The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

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He Saw the Disciples

February 18, 2016 / / 0 Comments

“After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.” ~Mark 6:46-48

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The disciples are out in the water, right where Jesus put them. He “made” them go there, it says. They’re out on the lake and he’s on the mountain praying. He’s praying. And he’s watching them. He’s watching them as they strain at the oars because the wind is against them. If he’s watching them and he’s praying, I imagine he’s praying about them, don’t you? They’re struggling. They’re working hard. They’re fighting the wind and the waves and going nowhere. He sees them. He’s watching them. They’re stuck. They’re frustrated. Nothing’s happening! They’re actually being blown off course.

I feel like that sometimes. Do you?

In my desires to follow Jesus, in my best efforts to obey God, sometimes I feel like I’m beating my brains out against the wind. I’m rowing and rowing and rowing and not getting anywhere. I’m doing and working and striving and I’m stuck. Nothing’s happening. The wind is against me, it’s in my face. And I get frustrated. And I doubt.

You feel that, too. I know you do. There are so many things that fight against us, so many things that oppose us. Just the chaos of life in this godless culture is enough. But Jesus has put us here. He’s placed us here in the middle of crime and cancer and illness and death. We fight failure and rejection and ridicule and judgment. We’re distressed by divisions in the Church. We’re in turmoil over circumstances with our children or grandchildren. We’re struggling with our jobs. Temptation and sin and dishonesty and abuse. Vengeance and greed. Selfishness and lust. Yes, the wind is against us. And we strain at the oars.

Please take comfort in the fact that Jesus is watching you strain at the oars. He sees you. He knows. He’s aware of every struggle. He sees every battle. He knows the things that are causing you distress and heartache. He’s watching you.

And he is praying for you. He’s talking to the Father about you right now. Scripture tells us that Christ Jesus lives to intercede for us. It’s what he does. He watches the disciples and he prays. He’s watching you today and he’s praying. He’s pointing you out to the Father right now. He’s talking about you to God. And I imagine as he watches you strain at the oars, he’s very proud of you.

Peace,

Allan

23 Skidoo!

February 17, 2016 / / 1 Comment

WhitBlueEyesShe got her deep blue eyes from her great grandmother. She got her tiny nose and tiny ears from her mom. Her love for game shows and weather casts comes from her grandpa. Her enthusiasm for life is fueled by her many friends. Her passion for sports and her surprising talent for trash-talking is all from her dad. Her fashion sense is continually being shaped by her sisters. Her double-jointed fingers, her obsession with time and schedules, and her uncontrollable laughing? We don’t know where that came from.

Whitney&DadHer sweet spirit, though, comes from her Lord. Her heart, that seeks first to serve others, that is acutely attuned to the needs of others, comes from her Savior who came not to be served but to serve. Loading and unloading the dishwasher almost every day, helping Mary and Sara and our children’s ministry here at Central every week, occasionally bringing the ministers our favorite flavored iced teas, just doing whatever needs to be done — that’s from Christ Jesus. Her optimism, her faith that everything’s going to work out, her trust that she and those around her are going to be OK, comes from God the Father Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth who created her. So laid back and unflappable, so committed to seeing only the very best in people, so dedicated to giving every person the benefit of the doubt — that’s from our God. Her compassion for those who are hurting, her desire to comfort and heal, comes from God’s Spirit who dwells inside her. She rejoices with those who rejoice and mourns with those who mourn, she hugs the hurting and consoles those in pain, she sympathizes with the less fortunate and is truly happy when good things happen to other people — that comes from the Helper, the Comforter.

WhitneySeniorBleacherOur oldest daughter, Whitney Leigh-Anne, turns 23 today. She is a marvelous gift and a tremendous source of joy for her parents and her family and a great blessing to everyone who knows her. We praise God for Whitney, for the countless ways she reflects the glory of our God and for the myriad ways God works through her to touch others. She’s special. Truly unique. Whit-Pit is one of a kind.

Happy Birthday, sweetie. We love you dearly. And we thank God for you daily.

Dad

Seeing God’s Plan at the Cross

February 12, 2016 / / 0 Comments

“When the Centurion who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!'” ~Mark 15:39

JesusCrossShadowsWhen we see how Jesus dies, we see very clearly the way God is going to save the world. We see how God is going to transform the world and win the victory.

Politicians are not going to save the world. Platforms and promises are not going to change your country. This country and this world are not going to be won by votes or armies or power or partisanship. Only our God in Christ can save the world — God alone!

And his way is the way of death. His way is the way of suffering and sacrifice and service. His will is to change people and save people, not by force or through threats, not out of anger or with an attitude, but with humility and love and forgiveness and grace. And peace.

This world will change, not when more Christians vote, but when more Christians serve. This country will change, not when Christians get their man or woman in the White House, but when Christian men and women get suffering and sacrifice in their hearts. This world will change, not when the Church is in power, but when the Church is persecuted for righteousness’ sake and suffers for doing good. This country will be changed, not when our enemies are shot and bombed and destroyed, but when our enemies are forgiven and prayed for and loved.

We see clearly only through the lens of the cross.

Jesus blessed those who cursed him; he taught those who ridiculed him; he did not resist those who told lies about him and beat him; he loved those who spit on him; he forgave those who killed him. That’s the “way.” That’s what’s going to save the world.

Peace,

Allan

Seeing Suffering at the Cross

February 11, 2016 / / 0 Comments

“When the Centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God.'” ~Mark 15:3

JesusCrossCloudsIf we concentrate on the cross, if we pay attention to how Jesus died, then we will really see the whole thing clearly. The Gospel of Mark makes that point in the way it tells the story. The Centurion proclaims at the end of the story what had been declared by the author in the opening line: Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This Roman soldier recognized it, the life-changing truth was revealed to him, when he saw how Jesus died.

And I think this is helpful.

When you are suffering, it may not always be clear to you why you’re suffering. You may not know the reason you’re suffering. Just like Jesus’ suffering didn’t make sense to his disciples, maybe you can’t figure out why you’re in so much pain.

When you see Jesus on the cross, you can at least know what the reason for your suffering isn’t. When you see how Jesus died, you can at least know what are not reasons for your suffering.

It’s not that God doesn’t love you. He does. Very much. Jesus hung on that cross in agony, but the Father’s love for his Son wasn’t diminished or compromised one bit.

It’s not that God doesn’t have a plan for you. He does. It’s not that God has abandoned you. He hasn’t.

The cross actually shows us God’s presence in suffering and that God is at work and doing marvelous things — eternally significant things! — even in your suffering. Even in the middle of your pain and darkness. Even when your suffering doesn’t make sense.

God is present. He loves you. And he is at work.

Peace,

Allan

Repent and Believe the Gospel

February 10, 2016 / / 2 Comments

AshWednesdayThis post is mainly for all of us Church of Christ lifers. We know “separate and apart,” we know Acts 2:38, we know “the church is not the building, it’s the people,” we know 728B. We’ve got the stamp on our heels. Three songs and a prayer. “Guide, guard, and direct us.” We know who we are.

And we’re uncomfortable with liturgy.

It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We come by it naturally. Our movement has traditionally and, largely, uncritically rejected almost all forms of Christian liturgy as symbols of religious excess and tools for clerical abuse. As non-scriptural innovations. As rote formulas and meaningless ritual. Most of us can’t help the way a memorized creed or a written prayer makes us feel. We were raised to believe it wasn’t real, it didn’t come from the heart, unless you made it up on the spot.

Let me invite you to participate in an Ash Wednesday service somewhere today.

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, the season of repentance and prayer and fasting before Easter. In the early decades of Christianity, this 40-day period was observed by candidates for baptism, which was typically reserved for Easter Sunday. In the third and fourth centuries, people who were separated from the Church because of their sin observed a season of Lent as they were restored to fellowship. Then, over time, the Church recognized that it would be good for all Christians to enter a time of repentance and prayer and fasting. All Christians need to be reminded that repentance is a daily exercise, not a one time event. All Christians need the assurance of the forgiveness and salvation that is promised in the Good News, that was accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

So, I would encourage you to find an Ash Wednesday service somewhere today and go.

It might be a brand new thing for you. It might be a little strange. It might be really beautiful. You might learn something, you might see something, you might hear something or experience something that might really bless you and increase your faith.

The ashes on your forehead are a physical reminder of the Gospel: God created us out of his great love, we have sinned and fallen short of his glory, we are in desperate need of forgiveness and salvation, he forgives us and restores us through Christ Jesus our Lord. The ashes remind us that we are human — we are made of dust and to dust we will return — and that we need God. They also serve as a symbol of sorrow for sin and repentance. And they acknowledge that the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ Jesus surpasses in glory the burnt offerings made by the priests. That’s why when the pastor puts the ashes on your forehead he says, “Repent and believe the Gospel.”

Go find an Ash Wednesday service. Go with a group of people so you can process it together afterward. Ask God to speak to you during that service, to reveal himself to you, to grow your faith in him, and to strengthen the bond you have with all disciples of Christ throughout all Christian denominations. As you leave the assembly in silence, be resolved to remain in the Word, to continually self-reflect, and to be in constant prayer.

Nothing will be off the cuff. It will all be carefully scripted. And maybe, just maybe, by God’s grace and the power of his Spirit, it might be exactly what you need.

Peace,

Allan

Seeing Christ at the Cross

February 9, 2016 / / 0 Comments

We’re just beginning an adult Bible class study of the Gospel of Mark here at Central and I’m helping tie all of those short little stories together by preaching through some of the big picture themes in the second gospel. Because the book is so short and Mark appears to be so intentional about it, these big themes are really easy to spot and a lot of fun to follow.

One of those themes is the idea of truly “seeing” Jesus.

Throughout the Gospel of Mark, nobody really “sees” Jesus. They don’t understand what’s going on. They don’t get it. They ask dumb questions, they make poor decisions. Jesus seems to be perplexed as to why they’re so slow to “see.”EyeChartBlurry

“Do you still not see or understand?” (8:17)
“Do you have eyes but fail to see?” (8:18)
“Do you still not understand? (8:21)
“Do you see anything?” (8:23)
“You will see the Kingdom of God come with power.” (9:1)
“What do you want me to do for you?” “I want to see.” (10:51)
“Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see.” (15:32)
“Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.” (15:36)

“With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last… And the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God.'” (15:37-39)

Everything becomes clear at Calvary. It’s not blurry at the cross. This centurion — of all people! — this pagan, Roman, idol-worshiping, bacon-loving, Gentile sees the Son when he sees how he dies. Seeing the Kingdom of God come with power is about what happens at the cross.

It’s about pain and suffering, sacrifice and service. It’s about the ultimate giving of one’s life for the sake of others. At the cross, God in Christ turns everything completely upside down. The “way” does not lead to a throne of gold in the middle of the temple in the middle of the holy city. The “way” leads to a wooden cross in a rock quarry outside the city gates. That’s where Jesus is really seen.

We need to pay attention to how we project our own vision onto Jesus. A lot of the times we want to ignore or even change Jesus to fit our own ideas and preferences, especially when it comes to suffering and sacrifice. I can’t look at Jesus and say I like his healings and his love, but I don’t want the ridicule and rejection. I’ll take his wisdom and his compassion, but I don’t want his pain and suffering. I’ll take a large helping of his resurrection, but hold the death. I’d like to participate in Jesus’ power, but not his cross.

If Jesus really is the Christ, then he demands to be followed and obeyed. He’s not asking for us to make little adjustments to our lives or minor changes to our world. He expects a complete overhaul!

Jesus is not offering self-fulfillment or self-improvement or even uplifting spiritual experiences. He offers a cross. He doesn’t tell you to try the cross on for size to see if it fits. He doesn’t ask for volunteers to carry a cross to earn extra credit. The cross is for all of us. We can survey the wondrous cross, we can kneel at the cross, we can love the old rugged cross ’til the cows come home, but the call is to carry the cross. To live the cross.

I’ve heard most of my life that Jesus died so I don’t have to. That’s wrong. I’m learning that Jesus died to show me how to. Jesus shows me how to embrace suffering and rejection, how to understand sacrifice and death as God’s holy will for all of us. But we have to look at the cross. If we concentrate on the cross, we’ll be able to see everything clearly.

Peace,

Allan

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