Mile Markers

What tangible things do you have that remind you of a meaningful event in your life? Maybe it's a photo album of your wedding. Maybe it's a very significant letter or email that someone sent you to encourage you. We all keep some sort of reminders to keep certain events real and fresh in our memory. 

God has always given certain mile markers to His people to help them remember. He had the Israelites write things down (Ex 17:14), learn songs (Deut 31:19), wear special tassels (Num 15:39), erect altars (Josh 4:4-7), and observe special feasts (Ex 12). He gave us the Lord’s Supper so that every time we share in it, we remember that Jesus died for us, rose again, and is coming again. He gave us baptism so that we can always go back to a physical event when we were buried with Christ and born again into His family.

I will confess that I have been struggling recently with a certain mile marker that I am very privileged to have. I even found myself almost wishing it never happened –that maybe it was a mistake. But none of this thinking can change the fact that this mile marker was set up, it happened, and it marks who I am. No one can change it, wish it didn’t happen, or make it disappear. I have audio and video recordings, photographs, and a signed certificate as physical reminders of it so I know it was real and I can always go back to revisit it.

I was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ last June. Unfortunately, this important mile marker was quickly followed up by the ending of a ministry assignment when we moved to Colorado. That change has now been followed up by nearly six months of frustration, discouragement, and lots of "no" while trying to discern where God has planned for me to serve Him in ministry here. So I started thinking that maybe being ordained was a mistake. Maybe it should never have happened. It was supposed to be a mile marker, not a dead-end sign. Or maybe it was a gift to help solidify what I have been called to, to give me strength in the wilderness -- a gift given at just the right time. 

If I did not have this mile marker to look back on, it would be so much easier to just quit, to give up in the midst of my frustration and travel a different pathway –to just forget the past few years ever happened and go back to an office job and just attend church on Sundays. It would be so much easier. But the fact is, this mile marker did happen. I was ordained into ministry – I have been set apart for service to God. This stake was driven into the ground at just the right time so that in my time of frustration and discouragement, I would have it to look back on in order to help me remember who I am and what I am called and set apart to be.

Thank you so much to all who participated in or were present for the ordination service --to all who made this mile marker possible. Yesterday, I went back to that mile marker. I listened to the recording of the charge into ministry that was given to me, and I was reminded of a few things:

• “God’s timing is always perfect…You have been called by God”
• There will be seasons of fatigue, weariness, and discouragement, but keep your focus on the goal. Go back to the day you were officially set apart. Listen to the charge and to the words of encouragement.
• “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal 6:9 NIV).
• “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58 NIV).
• You are not here by accident – it is all part of God’s grand design. God orchestrates events we don’t understand.
• Remember today, June 8, 2014, the day you were officially set apart as a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I hope that this can be a call for all of us to look back on our mile markers to remember who we are and whose we are, and to know that God has created each of us to do good things for Him, things He has planned long ago (Eph 2:10), whether or not we can see them right now. 

Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to pray, knock on doors, ask, and search for what God’s plan for me in Colorado is. Pray that I will stay strong and courageous and not give up, and please let me know if there is any way I can pray for you and for your faithfulness to the mission to which God has called you.

A Surprising Pearl

Have you ever been surprised by Scripture? I was recently surprised by a connection I saw between a passage in 1 Peter and a very short, very familiar parable Jesus told that is recorded in Matthew.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matt 13:45-46 NIV)

Jesus does not directly explain or interpret this parable like He does with some of the others, so there is a bit of wiggle room for interpretation. I have always been taught that this parable teaches about our need to sacrifice everything for the great worth we find in Jesus and the Kingdom of God. The Faithlife Study Bible notes on this parable say that in this parable, “Jesus exhorts His hearers to do whatever it takes to enter [the Kingdom of God].” The Holman Concise Bible Commentary says that in this parable, Jesus describes “the inestimable value of the kingdom and the need to sacrifice whatever it takes to enter it.” While this is true, I now wonder if this is the best interpretation of this story.

I was studying a passage in 1 Peter recently when this parable and a completely different interpretation of it came to mind. Keep the parable in the back of your mind as you read the following verse:

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Pet 1:18-19 NIV).

Read how it is translated in The Voice:

“You know that a price was paid to redeem you from following the empty ways handed on to you by your ancestors; it was not paid with things that perish (like silver or gold), but with the precious blood of the Anointed, who was like a perfect and unblemished sacrificial lamb” (1 Pet 1:18-19 VOI).

Is it possible that we have been looking at this parable backwards? Did we seek Jesus out or did He seek us out? Paul says that  “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8 NIV). He sought us out like the merchant sought out the pearl. And we did not purchase anything. He purchased us with the highest possible price – His life and His blood. I believe a better interpretation of this parable is that Jesus is the merchant who gave everything to purchase you and to purchase me –the church, His bride, His costly pearl purchased with His precious blood.

Warren Wiersbe is one commentator who shares this interpretation of this short parable. He says: “The pearl represents the church…Unlike most other gems, the pearl is a unity –it cannot be carved like a diamond or emerald. The church is a unity (Eph 4:4-6), even though the professing church on earth is divided…[Christ] sold all that He had to purchase His church, and nothing Satan can do will cause Him to fail. There is but one church, a pearl of great price, though there are many local churches…all true believers ought to identify with a local assembly where they can worship and serve.”

This Sunday, when you are gathered with your church family where you have an opportunity to encourage each other, and to celebrate together who God is and what He has done for you, think about the price Jesus paid for you as well as for the brother or sister next to you or across the aisle --- the price He paid for your church family. Be thankful that you are a part of such a costly and precious pearl.

In Season

What is your favorite season of the year? Maybe it's winter, when everything is blanketed with pure white, glistening snow and all the trees are bare. Maybe it's spring, when the air begins to warm after an icy cold winter and new green leaves are budding and beautiful flowers are beginning to bloom. Maybe it’s summer, when the kids are out of school, the days tend to grow lazy, and perhaps you get to head to the beach for a family vacation. I think maybe my favorite is fall, when there’s a crisp, refreshing chill in the air after a long hot summer and the leaves of the trees turn beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and red. Texas never has much fall color, so this is something I am looking forward to seeing in Colorado. Even though I arrived here too late last fall to see the fall color, I don't have to worry because I know that fall will come again.

We all know that it doesn't stay one season forever. In the midst of freezing, arctic cold days, we have hope that spring will come and the air will grow warm again. And in the midst of blistering hot summers, we have hope that fall will come and the air will grow cool and pleasant again. All of nature was created to flow in a continuous cycle of warmth and cold, of growth and rest --and not just the weather and the trees.The psalmist talks about seasons for us as well. 

Psalm 1 describes a person who strives to avoid evil and who meditates on God’s Word day and night. That person “is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither”  (Ps 1:3 HCSB). He doesn't bear fruit constantly? Jesus says something like this in John 15. He says that we are to remain in Him (avoid evil influences and meditate on God’s Word day and night like in Psalm 1) so that we will bear fruit. Do you think He expects us to constantly bear fruit, or to remain in Him regardless of life circumstances, and experience the cyclical nature of life and growth, including seasons of rest and barrenness, seasons of growth, and seasons of bearing fruit? All must be done in season. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens" (Ecc 3:1 NIV). 

We can feel so completely useless during a pruning or resting season when we are not actively bearing fruit, but when we look at a bare tree in the winter, do we think it is useless because it is not currently loaded with fruit? Of course not! We know that the tree is currently resting and dormant, and that it must be in the proper point in the cycle of seasons in order to bear fruit as it is created to do.

When we think of “seasons of life,” we generally tend to think about spring as childhood, winter as old age, and summer and fall as the years in between. However, if we saw a tree that survived only one cycle of the seasons, we would not think that it had lived a full, productive life, nor would it have the opportunity to bear all the fruit it could have. When a tree receives a supply of water, the required nutrition and sunlight, it goes through repeated cycles of growing, bearing fruit, and resting. We do the same throughout our spiritual lives. As long as we remain in Jesus, remain planted by the Living Water (John 4:10-13), nourished by Scripture, prayer, and by doing God’s will (John 4:32-34), and if we allow Him to prune us (John 15:2), then like the tree, we will also go through seasons of life and growth –of resting and bearing fruit.

The good news is that if you are in a season you do not like, the weather will change soon. No season lasts forever. It may be winter, but spring is coming.

What are we searching for the most?

I think most of us find ourselves searching for something better at different times throughout our lives. We might be seeking a better job…more money…a bigger house…a newer car… a vacation…more friends…a better marriage…better-behaved children. Or we might be actively seeking something less tangible like peace… strength… courage… significance… affirmation. God knows what we need. Are these the things we should be spending the majority of our time and energy seeking? Jesus said, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find” (Matt 7:7a NLT), but what is it He is telling us to seek? All the things we tend to chase?  

In John 6, Jesus chastises the crowds who pursued Him only for the physical blessings He was able to provide. He said, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you” (John 6:26-27 NLT). He then tells them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me” (John 6:35-36 NLT). Like the crowds He addressed, we should be seeking Him rather than a few pieces of bread and fish.

Our God is not in hiding; we will find Him if we look for Him. Moses reminded the Israelites that “you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut 4:29 NIV). Through the prophet Jeremiah, God promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you” (Jer 29:13-14a NIV).  David reminded his son Solomon to serve the Lord “with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you” (1 Chron 28:9 NIV).

Not only does the Lord reveal Himself to those who seek after Him, but He rewards them as well! The writer of Hebrews says that God “rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb 11:6 NIV), that is, those who seek Him with all their heart. If we “earnestly seek” things and possessions, we may or may not get what we were seeking. If we “earnestly seek” God, we will always find what we were seeking. We will have a relationship with, and experience the presence of, the King and Creator of everything, who chooses to reward those who seek Him with all kinds of blessings.

What would our lives look like if we sought after God earnestly…diligently…with all our heart and with all our soul? What if we all strove to live out the psalmist’s words, “Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him” (Psalm 105:4 NLT). What would our churches look like if we all did this? What would the world look like if all our churches did this? Let us all cry out to the Lord, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.” (Ps 27:8 NIV).

Who Do We Really Follow?

Many of us call ourselves Christians, Christ-Followers, disciples and/or followers of Jesus, but what does that really mean and what does it look like? Does it just mean we “go to church” every Sunday, try to watch our language around others, and oppose things like abortion and gay marriage? Being a Christ-Follower should mean that we strive to emulate Jesus' character and adhere to His teachings and practices, but how well do we really do this? If we read through the gospels, can we say that our behavior and our attitudes truly reflect Jesus, or do we more accurately reflect those who openly opposed him?

A recent Newsweek article cited a 2012 Barna study stating that many “evangelicals accepted the attitudes and beliefs of the Pharisees –religious leaders depicted throughout the New Testament as opposing Christ and his message – more than they accepted the teachings of Jesus.” The writer of the article says the Bible “has been abused by people who claim to revere it but don’t read it, in the process creating misery for others.” In his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancy asks, “How did Jesus, the only perfect person in history, manage to attract the notoriously imperfect? And what keeps us from following in his steps today?” (pg. 148). I think it’s worth a look to determine whom it is that we look more like and whom we are actually following.

Jesus Himself said the Pharisees were extremely righteous (Matt 5:20), but He also warned His followers not to imitate them and their practices (Matt 23:3). The  Pharisees:

•      …did not practice what they taught (Matt 23:3).

•      …were very focused on external works, and criticized others who did not do things the same way they did  (Matt 9:14; Acts 15:5).

•      …held tightly to their traditions, even elevating them above the commands of God (Matt 15:1-3).

•      …were highly offended rather than repentant when Jesus told them the contents of their hearts made them unclean (Matt 15:12; 21:45).

•      …were critical of true followers of Jesus, and they fought and argued with other factions and sects (Matt 12:2; Acts 23:7).

•      …asked Jesus questions, not for information or to better themselves, but to test Him and try to trip Him up (Matt 22:41-45).

•      …did not acknowledge that God’s way was right, and they rejected God’s purpose for themselves (Luke 7:29-30).

•      …were considered by Jesus to be a dangerous influence to be avoided (Matt 16:6, 11-12).

•      …criticized Jesus for reaching out to and associating with “tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 5:30).

•      …pray only to be seen and heard by others (Matt 6:5).

This is a very frightening list. How often to we exhibit these attitudes and actions rather than those of Jesus? It is so much easier to follow the Pharisees than it is to “deny [ourselves] and take up [our] cross daily and follow [Jesus]” (Luke 9:23 NIV). To follow Jesus, we should ask ourselves: Do we have compassion on people? Are we willing to associate with the undesirables of society and known sinners? Are we willing to love others and elevate the opportunity to serve and to do good above our rules and traditions? Are we willing forgive rather than condemn and point others to Jesus and help them to follow Him?

May we all do a better job of following Jesus’ attitudes of love, compassion, and forgiveness rather than the Pharisees’ attitudes of condescension, condemnation, and criticism.