Force 1 making statements immediately after the September 11th attacks, people criticized him. They picked at his words and parsed his phrases. No matter what he said, he couldn't get it right. But when he went to Ground Zero, grabbed a bullhorn, and stood amid the smoking rubble, surrounded by rescue workers and grieving family members, the whole country stopped to listen. It almost didn't matter what he said. The fact that the leader of the free world had come down to stand in the pain was comforting and inspiring. Simple words and consistent actions were what won the president respect that day.
And that same approach is what the world needs from the followers of Christ: simple words, consistent actions. Believers who proclaim with their lips and demonstrate with their lives the good news of God. Disciples who both show and tell the gospel. But as my friends Mick and Shari would insist, some of us should stop telling until our lives show the difference that Christ makes.
Making a Difference
A story circulated in Detroit about the early days of Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company. It concerned a machinist who over a period of years had "borrowed" tools from the plant. Although it was against company policy, everybody did it, and management did nothing about it.
One day, however, the machinist was converted. He was baptized and took his baptism seriously. The day after, he gathered all the tools he had collected over the years, loaded them into his pickup, took them to the plant, and presented them to the foreman with his confession and a request for forgiveness.
The foreman was so overcome by the man's honesty that he cabled Henry Ford himself, who was traveling in Europe. After the foreman explained the event in detail, the story goes, Ford cabled back. "Dam up the Detroit River," he said, "and baptize the entire plant."
The world is yearning to see the difference a true, effective, and fruitful faith can make. The world is longing to see the gospel demonstrated in our lives with as much passion and vigor as we proclaim it with our lips. The world needs to meet people like my friends Al and Enid.
Al and Enid are members of my church. After Al completed a successful career as president of a large real estate company in Southern California, they retired to a condo overlooking the ocean in our beach town. They had planned well and retired comfortably. They were in good health and were eager to travel. They had achieved the world's definition of success, and no one would have begrudged them a desire to spend their twilight years basking in their achievements and living in prosperity.
Now, Al and Enid have always been involved in ministry. Numerous pastors and missionaries serving throughout the world were once part of their youth group when they were sponsors. But it has been during their retirement years that they have truly made an impact. Though they easily could have chosen to spend the rest of their years enjoying worldly success, Al and Enid have touched many people by preaching the gospel with their lives.
Enid has been a mentor to many women, a trained caregiver to people in crisis, and a deacon bringing the love and care of the church to people in her neighborhood.
Al was part of the search committee that called me as pastor. After I settled into my new job, he came to me and said, "Tod, I have maybe ten good years left, and I want to make a difference for Christ." We talked over lunch one day, and he joined our church staff as an unpaid director of lay ministries. His job was to inspire and mobilize our congregation to service. And what a job he did. As a result of his efforts, over 90 percent of our congregation filled out gifts-discernment surveys and then through Al's leading found meaningful ways to serve. On our first lay-ministry appreciation celebration, over five hundred names were listed among those who had served during the year.
But Al and Enid didn't stop there. Putting his business acumen to work, Al taught our church staff how to be more efficient in strategic planning. Together, Al and Enid reinvigorated our church's prayer ministry, enlisting over six hundred people to pray every day for the church's staff and lay leadership, writing daily prayer devotionals for teachers in our church and reorganizing a telephone and email prayer chain. All the while, they kept caring for and encouraging a young minister who was in his first call as senior pastor.
Al and Enid have inspired the people in our church to serve with gusto and wisdom, and they have received a lot of recognition. But even our congregants don't know the half of it. After Easter, Al and Enid often take lilies left over from the service to shut-ins. When we had a building campaign, they sacrificed three years of fun vacations in order to give generously to the project. Enid leads a spiritual formation group for women and regularly visits an elderly invalid at least once a week.
Al takes ice cream to a neighbor in his nineties, also a shut-in, who had never professed faith. For months, while eating the treat Al brought, they watched the Jesus film together.
When another elderly man named Andy became invalid, AI became a daily source of support to him. Andy's wife had died a few months earlier, and he had no family to look after him. AI took over his affairs. He organized a crew of people to clean out his condominium, saw that it was sold for a fair price, paid all the bills, haggled with health-insurance companies, got Andy placed in a comfortable nursing home, and visited him every day until he finally died in peace, holding the
hand of a nurse who was a member of our church. For months afterward, Al took care of Andy's estate and saw that Andy's wishes were carried out. As Andy's pastor, I was stunned when I found out that this quiet little man had left over $150,000 to our church as a token of his appreciation for the care given to him by our church elder and his good friend Al.
When my own aunt Dorothy McPhillips died, my brother said about her, "If more people were Christians like her, more people would be Christians." That's the way that I feel about Al and Enid. I think Mick and Shari and all my other friends would want those very words said about them someday. I know I would. Don't we all? Ultimately, lives that effectively "preach the gospel at all times" are what faith is all about.
Frustrations in Faith and Fly-Fishing
A few years ago, my wife and I took our two children on a ten-day vacation in the Canadian Rockies. Some old friends joined us, and we tooled around in two rented RVs, looking for elk, bears, waterfalls, and glaciers. As we went, everyone put up with my penchant for seeking out fishing holes.
For me one of the trip's highlights was that I finally was able to use the fly rod that my staff had given to me as a gift for completing my Ph.D. Five-weight, fourpiece, great action-it's a beauty. My friend Rob and I got up early one morning, piled into one of the RVs, and headed out of Jasper National Park to the Fraser River below Mount Robson in British Columbia. There we met our guide, who had promised to turn us into fly-fishing fanatics. We looked forward to fulfilling the adage "Give a man a fish, and he'll eat dinner one night; teach him to fish, and he'll be late for dinner every night."
Our guide was an earnest young guy who had plenty of experience and was eager to show us his skill. He offered me a rod to borrow; I scoffed and pulled out my new bad boy. Trout beware.
But the first place we went, we struck out. (Even the guide!) So we decided to try a little lake. Two hours later, we had nothing but stories of the several that got away. We got hits; we even hooked a couple of pretty small ones-we just couldn't seem to reel them in. It was both fun and frustrating. I may have had a brand-new rod, but it was painfully obvious that I didn't know how to use it very well.
As we drove home, we realized that while our guide was a good guy, his youth probably made him intimidated by us. (Only more so, I think, when he found out that his two students were a pastor and a lawyer.) He was supportive and encouraging, but he didn't offer much in the way of instruction, correction, and teaching. He had tried really hard to impress us with his ability, but he hadn't really done all that much to improve ours.
I figured there must be about a thousand tips he didn't tell us. I found myself wishing we could have another day on the water with an old fisherman. You know, some old guy who has failed so much that he now rarely does, who's forgotten more than I'll ever know, isn't afraid to tell me what I am doing wrong, and, especially, could help me figure out how to make this brand-new rod really work.
I hate things that don't work. I know, hate is a strong word. But many of you will understand. Let's say you get a brand-new laptop computer. You are looking forward to new power, new speed, to surfing through the World Wide Web like a long-boarder on a deserted Hawaiian break. You can't wait for the ability to crunch numbers, generate a spreadsheet, fire off a memo, and order Chinese takeout all at the same time. You can really get to work.
You take it out of the box, set it up; it hums right along, the screen flickers, the words scroll across the screen. Ahh . . . some new gear. A new gizmo. You happily start putting it to good use, all the while laughing at the instructions sitting in the box, like you're in a present-day version of the Treasures of Sierra Madre: "Manuals? We don't need no stinking manuals!"
And all is going well until. . . a button sticks. The cursor doesn't respond. The program freezes. A message flashes on the screen: "Fatal Error, Fatal Error." "Argh!" you shriek. "Either something's wrong with this thing, or something's wrong with me."
For many of us, this kind of experience is similar to our experience of faith. It all started out so promisingly. We had such peace, such power, such a sense of having a direct line to God. Then, a glitch here, something gets stuck there. The same Bible that once seemed interesting now puts us to sleep. Our prayers bounce off the ceiling and crash down on our heads. We feel like we're talking into a void. Our patience is waning; we are tempted by old desires and overwhelmed by what feel like unconquerable struggles. Soon we are ready to compromise the very things we claim are most important. If we had a diagnostic tool, we fear it would say, "Fatal Error." We think to ourselves, Either something's wrong with this Christianity thing or something's wrong with me.
You deeply want a faith that helps you make a difference in the hurly-burly of everyday life. You especially want a faith that makes a noticeable difference-a difference that others will notice-but your faith seems ineffective at best, a downright disappointment at worst. After trying to do it on your own, perhaps you are now looking for a guide, a teacher, an old fisherman.
Let me introduce you to the apostle Peter.
Learning from an Old Fisherman
The book of 2 Peter is attributed to the chief disciple of Jesus, Simon, whom Jesus called Peter. By most scholarly accounts, this book was probably written for Peter by one of his disciples who edited his many teachings. Don't get me wrong. I believe Peter is the author. But Peter was a fisherman, a man of deeds, not words. Somebody wanted to write a tribute to the old fisherman and premier apostle that encapsulated his final teaching, so this person, this scribe, edited the teachings of Peter into something like his last words or a final testament of wisdom to be passed down to a new generation. The language of 2 Peter is that of a learned ghostwriter who was making sure that his mentor's effective real-world faith was communicated clearly. This was as common then as it is today, and the subtle message woven throughout the letter is indeed a tribute: "Peter didn't just teach this stuff; he lived it. His most powerful message was his life. And from him you can learn to live the faith."
This letter starts with greetings and a prologue that sets the stage, and then the main section of the first chapter, verses 5-7, features a list of character qualities. After the list is a summary of the benefits of having such qualities, followed by a warning and then an encouragement.
For this study, I will often refer to two different translations of 2 Peter 1 :3-11. One is the New Revised Standard Version:
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is nearsighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.
But I also want to offer a translation of my own. Not unlike Peter's first-century scribe, I want to capture some of the nuances of the original phrases in contemporary language. As I have been mentored by Peter's teaching and life, I want my contemporaries to learn from him also. So compare my own paraphrase of this passage with the NRSV:
Because in Jesus Christ you have all the power you need to live well and in a manner worthy of God, and because through trusting in his promises you are freed from the polluting bondage that holds the world captive, you must use that godly power to produce from your faith everything that you need for life:
From your faith, produce virtue that is commendable
by the world's best standards.
From your virtue, produce a wisdom that can apply
that virtue in real-world situations.
From your wisdom, produce a self-control that can
enjoy freedom in Christ while knowing safe limits.
From that inner strength, produce endurance to face
whatever challenge arises before you.
Let this constancy of character reveal integrity of actions and beliefs, both in worship and in life, and especially in the Community of Faith, through loving vulnerability and generous mercy.
Last, let all that is produced through your faith lavishly and consistently overflow in redemptive love to everyone in your life.
If these traits are part of your walk and increasingly so, you will never be ineffective and unfruitful in knowing our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. But beware! If you neglect these things, you are walking blindly on the edge of a cliff, forgetting that only God's gracious forgiveness has brought you safely to this place in the journey. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, put your faith to work in the real world and demonstrate that it is indeed genuine. If you do this, you will never stumble as you live as a citizen of God's kingdom now and forever.
Faith and Love
As you can see, the center of this passage is a list of character qualities. Throughout history, people have made lists of virtues, as well as vices, for the sake of moral instruction. Such lists are prominent in the philosophy of Stoicism, which began under Zeno (340-265 BC) and was the dominant worldview in the first-century world that Peter addressed. Philosophers like Philo (ca. 20 BC-AD 50), Seneca (ca. 4 BC-AD 65), Epictetus (ca. AD 50-130), and Plutarch (AD 50-120) all made abundant use of these lists in their teaching. In American history, both Benjamin Franklin and George Washington worked their entire lives on well-known lists that they presumably used to stimulate their character development.
In most cases, the writings of the New Testament adopted and then adapted Greco-Roman lists to reflect Christian values. Thirteen lists of virtues appear in the New Testament, all but two of which are found in Epistles:
2 Corinthians 6:6-8
Galatians 5:22-23
Ephesians 4:32; 5:9
Philippians 4:8
Colossians 3: 12
1 Timothy 4:12; 6:11 2
Timothy 2:22; 3:10
James 3:17
1 Peter 3:8
2 Peter 1:5-72
If we were to diagram Peter's list, it might look like a set of stairs that starts in the lofty heights of faith and descends, with each virtue leading to the next, until the list ends in the down-to-earth expression of love:
Faith producing virtue
_ _ Virtue producing wisdom
_ Wisdom producing self-control
_ _ Self-control producing endurance
_ _ _ _ Endurance producing godliness
_ _ _ Godliness producing mutual affection
_ _ _ _ _ _ Mutual affection producing love
Note that in the ancient world, the first and last words in lists like this were the most important. Our list in 2 Peter begins with faith and ends with love. The writer is telling us that of all the items in this whole glorious list, we are to focus first on faith and last on love. Or in the words of St. Ignatius, "If you be perfect in your faith and love toward Jesus Christ, . . . these are the beginning and end of life-faith is the beginning and love is the end." Paul emphasizes this point even more clearly in Galatians 5:6 when he writes,
The only thing that counts is faith working through love.
Nothing New
If you read the whole letter of 2 Peter (and you could do so in one short sitting), you can almost hear the pathos, the pleading. It sounds like it was written by someone who saw many people excitedly make great confessions of faith but then end up stumbling so badly that they contradicted the faith they claimed. We read in 2 Peter 1 an admonition to "support your faith" by developing character, by cultivating virtue, by expressing with our lives the qualities that speak effectively to others. We are taught that faith is effective when character is being produced in our lives-when we are people who not only confess faith in Christ but also reflect Christ through virtue, wisdom, self-control, endurance, godliness, affection, and love.
This catalog of admirable qualities ends in a verse that seems to jump right off the page:
For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice that this is written to believers, those who have knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, a fact which becomes even clearer if you look at verse 2. But here the writer says that his intention is to help believers keep from being ineffective and unfruitful. In other words, this is written to Christians whose faith is not working like they know it should. It is written to those of us whose faith is not causing the good effects that Christian faith should inspire, who are not producing the fruit of godliness in their lives, whose lives are preaching a different gospel than their lips.
Ineffective. Unfruitful. Strong words. But perhaps they are accurate words for most of us. We are believers. We know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We have been baptized, we have confessed our faith, and we may even have had miraculous life-transforming moments. But something nags us:
Is this all there is?
If I have faith, why does it seem like I make so little difference in my family, my job, my community?
If Christianity is the truth that gives us life eternal and abundant, then why doesn't it seem to work the way I hoped it would?
Why don't people who are hurting seek me out?
Why don't friends who need hope ask me about my hope in Christ?
Why is my faith so . . . ineffective and unfruitful?
According to some recent statistics, there are two billion Christians in the world today. Fully one-third of the world's population confesses faith in Christ. So let me ask you, When you read the headlines of the Los Angeles Times or the Washington Post, do you see much evidence of that? Or how about this: 80 percent of the people in Orange County, California, where I live, claim to be Christians. Eighty percent! Maybe I just expect too much, but doesn't it seem like all this Christian faith in the world is "ineffective and unfruitful"?
Well, this isn't just a contemporary problem. Imagine, if you will, that you are living late in the first century. You are a disciple of Peter, and you can remember his martYr's death in Rome. You remember what it felt like when you heard that your mentor, the old fisherman, the great apostle, the all-too-human but oh-so-passionate Simon Peter, was dead. The Roman authorities sentenced him to die on a cross like the Lord he loved, but he declared he was not worthy to die like Jesus did and insisted on being crucified upside down.
Such commitment. Such passion. Such a witness to the power of trusting Christ. Just the way he lived inspired people to emulate him-even you. His faith was so relevant, so real.
Peter's life was a mixed bag, you remember. He first met Jesus on a boat, where Jesus outfished him with a miraculous catch, and he ended up face down, asking for mercy. He was the guy who confessed Jesus as Lord before anybody else did. And he was the one who failed miserably by denying Christ the night he was crucified. Peter had spent hours telling you and his other disciples all those stories. The story of his faith, the story of his failure. The story of confessing, the story of denying. Peter knew all about stumbling, about failing, about the frustration of knowing Christ and still not living faithfully to Christ. Yet in the end, because of his faith, he was faithful. His life was effective, and in you it had bourne fruit.
But when you take a look around, you see people who are taking the message of faith and turning it into a license to sin. They look at faith as a Get Out of Hell Free card that they stick in their pockets and forget about until they die. They are neglecting the life of discipleship, the joyful and narrow path of following Christ in daily life. Oh, many are confessing their faith, enamored by the message of grace displayed in the life of the Carpenter from Nazareth, but so few are living it like he did. And you see the cynicism of unbelievers who scoff at the idea that this new religion makes any difference at all.
So you pick up your quill and papyri and write a tribute, a collection of Peter's teachings, things you heard him say, with some light editing of your own. With the inspiration of the Spirit, you pass on Peter's teaching to Christians who are stumbling all around you. And you try to drive home a central thought: faith is not something you have; it's something you do.
Faith That Works
The purpose of faith is to let God's power and presence flow from God into your life and through your life into others. For faith to work, it must be put to work, and not just in churches and Bible studies but in boardrooms and classrooms, at kitchen tables and in police stations,
and in intimate family moments that no one else sees.
In Peter's letter, we learn about faith that makes a difference. Faith that is effective and fruitful. Faith that not only takes us to the mountaintop, giving us spiritual goose bumps and tears in our eyes, but also causes us to roll up our sleeves and return to the real world of human need. Faith that brings God's love, compassion, and truth to bear on the world around us.
To have that kind of faith-faith that works-we need to understand that (1) it depends on God's work and power, (2) it requires our trust, and (3) it results in our living it out. Let's look at each of these.
1. Faith that works depends on God's work and power. As we in California learned a few years ago during several long, statewide blackouts, you can have the best transmission lines in the world, but if energy stops coming from the source, blackouts follow. Everything starts with the power source. In the same way, all genuine virtue and change in life depend on God's work and power in our lives. In verse 3 we read, His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us (NRSV). In other words, showing and telling the Christian life is not the result of any virtue, talent, or ability of our own.
Instead, it is the public demonstration of what God has been doing in our lives since the moment he graciously gave us eternal life.
Note that "preaching the gospel with our lives" begins not with our lives but with the gospel. All effective faith must rest on and daily demonstrate our deep awareness that, left to ourselves, we would never live one effective Christ-displaying day ever. Left to ourselves, we would never seek God. Left to ourselves, we would never be transformed one bit. And all effective faith begins with that knowledge and rests and relies on God's grace and power in our lives, which leads to the second point.
2. Faith that works requires our trust. It may sound simplistic, but effective faith must be genuine trust, and genuine trust is living in complete and utter dependence on the grace and mercy of God every day. Effective faith is not about depending on God's grace for salvation and then doing the best we can on our own steam; it is faith that displays the trust we have in God's grace for our salvation by living it out. Effective faith demonstrates that we know that we have been "saved by grace through faith" (Eph. 2:8 NRSV) and then in awe-filled gratitude to God seeks to demonstrate the difference that that knowledge makes.
Second Peter 1:4 reads,
Thus he has given us . . . his precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world.
Notice that we are transformed and faith works in us "through" trusting God's promises. Only through that trusting faith do we "escape from the corruption that is in the world." Only through faith are we saved and become believers. This trusting is what makes us different from the world. No matter how much we may focus on our efforts to display the Christian life, we can't leave behind the requirement of trusting God in Christ. All attempts to teach values or character devoid of faith fall short. If we want Christianity to make a difference in the world, each person who claims to be a Christian must in fact trust Christ for salvation and live each day demonstrating the difference genuine faith in Christ makes; this takes us to our last point.
3. Faith that works results in our living it out. For some of us, all this talk about work and faith gives us the theological heebie-jeebies. Isn't faith the opposite of works? Isn't the point of faith that our efforts are worthless, that we can't really do anything? Isn't that what Ephesians 2:8-9 means when it says we are saved by faith and not by works?
I once heard Dallas Willard make a helpful comment. He said, "Grace is opposed not to effort but to earning." We cannot earn our salvation through our works, but grace does inspire us to work. It inspires us to faith filled effort.
Which brings us to the crux of this passage.
Show Time
Verse 5 includes an interesting and often confusing sentence. It reads,
You must make every effort to support your faith with goodness.
At first glance, this seems to be saying, "Do all you can to add goodness to your faith." It seems to imply that faith, pure and simple, isn't really enough. A quick read through the passage may lead us to think that effective faith is really "faith plus a whole list of virtues." But that is not what is meant by the word for support here. It is not about adding to our faith; it is about providing evidence for our faith the way a courtroom witness "supports" the truth by testifying to it. It's about expressing the genuineness of our faith by living it out.
This meaning becomes even clearer when we consider that the word for support here is a word that was used of wealthy patrons who paid for an acting troupe's costumes and equipment. Picture a troupe that has been lavishly equipped with all they need to perform. This text tells us that God outfits and equips us with goodness and all the other character qualities in the same way that a patron equips a group of actors. Then God the patron demands that we put on a show that puts to use all that he has graciously provided. In other words, we are to make every effort to put on and put to use the very character of God that he has put into our lives.
This image of a patron equipping actors to display what he has given them is the central image of the text, the key metaphor. We are to "support" the veracity and reality of the faith we have in Christ by "showing" it through increasingly virtuous character. We are not trying to earn the approval or acceptance of God by doing so, but we are to express or demonstrate to a watching world that we have been graciously accepted by God.
From beginning to end, God is the one who provides the faith, and we believers are to put that faith on display like an acting troupe puts on a performance. Paul says something similar in Philippians 2:12-13:
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Or as one of my seminary professors once put it,
We work out what God has worked in us.
One More Word about Effort
G. K. Chesterton once said, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." And maybe in the final analysis that is why faith is so often ineffective and unfruitful. We really don't try it fully. We talk a good game, we accept the grace that God has poured into our lives, but we don't really commit ourselves to living out the gospel. We want to be people of character who are respected by others, but we don't dedicate ourselves to allowing God's transforming power to work in every area of our lives-because, frankly, that takes work.
I know that all this discussion about work and effort can be discouraging. It just feels, well, tiring. And most of us have plenty of work to do. We don't want to work. We want our faith in Christ to make our lives easier, less work. But let me help you think about this differently.
Yes, developing character is difficult work, and it takes effort, but it's not labor. It's art. Throughout ancient history, there always has been a strong tie between ethics and aesthetics. Historically, what was truly beautiful was also morally good. Increasing in godly character as this passage describes is not drudgery but passionate action. It is bringing forth and putting on display the beauty of God in the way we live.
Living out our faith is like being a musician who dedicates himself to notes and scales to express the song that has captured his heart. It's like being a painter who looks intently at color and light, disciplining her hand and eye to reveal the vision in her soul. It's like being a photographer who works at making a picture not just another snapshot but a poignant moment in this world. Or even a fly-fisherman creating the beauty of a fly rod moving between twelve and two in four-four time, casting the looping line into quietly moving water.
That's what first drew me to fly-fishing. The art of it. That's why I put in the effort to learn and grow as a fisherman. I wasn't inspired by a mental picture of me standing hip-deep in cold water, swatting mosquitoes while untangling my line from a tree. I was inspired by watching a man casting into the Madison River at Yellowstone as the sun went down and a herd of bison ambled by.
It is work, but it's inspired work, artistic work. Work that expresses something of the grace of God. To borrow the words that Malcolm Muggeridge used to describe Mother Teresa, it is the process of becoming "something beautiful for God."
In the classic fly-fishing story A River Runs through It, the narrator quotes his father, a fly-fishing Presbyterian pastor: "AIl good things-trout as well as eternal salvation-come by grace, and grace comes by art and art does not come easy."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Questions to Consider
1. How do you feel when something important to you doesn't work? How do you respond?
2. Think of a time when you felt like your faith didn't work. What did you feel? What did you do?
3. With two billion professing Christians in the world, why doesn't faith make a bigger difference
in the world?
4. Reread 2 Peter 1:3-11, especially verse 8. According to this passage, what do we need to be "effective and fruitful" in our knowledge of Jesus Christ?
5. What does it mean for you to "support" your faith (v. 5)? What do you need from God? What do you need to do to respond to God's power and promises?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This article has been adapted from the book Showtime by Tod Bolsinger, published by the Baker Publishing Group.
©2004 Tod Bolsinger
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Fall Festival
Here a three pictures from Nick's Fall Festival party last Friday. The theme was on flight. We helped at a station where kids made kites. The highlight of the day was a ?U.S, Air Force Blackhawk that the kids got to sit in...
Lisa at the kite station:
Nick at lunch..Blackhawk in the background:
Up and away....
Lisa at the kite station:
Nick at lunch..Blackhawk in the background:
Up and away....
Trick or Treat
Here are some frightening trick or treaters that came to our door on Thursday night. Nick is in the middle.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Michael Stanley Anyone????
Sitting here listening to one of my favorite musical artists of my younger years, Michael Stanley. If you grew up anywhere in Northeastern Ohio in the 1980's you HAD TO know MSB! Haven't listened in quite awhile, but found the Michael Stanley "Live in Tangiers" CD last night and couldn't resist. There are some great old MSB tunes on this CD.....maybe we should go see him somewhere next summer....hmmmmmmmmm... "Thank God for the man who put the white lines on the highway"!
One final thought...
"Just as the sinner's despair of any hope from himself is the first prerequisite of a sound conversion, so the loss of all confidence in himself is the first essential in the believer's growth in grace."
Later!
One final thought...
"Just as the sinner's despair of any hope from himself is the first prerequisite of a sound conversion, so the loss of all confidence in himself is the first essential in the believer's growth in grace."
Later!
Monday, October 25, 2004
Life Is A Vapor
Found this article today...Is worth the read! As a Christian does it matter what others think of you?
Christian Counterculture Newsletter
Christian Counterculture Newsletter
Saturday, October 23, 2004
The President (Part II)
We made it back from Wooster tonight. Had a nice visit with everyone. We stayed to watch the Buckeyes game, and they actually won this week! We are on a roll! Penn State next week (they look terrible!)
Election is just a few short days away (10 or 11 I think). I'll be glad when it is finally over and we don't have to see these aweful political commercials any longer. Too bad we are in a battleground state or they may have disappeared a long time ago. I am still pulling for GWB to pull it off, and the polls are showing him with a slight lead.
One thing I am really tired of is hearing all the liberal drivel from the "Superstars" of Hollywood and music. Cher is the latest one to give her brilliant insight into the polical arena. You can read her complex insights http://www.drudgereport.com/dnccb.htm. I guess they have a right to their opinion (no matter how wrong it is), but I wish they would just keep it to themselves.
Church and a Thanksgiving dinner meeting tomorrow!
Election is just a few short days away (10 or 11 I think). I'll be glad when it is finally over and we don't have to see these aweful political commercials any longer. Too bad we are in a battleground state or they may have disappeared a long time ago. I am still pulling for GWB to pull it off, and the polls are showing him with a slight lead.
One thing I am really tired of is hearing all the liberal drivel from the "Superstars" of Hollywood and music. Cher is the latest one to give her brilliant insight into the polical arena. You can read her complex insights http://www.drudgereport.com/dnccb.htm. I guess they have a right to their opinion (no matter how wrong it is), but I wish they would just keep it to themselves.
Church and a Thanksgiving dinner meeting tomorrow!
Friday, October 22, 2004
Wooster
Haven't posted in a few days so I thought I would check in. We were serving dinner last night at the Open Shelter in downtown Columbus with some of our fellow PICPLM's (Sunday school class) at RUMC. We have done this many times, and it never ceases to amaze me how pleasant and grateful these homeless men and women are.
We are serving Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless, and for others who have no Thanksgiving meal planned, at the chuch this year. We are looking foward to serving about 400 dinners. We'll only make it with the help of God! More on this later!
We are off for a visit to Wooster this evening to visit family. We decided not to go to the OSU game tomorrow. Hopefully the Bucks can beat Indiana!!
We are serving Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless, and for others who have no Thanksgiving meal planned, at the chuch this year. We are looking foward to serving about 400 dinners. We'll only make it with the help of God! More on this later!
We are off for a visit to Wooster this evening to visit family. We decided not to go to the OSU game tomorrow. Hopefully the Bucks can beat Indiana!!
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
The President
Time to check in on the political front. I have been a Republican all of my life. I support President Bush in his re-election bid on November 2nd. I think that he is the man with the most character for the job. His religious beliefs seem to be strong and genuine. He will receive my vote.
Here is a site with a short video clip of the kind of PERSON "W" is:
http://www.ashleysstory.com/#
More Later!
Here is a site with a short video clip of the kind of PERSON "W" is:
http://www.ashleysstory.com/#
More Later!
Saturday, October 16, 2004
My Father's Hands :: DEEPERDEVOTION.COM :: Grow Down
My Father's Hands :: DEEPERDEVOTION.COM :: Grow Down
Here is a great article that I ran onto tonght. Some great advice when worry takes over...
Devotions: My Father's Hands
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Glenn Ansley
Matthew 6:27
And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
We all have difficult situations in life that must be dealt with. The problem is that so few of us regularly turn to Christ when these situations present themselves. We think that if we could just focus on our problems we would be able to work them out all on our own. The dilemma with concentrating so hard on these problems is that when we are preoccupied with them, our focus is no longer on the Lord. I find this to be a vicious cycle. The longer we stress over our own problems, the longer we ignore the Lord. Furthermore, the longer we ignore the Lord, the larger our problems will become.
How are you doing this week? Have you found yourself worrying about what tomorrow may bring? Do you have an exam coming up at school, a difficult relationship with your parents, or some other source of stress? How much time do you spend focusing on this situation? Imagine what would happen if you could stop worrying? Why not take your eyes off of the problem and look towards Jesus. Can you see Him? My guess is that His arms are wide open. His eyes wait in anticipation to make contact with yours. Let Him love you. He longs to help you through your situation. He is speaking to you if you would listen. “Seek after Me and know My kingdom first, then everything else will fall into place.” Do you hear Him?
The last thing the Lord wants is for your day to be long and stressful. There is good news in knowing this. The good news is that He can help you if you desire. He holds the universe in the palms of His hands. If you ask me I would say those are some large hands. Christ says to “Cast all your cares upon Him.” He will gladly take them. If this whole universe can fit in the palm of our Lord’s hand, He must be able to handle ANY problem that comes our way. How fast our worries must disappear in those large, loving hands. Will you trust the Lord in all your situations, or just the good ones? Ask God to give you wisdom and discernment as you go through your day?
“Cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you.”
Here is a great article that I ran onto tonght. Some great advice when worry takes over...
Devotions: My Father's Hands
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Glenn Ansley
Matthew 6:27
And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
We all have difficult situations in life that must be dealt with. The problem is that so few of us regularly turn to Christ when these situations present themselves. We think that if we could just focus on our problems we would be able to work them out all on our own. The dilemma with concentrating so hard on these problems is that when we are preoccupied with them, our focus is no longer on the Lord. I find this to be a vicious cycle. The longer we stress over our own problems, the longer we ignore the Lord. Furthermore, the longer we ignore the Lord, the larger our problems will become.
How are you doing this week? Have you found yourself worrying about what tomorrow may bring? Do you have an exam coming up at school, a difficult relationship with your parents, or some other source of stress? How much time do you spend focusing on this situation? Imagine what would happen if you could stop worrying? Why not take your eyes off of the problem and look towards Jesus. Can you see Him? My guess is that His arms are wide open. His eyes wait in anticipation to make contact with yours. Let Him love you. He longs to help you through your situation. He is speaking to you if you would listen. “Seek after Me and know My kingdom first, then everything else will fall into place.” Do you hear Him?
The last thing the Lord wants is for your day to be long and stressful. There is good news in knowing this. The good news is that He can help you if you desire. He holds the universe in the palms of His hands. If you ask me I would say those are some large hands. Christ says to “Cast all your cares upon Him.” He will gladly take them. If this whole universe can fit in the palm of our Lord’s hand, He must be able to handle ANY problem that comes our way. How fast our worries must disappear in those large, loving hands. Will you trust the Lord in all your situations, or just the good ones? Ask God to give you wisdom and discernment as you go through your day?
“Cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you.”
What's Up With The Buckeyes?
Sitting here watching OSU get pounded by the Iowa Hawkeyes. Third quarter and we are down 30 - 0 ??? (READ THAT AGAIN!!) Zwick is on the bench and Smith is looking just as bad (or worse). We haven't been shut out in 11 years! Looks like we will lose the first three big ten games since the mid 1980's. Offense looks bad...defense looks bad...it might be a long year folks! Hard telling how bad this one will be by the end.
Thinking of selling my tickets to the OSU - Michigan game. Sure could use the $700.00 that the pair would bring (especially if I have to see that team up North beat my Bucks at home). Michigan pulled another one off today. Not looking forward to going to work and facing the two U of M fans after this weekend!
Don't worry Bucks...I'll be a fan to the end!
Thinking of selling my tickets to the OSU - Michigan game. Sure could use the $700.00 that the pair would bring (especially if I have to see that team up North beat my Bucks at home). Michigan pulled another one off today. Not looking forward to going to work and facing the two U of M fans after this weekend!
Don't worry Bucks...I'll be a fan to the end!
Friday, October 15, 2004
The cult of Ken Jennings (kottke.org)
The cult of Ken Jennings (kottke.org)
This is a great article about that Jeopardy phenomenon Ken Jennings. I've kind of watched him off and on for the last couple of months and he just keeps winning and winning..and winning... There is a rumor out that he losses sometime around show 75 after winning over $2.5M. however no one connected with the show or the network will confirm. Never-the-less, Jenning's knowledge on a very broad set of topics never ceases to amaze me. When will the streak end? Guess we will have to stay tuned!
This is a great article about that Jeopardy phenomenon Ken Jennings. I've kind of watched him off and on for the last couple of months and he just keeps winning and winning..and winning... There is a rumor out that he losses sometime around show 75 after winning over $2.5M. however no one connected with the show or the network will confirm. Never-the-less, Jenning's knowledge on a very broad set of topics never ceases to amaze me. When will the streak end? Guess we will have to stay tuned!
Thursday, October 14, 2004
It's Thursday...Home Again
Back home! Hopefully for awhile. The Ontario trip was a good one. I think that we have decided where to stay, where to hold the meeting sessions, etc. I think the LP group will appreciate the site. Now we just have to keep it under wraps for a few months!
Here is a pic I took from the Skylon tower of the falls yesterday morning:
Canada is such a clean country. It never ceases to amaze me how you just don't see the trash and dirt in major urban areas like we have in the states. Wouldn't want to live there, but it is a great place to visit!
Hope to ride the bike this weekend if the weather cooperates. Supposed to be in the 50's Saturday and Sunday. Need to get to my 500 mile goal before time runs out!
Here is a pic I took from the Skylon tower of the falls yesterday morning:
Canada is such a clean country. It never ceases to amaze me how you just don't see the trash and dirt in major urban areas like we have in the states. Wouldn't want to live there, but it is a great place to visit!
Hope to ride the bike this weekend if the weather cooperates. Supposed to be in the 50's Saturday and Sunday. Need to get to my 500 mile goal before time runs out!
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
On the Road Again
On the road again! Sixth flight in as many weeks. Out on a mission for the next two days to determine where next year's national meeting will be held. We are in Niagara Falls, Ontario tonight scouting out hotels, meeting rooms, restaurants, etc. Sounds like a great time but I really wish I was at home. It seems I've seen about every airport in the US in the last two months or so. The falls are beautiful. We are on the 17th floor of the Renaissance Fallsview Hotel.
Before I forget to mention it - the ladie's Emmaus walk went very well. We got some good press on 104.9 the following day from Tracy...she couldn't stop talking about her experience. Hopefully more people will decide to check out the Emmaus walk....definately a life changing experience fro those of us that have attended. We are certainly happy that Tracy, and all of the ladies on this walk, had a great experience with our Lord Jesus Christ!
Before I forget to mention it - the ladie's Emmaus walk went very well. We got some good press on 104.9 the following day from Tracy...she couldn't stop talking about her experience. Hopefully more people will decide to check out the Emmaus walk....definately a life changing experience fro those of us that have attended. We are certainly happy that Tracy, and all of the ladies on this walk, had a great experience with our Lord Jesus Christ!
Saturday, October 09, 2004
Got The Short Straw?
Tried to post this last Sunday night but something happened to the post. We went to the RUMC Seven16 service last Sunday and the message was very good. As a reminder, if you want more information about this service you can go to http://www.seven16.com. Woody's message was basically that we have all drawn the "short straw" and deserve death. There was only one perfect man, Jesus Christ. He is the only one who drew the "long straw". He gave it all up for us so that we are assured the promise of everlasting life. Everyone received a "short straw" as they arrived for the service.
This service to really great for the younger crowd! Come out and join us for a coffee, great contemporary worship music, and a great message! The service is held each Sunday night at 7:16pm! Click the link above for directions, etc!
This service to really great for the younger crowd! Come out and join us for a coffee, great contemporary worship music, and a great message! The service is held each Sunday night at 7:16pm! Click the link above for directions, etc!
Friday, October 08, 2004
What A Week!
Been out of town all week for a meeting and completion of an internal investigation for work! Returned today. Should have been home last night but was stranded in Atlanta due to missing our connection on Delta. They put us up in a Red Roof INN last night and we got the first flight back this morning. Haven't had time to write a post as we basically were working late each night. Anyway...good to be home today.
The ladies Emmaus walk is underway. We will be going to candlelight on Saturday, and will be cooking on Sunday morning. Not sure about closing at this point. Should be another great walk!
Buckeyes will take on the Cheese Heads tomorrow in "The Shoe". GO BUCKS!!! Let's get back on the winning track after our unbelievable loss to Northwestern last Saturday.
The ladies Emmaus walk is underway. We will be going to candlelight on Saturday, and will be cooking on Sunday morning. Not sure about closing at this point. Should be another great walk!
Buckeyes will take on the Cheese Heads tomorrow in "The Shoe". GO BUCKS!!! Let's get back on the winning track after our unbelievable loss to Northwestern last Saturday.
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Men's Emmaus A Success
Reynoldsburg Men's Emmaus walk #46 came to a close this evening, and it appeared to be a success! Despite a language barrier it seems that the Haitian men were touched by the Holy Spirit this weekend. The Emmaus experience transcends all barriers and is truly blessed by Christ. We attended candlelight on Saturday night, cooked lunch for the men today, and attended closing tonight. After all that went on we were too tired for sharegroup tonight! The women's walk is happening next weekend, with the wives of the Haitian men from this week's walk participating next week. Tracy from 104.9 "The River" will be in next weekend's walk as well. The Reynoldsburg Emmaus Community is truly on fire for Christ!
The evening closed with the Seven16 service at RUMC. This is a more contemporary service for the younger to 40 (or so) crowd. Free coffee, great music and a timely message. Pastor Woody did his usual superb job tonight at Seven16. The theme was that we have all drawn the "short straw" and deserve death, but Christ (the only one to draw the "long straw") instead gave his life for us...so that we could have the promise of eternal life! If you want more information about the Seven16 service you can go here: http://www.seven16.com/ . We certainly would be glad to see you there!
The evening closed with the Seven16 service at RUMC. This is a more contemporary service for the younger to 40 (or so) crowd. Free coffee, great music and a timely message. Pastor Woody did his usual superb job tonight at Seven16. The theme was that we have all drawn the "short straw" and deserve death, but Christ (the only one to draw the "long straw") instead gave his life for us...so that we could have the promise of eternal life! If you want more information about the Seven16 service you can go here: http://www.seven16.com/ . We certainly would be glad to see you there!
Friday, October 01, 2004
Emmaus Weekend
Men's Emmaus walk #46 started last night at my church. For those of you that don't know what the Emmaus experience is all about you can go here: http://www.rumc.org/emmaus/index.html . This is the link to the Reynoldsburg Emmaus Community web page and there is a link there to the Upper Room Emmaus page. The Emmaus weekend is a spiritual walk with God that is absolutely life changing for most of us that have experienced it! This weekend (and the women's walk next weekend) are extra special due to the fact that we have five Haitian couples participating. They will be taking the Emmaus program back with them to their country. We will be going to a candlelight service tomorrow that promises to be fantastic. Also notable is that one of my share partners is on team for this weekend. More soon..
DeColores! Reynoldsburg Men's Walk To Emmaus #43, Table of John.
DeColores! Reynoldsburg Men's Walk To Emmaus #43, Table of John.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Bible Verse Generator
Here is a cool little Bible verse generator that I ran across. Check it out!
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Rafting Pictures Are In!
The pictures have arrived from our group rafting outing at work. We ran the Zoar Gap on the Deerfield River in Northern Mass on September 8th, 2004. The picture here is the one and only class 3 rapid that we encountered. We had a great day despite a bit of clouds and rain. I can testify that the water was COLD!! If you want to check out the Zoar Outdoor web page you can find them at: http://www.zoaroutdoor.com/deerfieldriverrafting.htm The best part of the trip was that we were so far out of civilization that there were was no cell phone coverage all day. It was really funny to here everyone's voicemails start coming in as soon as we neared North Adams, MA, which is where we stayed.
This is a picture of my raft. We had three rafts total on the river that day. I may post some more of these later if time permits.
This is a picture of my raft. We had three rafts total on the river that day. I may post some more of these later if time permits.
Monday, September 27, 2004
Cycling
Cycling has been going well recently. My goal is to ride 500 miles before the end of the year and it looks like that should happen in the next week of so. I didn't really get serious about riding this summer til June or so. I track my miles at http://www.bikejournal.com Its a great resource to track miles, rides, etc. You also post information about the bikes you ride. I ride three (a new Gary Fisher Marlin mountain bike, a EZ Racers recumbent tandem, and an old Trek 1100 that I bought in 1990). Legs are feeling good right now, and it appears that my achilles problems are gone (atleast for now!).
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Amanda And Brittany
Here are two of our favorite girls. Our daughter Amanda holding Brittany (an Italian Greyhound).
Back From Vail
We survived the annual leader's meeting in Beaver Creek/Vail Colorado. The weather was cold (20's at night). Was glad to be home where the weather was in the 80's. Here are a couple of pics from Beaver Creek. The first is a shot behind the hotel where there were a bunch of retail shops, etc. The other is a shot taken from the chair lift heading to Spruce Saddle.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Where's The Oxygen???
I am at our companies annual meeting in Beaver Creek, Colorado (altitude around 10,000 ft). It's beautiful here (the image you see is taken from my room. The golden trees are Aspens) but there is no oxygen. Ran up a flight of stairs and was gasping for breath! Guess I won't be riding the exercise bike tonight. Wish the family was here!!! Miss you guys!! Will be here all week...leaving Friday.
Monday, September 20, 2004
Grace Like Rain
One of the most important relationships in my life is my relationship with Jesus Christ. It is Jesus that gives me hope, focuses me on what is important, and gives my life purpose. The saving grace of Jesus Christ is the best present that anyone could ask for.
Here are the lyrics from a new song (kind of a remake of Amazing Grace) by Todd Agnew that I think sums up the Grace issue. All you need to do is believe in Him, repent of your sin, and ask Him into your heart and he will be your savior. It's great to stand in the rain!
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found Was blind but now I see so clearly
Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed
When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing Your praise Than when we first begun
Here are the lyrics from a new song (kind of a remake of Amazing Grace) by Todd Agnew that I think sums up the Grace issue. All you need to do is believe in Him, repent of your sin, and ask Him into your heart and he will be your savior. It's great to stand in the rain!
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found Was blind but now I see so clearly
Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed
When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing Your praise Than when we first begun
Friday, September 17, 2004
We Meet Rick Nash
Here is a pic of my son Nick (on right) having a helmet signed by Columbus Bluejacket's winger Rick Nash. This signing was held for PSL holders at Nationwide Arena. Rick is my son's favorite player. This is probably as much of Rick as we will see this year depending on how the NHL labor issue is settled!
Thursday, September 16, 2004
OSU Game
Thought I'd show you a view from my seat at the Shoe...Gate 25, Section AA, Row 8. This was the OSU vs. Cincinnati game on 9/4/04...
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