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Salvation Work

October 8, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Bunting

I’m not really feeling like myself today. I think I’m just going to work through lunch, or as long as I’m able, and then cut out of here at about 2:30pm.

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JesusHealsWomanOur Lord Jesus goes out of his way in the Gospels to take care of the poor and the sick, the lonely and the depressed. He reaches out to feed the hungry and homeless, to restore dignity to aliens and slaves. He talks to the abused and marginalized and downtrodden. He heals the blind and lame and deaf. And none of this is extra. This is not add-on work to his task of bringing salvation from God to the ends of the earth.

This is his salvation work.

The people saw Jesus saving people from hunger and sickness and they hear him preaching about ultimate salvation in the future with God, but nobody thought the two things were unrelated. Jesus’ defense of tax collectors and sinners was not just a visual aid that pointed to someday in eternity. His healings were not just clever stunts to get more publicity for his message about salvation. What Jesus was doing up close in the present was exactly what God was promising long-term in the future. Same thing.

Jairus begs Jesus (Mark 5:21-43), “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be saved and live.” Your translation may say “healed.” The Greek word there is so-they: saved. As Jesus is on his way to do just that, a woman with a bleeding issue says, “If I just touch his clothes I will be saved (so-they).” She reaches out to Jesus and he says, “Daughter, your faith has saved (so-they) you. Go in peace.” The way Matthew tells this story, the woman was saved from that moment on. And there are dozens of these all throughout the Gospels. You see the same kind of stuff in Acts with the early church. Salvation and healing, healing and salvation. Being made whole and salvation. Being made right and salvation. Synonymous. Interchangeable. Same thing.

The future rescue that God has promised, the ultimate perfection has started to come true in the present. With the coming of Jesus, the new creation has begun. It’s happening right now all around us. And we’re called to get in on it.

What you do right now matters. What you do today is critically important. Painting a house, preaching a sermon, singing at the nursing home, praying for missionaries, digging wells, attending funerals, taking a mission trip to Africa, loving your neighbor across the street. What you do today is bringing salvation to people in your immediate context and to the ends of the earth. It’s not in addition to salvation, it’s a paramount part of salvation! What you do today is a participation in God’s eternal future. The salvation you bring to someone today is promised by God to last through all eternity. We’re all working for the mission, we’re building for the Kingdom — it’s all salvation work. These are all salvation issues. And God promises to use our salvation efforts today toward his divine purposes and to his everlasting glory and praise.

Peace,

Allan

Do Something

October 7, 2015 / / 0 Comments

I was reminded last night that Rangers fans should not ever taunt Yankees fans under any circumstances. Following the Astros’ complete shutdown of New York in the AL Wildcard game last night, I texted our resident Yankees fan, Tim McMenamy, a snarky question: “Are the Yankees in the playoffs?”

His reply: “Not anymore. Maybe the Rangers can get their FIRST title now.”

It occurs to me that Texas could win this year’s World Series and every World Series every year in a row from now until I’m 75 and they still won’t have as many titles as New York. Thank you.

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ServantJesusFeeding“Master, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.” ~Matthew 25:24-25

The three servants in this familiar story are told by the Master to do something. They are not told to do something bigger than everyone else. The Master doesn’t say do something better, do something higher, do something spectacular, do something amazing, do something that will change the world. The Master just says, “Do something.”

And the third servant is paralyzed. He’s afraid. He’s afraid of messing up, afraid of losing what he had been given, afraid of getting it wrong. He was scared of making a mistake, making somebody mad, ticking off his Master. The story tells us that, yes, this third servant was punished. He lost his job, his home, his family — everything.

And it’s a great story. It really is. Millions of terrific sermons have been preached from this story. But Jesus didn’t tell it exactly right. He didn’t close up all the loopholes. His story doesn’t answer all the questions.

Don’t you wish I had written the Bible?

I wish Jesus had added one more character to this story. What if another five talent guy had tried really hard? He had given it all he had, he had worked really hard, he had worked his rear end off, but he wound up losing all five talents. He didn’t bury it, he didn’t sit on it. He worked really hard. He tried. But he lost it. The servant’s plans didn’t pan out.

Would the Master have punished him or rewarded him?

Two of the servants get busy immediately, working hard for their Master. One servant decides to do nothing because he’s afraid. Where is that fourth servant?

Could it be that working for the mission of God and nothing happening doesn’t exist? Could it be that giving your time and energy and money and effort toward God’s mission and then losing everything is an impossibility? That’s why the scenario isn’t in the story. Because it’s not possible. The concept, the very idea, of giving something to God and nothing happening is impossible. Our God says do something. And then he promises that whatever we do, if it’s to his glory and toward his salvation purposes, if it’s offered in faith and trust in the name and manner of Jesus, he will use it. He will multiply it. He will enhance it and perfect it and it will bring an eternal Kingdom return!

The third servant who just sat on his gift did not know his Master.

You’re hard. You’re unfair. You’re mean. You take what’s not yours. You’re a big bully. I was afraid.

He didn’t know his Master. But we do. We know our Master is gracious and kind. He is loving and merciful. We know he died for us. He died. For us. He had proven he will always have our best interests at heart and that there’s nothing he won’t do to save us and live with us forever. Nothing. He loves you. He died for you. That’s our Master.

So we act in faith that our God who calls us to work boldly and courageously for him also promises that if and when we mess up in enthusiastic service to our King, we will find grace and mercy, forgiveness and salvation.

The Christian life is a working life. Our God calls us to give ourselves to him and to his work. Brakes off, no looking back, full steam ahead. He’s not going to punish us when we faithfully pursue his purpose and maybe mess something up. Actually, God really enjoys doing super cool things with our mess-ups.

Peace,

Allan

 

God’s Perfect Presence

October 3, 2015 / / 0 Comments

NewRecreation

“I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'” ~Revelation 21:3

What really makes the New Creation “new” is the immediate presence of God. In Act Six of the Story of God, the perfect presence of the Creator fills all the earth with his radiant glory. God with us. Finally. Face to face with the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Finally. When all evil is destroyed, when God’s Kingdom arrives in its fullness, God’s holy throne comes down here. God finally does what he’s promised to do all along: He makes his dwelling with us. He lives with us.

“They will see his face.” ~Revelation 22:4

Imagine life in the physical, visible, intense presence of God. No more fear. No more guessing. No more doubt. This is life in the fullest sense of the word, eternal life joined together with its eternal source. All sorrow and suffering, pain and death, are banished forever in God’s presence. And God himself “will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Isaiah predicted this. John sees it happen. God will wipe every tear from their eyes. How could you ever more vividly depict the love of God for his people?

How does the Story end? This is exactly how it ends.

“These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” ~Revelation 22:6

Icon6It’s going to happen. This perfect ending to the Story of God is coming. And this final act peppers us repeatedly with instructions in light of the certainty of God’s Perfected Kingdom: keep these words, do these words, don’t add to this, don’t take away from this, keep your robes washed and clean, because Christ is coming. These words and images are intended to inspire us and thrill us; they’re supposed to teach us and assure us. But this is also an invitation. This last part of the Story begs us to get into it. This is a call to discipleship because of it. This is an invitation to join the Story, to jump into the Story, to set your GPS on “New Creation” and go to it!

Act Six gives all of us a great hope. And, by hope, I want to very clear on this: I mean knowing that what our God has started, he will finish. What our God has promised, he will deliver. Our faithful God is bringing this whole thing to completion.

“Behold! I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” ~Revelation 22:12-14

Our hope is not about wishing this true. It’s knowing how the Story turns out.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

God in Christ will take his people to himself. He will. God will bring us to himself, he will take us in with him, and he will live with us. Act Six will never end. God’s Story will never end. Your story will never end.

This is what we believe. This is why we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” ~Revelation 22:20

Peace,

Allan

 

Magic Number: 1

October 2, 2015 / / 0 Comments

ElvisAndrus1The Rangers clinched a postseason berth with last night’s win over the Angels and the magic number is down to “1” for their sixth division title in franchise history. Texas needs one more win or an Astros loss to take the A.L. West. The worst team in the entire league last year is now on the brink of a division championship. I don’t know how Jeff Banister doesn’t win AL Manager of the Year. What a turnaround, not only from last season, but from that horrible 7-14 April!

Never ever quit? That hokey little phrase apparently means something.

Martin Perez faces Jared Weaver at the Ballpark tonight. When it’s over, Whitney and I won’t drive immediately to the Academy here in Amarillo as we did in 2010. As we learned here in 2011, it takes about two weeks to get the championship T-shirts way up here. Again, living in Amarillo is like almost living in Texas.

Go, Rangers.

Allan

It Is Done

October 1, 2015 / / 0 Comments

The magic number is two. If the Rangers win two of the four games against the Angels in the final regular season series that begins tonight in Arlington, they’ll win their first division title since 2011. They’ll also clinch the championship if they win only one and the Astros lose at least one of their three games in Arizona starting tomorrow.

This won’t be easy. The Halos are 10-5 against Texas this year. And, remember, Texas led the A.L. West by two games with four to play in 2012 and blew it, going 1-3 against Oakland and losing the division on the last day of the season.

The good news may be that LAA got seven of those ten wins against the Rangers before the All Star break. Texas was throwing guys like Ross Detwiler, Nick Martinez, Anthony Ranaudo, and Wandy Rodriguez at the Angels during the first half. Since then, the Rangers have added Derek Holland, Cole Hamels, Martin Perez, Jake Diekman, and Sam Dyson to the pitching staff and have gone 3-3 against the Halos. Colby Lewis is the only starter from the first half of the season who is still in the team’s rotation. And, if this thing is still undecided by Sunday, Texas will have Hamels up and ready against a team that’s never faced him.

Four games to play. The magic number is two.

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World2-ArtAct Six of the Story of God is not about getting a person’s individual sins forgiven so we can go to heaven when we die. Yes, that’s a very important means of God’s salvation, but that’s not the final end. That’s not the ultimate purpose. God is putting the whole world right. He’s renewing and restoring all of Creation. This is not salvation from the world; this is salvation of the world! Not just personal forgiveness and peace; this is justice and shalom/peace for the whole world. Not individual souls going to heaven; it’s the fullness of God coming here. The risen and reigning Jesus showed it to John. And he wants us to see it, too.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.'” ~Revelation 21:1-6

It is done. It is finished. The authoritative words of Jesus on the cross are repeated here by our risen and glorious Lord. It is done. It is completed. In the New Creation, all of God’s salvation purposes have come to their conclusion. This is the confirmation and the victory of what God did when he created the world way back in the beginning. This is the confirmation and victory of God accomplished in Christ Jesus two thousand years ago.

The most certain way to figure out what God is going to do in the future is to pay careful attention to what God has done in the past. This is Back to the Future… only without Biff and the cool DeLorean (Well, I don’t know… maybe there will be a cool DeLorean. There definitely won’t be anybody saddled with the last name of McFly). As God’s children and disciples of the Lord Jesus and we remember the future. What we look forward to is not the destruction of life and the planet but the renewal and restoration of God’s original and “very good” Creation.

The opposite of Yogi Berra’s famous line is true: The future is exactly what it used to be!

Peace,

Allan

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