It’s not going fast enough

Last weekend, I put a lot of work into our lawn.  I borrowed a friend’s lawn tractor and pull-behind aerator.  I methodically drove all over our grass, pulling up plugs of dirt.  There are many benefits to doing this – improved drainage; loosening of any compacted soil; allowing water, air, and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the soil; and the stimulation of grass root development so you have a thicker, healthier lawn.  After aerating, I then spread grass seed, fertilizer, and lime.  It was several hours of effort to do all this work, even on our small-size lot.  I definitely felt a bit tired that evening, and even had a little arm soreness the next day due to pushing the spreader for laps around our grass.

On Monday, I was looking out one of our back windows at the lawn, feeling a little pride in the effort I had given over the previous days.  I then jokingly quipped to my wife, “Why don’t I see any grass yet?  I put in all that work, why hasn’t it all grown up by now?”

Although my questions were asked with my tongue firmly in my cheek, there was a little bit of familiarity to the impatient feeling that I was mocking.  How many times do we begin to put in effort on long-term projects, only to quit out of frustration that we’re not seeing results fast enough?  How many of these sound familiar?

·       I lifted weights this morning, how come my biceps aren’t bigger and stronger?
·       I ate a super healthy salad for lunch, why don’t I see my abs?
·       I’ve been putting money all year into my retirement account, how come it isn’t fully funded yet?

Ok, so maybe you’re not that impractical.  Let’s try these, instead:

·       No matter how many times I talk to my daughter, she still struggles.  I don’t know what to do next.
·       Being fully open and honest with our customers is cutting into our bottom line.  Maybe I don’t have to tell them everything.
·       I’m tired of taking care of things around the house without being recognized or appreciated.  Maybe I’ll just quit doing it until someone notices.

When we don’t see an immediate return on our efforts, it’s easy to want to throw in the towel and coast.  And, short-term, there may not be any immediate consequences.  However, we need to take the long-term view to see clearly…and I’m not talking about a decades-long viewpoint, either.  By “long-term” we need to be viewing life from an eternal perspective.

I find it interesting that Paul says this to the believers in Galatia:

Galatians 6:2
Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

He then says a few verses later:

Galatians 6:9-10
Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

The law of Christ refers back to Jesus stating the greatest commandment – to love God and love others as yourself (Mark 12:29-31).  We fulfill Jesus’ expectation of His followers as we take care of one another. 

The incredible thing is that Jesus doesn’t just tell us to do this “Because He said so”.  Instead, we will reap a reward from God as a result of following Jesus’ example.  While some people have recoiled at this, claiming it’s improper to think that God would have to “bribe” us to do good things.  To that line of thought, I would simply ask: “Do you not reward your children for a job well done?  Do you bless them and give them greater opportunities as they show themselves capable and worthy?”  God is treating us in the same manner.

However, there is an important stipulation to this reward…it’s not immediate.  Note what Paul says – Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.  God has in mind a proper time to give us the reward, and that will only come if we don’t give up.  Persistence (continuing to give the same level of energy) and perseverance (continuing when challenges arise) are key to obtaining God’s rewards. 

Notice, too, there is no indication that perfection is needed…but we need to keep the long-term mindset in order to keep on loving God and loving others, even if we don’t see immediate results.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I called Jesus' disciples schmucks. That wasn't well received.

During a conversation about Jesus, His ministry, and His disciples with a Mormon missionary, I made an off-hand, but accurate, statement:

Jesus’ disciples weren’t perfect.  They had their flaws, just like we do.  Let’s be honest, they were schmucks before meeting Jesus.

His body stiffened, he sat up straight, and I could tell he was trying to choose his next words carefully.  Through clenched teeth, he seethed, “These men, these ‘schmucks’ as you call them, were holy men of God.  I don’t appreciate you talking about them like that.” 

While I recognized his desire to be respectful of biblical figures, he had been talking about the disciples as if they were somehow god-like themselves.  So obviously, my labeling of them as schmucks struck a nerve.

In case you’re not familiar with the term, schmuck is a belittling or derogatory term that can range in meaning from stupid/foolish to obnoxious/detestable.

I then pointed out that none of the disciples were in positions of power when they met Jesus and began to follow Him.  They were regular guys with low-level jobs they were expected to work the rest of their lives.  They were fishermen, tax collectors, failed insurrectionists…and all of them were well past the age when a rabbi would have chosen them to be a disciple.  They were passed over by the elites because they weren’t good enough – they didn’t have the aptitude or the ability expected of those who would become part of the religious and political leadership of the nation.  The disciples were the cast-offs, the b-team, the overlooked, and the ignored.

But when Jesus chose them to be His disciples, they didn’t instantly become perfect, either.  All throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see them being selfish and self-promoting, even amongst themselves.  They failed to be like Jesus, many times over.  They fought over who would be the greatest among them (Mark 9:33-34, Luke 22:24), had family petition for their rank in Jesus’ Kingdom (Mark 10:35-41), they didn’t believe Jesus could keep them safe (Matthew 8:26, 14:31), they couldn’t heal a sick child (Mark 17:16), they ran away and deserted Jesus when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56), and although Peter literally swore that he didn’t even know Jesus (Mark 14:71), the other disciples were too busy hiding so they wouldn’t be confronted at all (John 20:19).

Even after Jesus returned to Heaven and the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they still weren’t perfect.  Jesus had to correct Peter on which people groups were allowed to hear the gospel (Acts 10:9-16).  Later still, Peter succumbed to peer pressure and hypocritically began to follow the Mosaic Law again, separating himself from non-Jews…and he was rebuked by Paul for it (Galatians 2:11-14).

All-in-all…that’s pretty schmucky.

But schmucky people are the ones that God often calls to do great things for Him.  In fact, Paul reminded the believers in Corinth of this very fact:

1 Corinthians 1:26-28
Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.  Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.  God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world – what is viewed as nothing – to bring to nothing what is viewed as something

A few members in the Corinthian church may have been considered “wise” or “powerful” or “noble” – but most weren’t.  God accepts everyone who believes in Jesus for eternal life, but He often elevates the lowly in ways that might not be expected.  But why would He do that?  Continuing with Paul’s letter, we find out:

1 Corinthians 1:29-31
so that no one may boast in His presence.  It is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us – our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption – in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

God doesn’t elevate individuals so other people can marvel at how great a person the individual is…rather He elevates the lowly schmucks so that other people can see how great God is and what His power can accomplish. 

I think our lesson here is two-fold:

1.       Don’t put anyone – not even one of the original disciples – on a pedestal.  We’re all sinners saved by God’s gracious gift of Jesus.
2.       When God elevates you, don’t point to yourself (even if other people do)…instead, point them to God.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

It wasn’t what Jesus planned

Have you ever made plans, only to have them ruined by something unexpected?  Maybe one of these sound familiar:

It's been a tough week at work.  Good-busy, but definitely busy.  You’ve settled into bed, only to be woken up a couple hours later by your anxious-sounding child who says, “I don’t feel good.  I just threw up in my bed.”  As you drag yourself out of your warm bed, you realize that there won’t be much sleep tonight.
OR
You’ve looked forward to a quiet Saturday afternoon/evening all week.  Nothing is planned.  Nothing will be planned.  The only items on the agenda are peace, quiet, and (finally!) some relaxation.  Just as you’re settling in, you get “one of those calls” from a not-super-close-friend-whose-more-of-an-acquaintance.  Their life has suddenly fallen apart, and you know helping them will consume the rest of your day. 
OR
You’re getting the family packed for a long-awaited vacation, and just as you’re getting ready to leave…your neighbor’s pet suddenly has an emergency and has to go to the vet.  Your neighbor asks if you can stay with her kids while she takes care of the animal.

I’m sure you can think of other scenarios that you have experienced.  What is your default response to having your plans upended?  How quickly do you get upset?  How many curse words and complaints are muttered under your breath or shouted in your head?

These situations are especially challenging when your interrupted plans are ones you had with other people.  When we’re the ones setting the agenda, we don’t want our plans to be knocked off course.  How we handle these moments can be quite revealing for what our hearts and minds are preoccupied with. 

On more than one occasion, Jesus had the same issue – someone came to Him and drastically changed His plans for the day.  The example we’re going to look at comes at one of the busiest times in His ministry.  He had previously sent out His 12 disciples in pairs to preach about the coming Kingdom of God and heal sick people as proof of their message (Mark 6:7-13).  After completing their mission, they’ve come back to Jesus, and He decides they needed some rest:

Mark 6:30-32
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all that they had done and taught.  He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.”  For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place

That’s great leadership.  The 12 apostles were successful in their mission, but they were tired out from all the work.  Jesus wanted to celebrate them, but also give them the opportunity to rest – away from all the crowds.

Have you ever been so busy that you did not even have time to eat?  Even if all your work is a success, without fuel and rest, we all crash eventually.  Jesus knew His people needed some R&R, and it must have sounded wonderful to the disciples when they heard Jesus say, Get in the boat, we’re going to go somewhere and rest for a bit.

However, getting away wasn’t that simple.  Jesus and His disciples were meeting needs for many people, and they had a reputation for doing so.  Crowds formed wherever they went, and some people were willing to go to great lengths to be near Jesus:

Mark 6:32-34
So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place, but many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they ran on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.  When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd

A large crowd was the total opposite of what Jesus had planned for His disciples.  His planned “staff retreat” had unexpectedly turned into a large-scale ministry event.  What would have been your response?  I think I would have wanted to get back in the boat and sail to another side of the lake…probably would have also had a few choice complaints bounce around my brain and possibly escape my lips.  But look at how Jesus responded:

Mark 6:34
When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  Then He began to teach them many things.

Although He had planned a longer time of rest for His disciples, the time during the boat ride would have to be sufficient.  Jesus’ plans were upended with an unexpected need…and He responded with compassion.  Instead of seeing the crowd as a barrier to His own agenda, Jesus saw the crowd as they really were – they were like sheep without a shepherd.  They didn’t know what to do, where to go, or when they had crossed boundaries…they simply wanted to be with someone who they could trust, someone who would see them compassionately.

After teaching the crowd all day, as it was getting late, the disciples realized there was no food to feed anyone.  It was this moment when Jesus performed one of His largest miracles – feeding thousands of people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. 

My take-away from looking at this story unfold:
Serving others in unexpected, unplanned moments will require me to see others with compassion instead of looking at them as roadblocks that keep me from my own agenda.  And while I serve, I will have a front row seat to however God is going to feed them.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Only what they can understand

Growing up in church, I can distinctly remember many times our pastor would tell the congregation the importance of “sharing the gospel” with everyone you meet.  “After all,” he said, “you never know when a person’s last day on earth will be.  What if you missed the chance to tell them about Jesus?”  I could feel the pressure mounting in my adolescent brain…would I be responsible for someone’s eternal destination, based upon whether or not I gave them the whole gospel message every time I talked to them? 

I was insecure enough having general conversation with my peers, let alone having the self-confidence to talk to them about Jesus.  I knew I wouldn’t have any answers to their questions, but I was more concerned they would laugh me off anyway.  I didn’t expect a rehearsed speech about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection would be of any interest to them, either.

Whenever we learn a new subject, we don’t haul off and jump straight into the deep end.  Instead, we start with the basics.  This is true at all of our education institutions: you start with the 101 class, move up to 102, then 103, and afterward you can progress to the upper level courses.

Jesus took the same approach during His ministry.  Throughout all four gospel accounts, His teaching is mainly in parables.  A parable is an earthly story meant to convey a heavenly meaning.  Jesus used many parable-stories to explain what God was like, or what the Kingdom of Heaven would be like, or how we should relate to each other.  These parable stories connected something tangible the audience could relate to, in order for them to understand the spiritual lesson.

We may be tempted to think that Jesus taught everyone every thing about Him at every encounter.  However, that just wasn’t the case:

Mark 4:33-34
He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand.  He did not speak to them without a parable.  Privately, however, He explained everything to His own disciples.

When speaking to the crowds, Jesus would present truths in a manner that the crowd could relate to, but then decide for themselves if they wanted to pursue more.  Being a disciple – or a “learner” – was an opportunity afforded to those who returned for more teaching and explanation.  Outside of the 12 disciples that Jesus chose as His closest students, there were others that followed Him.  As one example, we see Jesus sending out 72 followers to spread the message of the Kingdom coming near (Luke 10).

However, someone in the crowd could also set aside the parable-story and not pursue what Jesus was trying to share.  Jesus was leaving it to the listener to decide his or her next step. 

I take a lot of comfort from seeing Jesus take this approach, especially when reading the words as they were able to understand.  Jesus didn’t back up the theological dump truck and flood the crowd with all truth about Himself and the Kingdom.  Instead, He met them where they were and gave them the space to digest His teachings further. 

Have you ever asked a question and the answer you got back was way more than you bargained for?  Or you were introduced to a new concept and you couldn’t wrap your head around it at first.  Maybe you needed time to ponder what was said, or perhaps you didn’t fully trust the source…but for whatever reason, there was only so much of the topic you could handle in one sitting.

I think the same situation exists the first time someone hears about Jesus.  Seeing Jesus for who He is will completely change the way you view the world, and it can be hard to wrap your head around it.  Questions are to be expected, and some people need more time than others.

So don’t feel like you have to overwhelm another person in a gospel presentation.  Share something you know – like how Jesus has impacted your life in a way they would be able to understand – then let them see it in how you treat them and others.  They may come back with questions, or they may decide not to.  Our job is to simply be available to share the gospel…we are not to carry the burden of what they do with it.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Put on your detective's hat, part 3

So far, we’ve used our detective’s hat to look for the first four clues: things that are emphasized, things that are repeated, things that are alike, and things that are unlike.  Now we move on to our last two clues, the ones I really like the most, for two specific reasons: one…because they are great at uncovering observations that I wouldn’t normally get by just reading a passage, and two…well…because I think they’re fun. 

Feeling skeptical about this being “fun”?  Well, try these out and then let me know if I’m wrong…

Text Clue #5: Look for things that are related.

By related I mean things that have some connection, some interaction with each other.  The two most helpful relations to look for are Questions/Answers and Cause/Effect.

Questions/Answers are a super powerful form of communication.  What’s also great about them is that they are easy to find!  When you’re reading the Bible, notice the question marks…and then look at who is asking AND who is answering.  Maybe the question is rhetorical, or maybe no one wants to answer.  Looking at questions make for some significant observations.  While Paul uses questions a lot in his letters (especially in Romans), take a look at some of the penetrating questions that Jesus asked His disciples:

Can any of you add one moment to his life-span by worrying? (Matthew 6:27)
Why are you afraid?  Do you still have no faith? (Mark 4:40)
So, couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? (Matthew 26:40)

Recognizing Cause/Effect can be just as powerful.  We saw this in the last series on Psalm 1:

Psalm 1:2-3
Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams
that bears its fruit in its season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

In these verses, we have a promise to claim: That God’s Word will sustain/grow me and there is happiness, delight, and prosperity as it does.  However, there is also a condition to meet in order to have this God-defined prosperity: Intentionally spend time in God’s Word, purposely meditating on it, and delighting to do so…knowing that God can/will develop me in the way I was created to grow and mature.  And…then…I will find happiness and prosperity.  

This tells us there is a direct Cause/Effect link between Scripture and God’s blessing.  Are you experiencing that effect?  The real question is, are you activating the cause by delighting and meditating in what God has said, as Psalm 1 points out?

Text Clue #6: Look for things that are true to life.

This one is my favorite.  The issue here is authenticity: What does this passage tell you about reality?  What aspects of the text resonate with your experience?  This is where you need to use your sanctified imagination.  You need to look for principles.  We obviously live in a culture that is dramatically different from the cultures of the biblical era.  Yet the same things that the biblical characters experienced, we also experience.  Just take away our technology, and you’ll find we’re not that different.  The human condition hasn’t changed much in the last 5,000 years.  We feel the same emotions they felt.  We have the same questions they had about life and raising kids and growing older.  They were real, live people who faced the same struggles, the same problems, and the same temptations that you and I face.

So as I read about them in Scripture, I need to ask:  What were this person’s ambitions?  What were his goals?  What problems was he facing?  How did she feel?  What was her response?  What would be my response?  What can I see in the text that helps me answer these questions?

Scripture is often studied and taught as if it were some academic lesson, rather than real life.  No wonder so many of us are bored with our Bibles.  We’re missing out on the best lessons of God’s Word by failing to pick up on the experience of the people in it.  ***Spoiler Alert*** The people you read about in the Bible didn’t know what the next verse was going to say.  When we read the Bible with that in mind, we recognize an authenticity to the text we had previously missed.

Let’s look at a couple of examples that will help us see truth in realistic terms.  Other than Jesus, no one in the Bible is perfect.  Every one of them had flaws and difficulties – and we can all relate to flaws and difficult situations.

In Genesis 22, God says to Abraham, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering.”  It takes a couple of days to get there by donkey…what must going through Abraham’s mind during this trip?  And then, when Abraham starts walking up Mount Moriah with his son, who is about 22 years old, Isaac says to him, “Hey, Dad, we’ve got the wood.  We’ve got the fire.  But where’s the sacrifice?”  Abraham knows that his son is the sacrifice…he’s even carrying the wood on his back.  How do you think Abraham felt?  How would you feel? 

Noah was the only one who got it right in his generation.  The only one!  He raised his family accordingly and followed God’s instructions despite the rest of the world being mired in an evil mess.  Because he obeyed God, he saved his family from the Flood.  But the only story in Scripture out of the 350 years Noah lived after the Flood is when after resettling his family, he planted a vineyard, drank a bunch of wine…and passed out naked in his own tent (Genesis 9).  As if that’s not bad enough, his sons had to take care of him so he wouldn’t disgrace himself.  And…I’m thinking…is this even the same guy???  Well, Scripture shows that Noah is not perfect, but a real, normal person…one who could, at times, do great things for God, and at other times, make some really embarrassing choices.  So, what implication does that have for us?

Elijah wanted to quit his God-given ministry (your pastor has felt this, too), John Mark abandoned his friends and family in the middle of a mission trip (we’ve all left the people we love in the lurch), Peter whacked off a guy’s ear in a clumsy attempt to defend Jesus (this could also be a description of a lot of modern attempts at “sharing the gospel”). 

When you read Scripture, put on your detective’s hat and look for things that ring true to life.  Remember, our lives are just like theirs were – without all the technology.  Look for situations where someone failed and paid the price – how did they respond to the consequences?  How would have you responded?  Did God use them despite their mistakes?  Or what about the one who stayed the course?  What did God do in their life?  Look for common, shared experiences and learn from the example of their lives.

Now, let’s try these last two Text Clues out on our verses from Joshua:

What things are related?  When you find the question, why do you think was God asking it?  Looking back through the text, do you find any cause/effect relationships?

What things are true to life?  Why does God need to remind Joshua, multiple times, to be strong and courageous?  What must Joshua be feeling for him to need to hear that?  Think back to a time when you have felt the same way.  Also…everyone wants success, but we know it’s not instant, there’s always work involved.  What steps must Joshua take to be successful in the mission God gave him?  Do you need to take the same steps to accomplish what God has given you to do?

Joshua 1:6-9
“Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance.  Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you.  Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.

This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it.  For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.  Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous?  Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Keep Pressing,
Ken

We are family

I grew up in a (mostly) stable home.  We had our ups and downs, and, like any family, there are stories on both sides of that coin.  Overall, though, I know we had it better than many other families.  Us kids knew we were loved and supported.  Additionally, we all understood that our behavior reflected on not just us, but the whole family.  And when things were rough, one thing was for sure…we took care of our issues in-house, as much as possible.

Although Jesus was sinless (and therefore the perfect son and brother), did you know that at least for some period of time, His family didn’t fully support His ministry?  They believed that His actions were causing trouble – for both Himself and for them.

Mark 3:20-21
Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.  When His family heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because they said, “He’s out of His mind.”

Did you see that?  Jesus’ family…set out to restrain Him.  Not exactly the picture you expected of Jesus’ mother Mary, right?

They were concerned about Him and His well-being.  It’s understandable.  After all, Jesus was doing something new.  He was leading and teaching in ways that upset the cultural and political norms.  And we all know that “new” isn’t always received as “better” by those who lives are wrapped up in the norms.

This family intervention couldn’t have been a spur-of-the-moment decision by Mary and Jesus’ siblings.  They must have talked about Jesus’ teachings, growing fame, and the all the potential repercussions for Him and for them.  They likely debated over the best way to handle it and approach Jesus, but it was at this moment they decided to act.

His family probably thought they arrived just in time, because while they were on their way, some scribes from Jerusalem were making some condemning allegations against Jesus.  In order to explain how He performed miracles and spoke against Israel’s religious teachers, the scribes accused Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul (i.e. – Satan).  Can you imagine the shame and difficulty that kind of accusation would have caused Jesus’ family?  After walking into this situation, Jesus’ family was ready for Him to pack up and leave with them.

Mark 3:31
His mother and His brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to Him and called Him.

What kinds of things do you think they were saying?

Jesus.  Jesus!  It’s time to come home.  Stop making crowds.  They’re dangerous and the Romans will get suspicious of you.  Please come out and go home with us!

Jesus!  The religious leaders will remove our family from the synagogue if you keep challenging their authority and making them look bad.  Please come home so we can talk about this as a family.

Jesus did not hear their pleading calls.  It’s entirely possible that He could not hear them due to the size of the crowd.  Somehow, however, they got word to Him inside the house:

Mark 3:32
A crowd was sitting around Him and told Him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

What’s the correct response here?  Should he tuck tail and leave with His mother and His siblings?  However, Jesus was not a small child for them to lead around.  He was a full grown adult…a man with a God-given purpose, even if His family didn’t understand:

Mark 3:33-35
He replied to them, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”  Looking at those sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!  Whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”

In the same way Jesus could tell His mother at twelve “I must be in My Father’s house” (Luke 2:41-50), He now tells His immediate family that He must be about His Father’s business. 

This wasn’t so much a rebuke of His blood-relatives, but Jesus is showing His priority to those who are actively seeking Him.  Those in the crowd that Jesus taught were more than just curious, random strangers…often the crowds that followed Him were those who believed in Him and wanted to learn more from Him.  They were the larger group of disciples that the twelve were chosen from. 

With His declaration “Here are My mother and My brothers!”, Jesus shows that He values them as much as He does His natural-born family.  Jesus is committed to them because they are committed to the same thing He is – doing the will of God.

Maybe you didn’t grow up with the kind of family you wanted.  Maybe your family doesn’t understand this “Jesus thing” that you have and are waiting for you to “snap out of it” and come back to them. 

You might even be feeling lonely, wishing you had a mother or a brother or a sister…but never forget that once you accept Jesus’ free gift of eternal life, you are adopted into His family.  And you have connections with more people from more places and backgrounds than you’ll know what to do with.

We won’t always get along.  We won’t always agree.  But as we continue to sit at Jesus’ feet, we’ll begin to understand how close this family really is, and that we’re most united when we have the same goal…doing the will of God.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Instruction by embarrassment

When I was in my early 20s, I was part of a men’s group that met weekly and was led by one of our church’s staff pastors.  I was, by far, the youngest man in the group…but they never treated me as less than because of my age.  We would hang out before starting the study discussion, and this particular time I was talking with a guy named Mike.  When he asked me how my week had gone, I answered, “Well the damnedest thing happened to me today…”.  That wasn’t a slip of the tongue, either.  At that time, I was very loose with how I phrased things.  I believed that I was old enough to talk however I wanted.  And when you’re among other Christian brothers, who “understand”, it’s ok to speak a little rougher than you would in public, right?  Perhaps I also wanted to impress him a little, thinking that I should add some joking emphasis to what I was about to say. 

Before I could finish my sentence with what actually happened to me, Mike put his hands up and quickly said “Hold on, hold on, hold on.”  And then, to my shock, he raised his voice so the entire group could hear and said, “EVERYONE, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE: ‘the damnedest thing’ happened to Ken today.  I suggest we all listen to what he’s about to say.”

All the eyes in the room were suddenly staring at me.  Everyone was silent and waiting for me to speak.  I felt the red quickly climb up my neck and onto my face.  I wasn’t mad…I was embarrassed, because I knew that what I had planned to say wasn’t ANNOUNCEMENT-worthy.  It was, in the grand scheme of things, a small thing that didn’t qualify for the title of “the damnedest thing”.  I quickly mumbled to the group that it wasn’t a big deal and I had nothing to say.  Everyone shrugged and went back to their conversations.  I don’t think Mike said anything else about it.  Honestly, he didn’t have to.  I learned my lesson.

Did you know that Jesus once used this same technique to teach an important lesson to His disciples?

Mark 8:27-30
Jesus went out with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi.  And on the road He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”

They answered Him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.”

“But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered Him, “You are the Messiah.”  And He strictly warned them to tell no one about Him.

Don’t miss this…By not correcting Peter’s statement, Jesus confirmed to the disciples that He was the Messiah.  That was earth-shattering, front-page headline news.  While Jesus’ warning for them to tell no one that He was the Messiah may have frustrated the disciples, they could certainly understand it.  After all, Jesus wanted people to come to that conclusion on their own.  Also, Jesus had not given a specific timeline as to when The Kingdom that He had taught about was going to start; so the disciples could rationalize that it just wasn’t time yet for the big “Messiah announcement”.  However, it’s what happened in the very next verse that began to trouble the disciples:

Mark 8:31-32
Then He began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days.  He spoke openly about this.

Wait…what?  Imagine what the disciples were thinking…

You said we couldn’t tell anyone who you really are, but you’re PUBLICLY talking about being rejected by all of our country’s leaders, being murdered, and then coming back from the dead?  Are you serious?  Aren’t you the Messiah, the King?  Who would be blind enough to reject you?  How can you die?  What purpose would that serve?  And nobody comes back from the dead.

They murmured amongst themselves, trying to figure out what to do.  How do you correct a teacher, let alone the Messiah?  Somehow or another, either at the group’s urging or perhaps acting alone, Peter drummed up enough courage to approach Jesus.  Challenging a rabbi was risky business, a definite societal taboo.  Correcting a rabbi in public would result either in a pupil’s disgrace or embarrassment for the teacher.  They loved Jesus and didn’t want to embarrass Him, but, they thought, something needed to be said.  So Peter opted for the quieter approach:

Mark 8:32-33
Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan!  You are not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.”

I can imagine Peter slinking back to his seat and slumping down into a heap.  Lesson learned.  Peter was the one out-of-line, not Jesus.  In that moment of attempted rebuke, Peter acted like an adversary…like a satan.  When Jesus looked at His disciples to correct Peter, His purpose was two-fold:

1.       to call Peter out for his improper motivation, short-sightedness, and ignorance of God’s plan
and
2.       to use Peter as an example to the rest of the group

Ouch. 

Reading the rest of the gospels, it’s clear that Jesus loved Peter.  However, in this moment, a biting rebuke and public embarrassment were necessary for Peter to learn to trust God’s plan…even if the plan made absolutely no sense to him.

By all indications in the text, Peter humbly accepted his lesson learned.  He didn’t lash out.  He didn’t quit following Jesus.  Peter didn’t stop hanging out with the other disciples or find another group of Jesus-followers to be a part of.

When we are faced with our own embarrassment for our improper motivation, short-sightedness, or ignorance of God’s plan…I pray that we will humbly accept the lesson that God is teaching us. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

You are my proof

I heard the statement recently “The only thing God is building right now on this earth is His church.”  After pondering over this idea for a while, I believe the person saying it was right.  The speaker was driving home an important point: the only things continuing on from this life to the next will be the people who have believed in Jesus for eternal life.  Everything else will be made new (Revelation 21:5).  This doesn’t mean that everything else – careers, homes, sports, buildings, hobbies, etc. – are considered “evil” or “worthless”, because these events are what God uses to develop and grow us.

So this means that the only eternally lasting work we can do is to build up Jesus’ church.  We can accomplish this work through one of two ways: 1) helping unbelievers understand and accept Jesus’ free offer of eternal life, or 2) encourage and develop those who already believe.

There are many ways to accomplish either of those pursuits; however, we also have to recognize that our time on earth is limited…which means we want to make the most of our time, especially when it comes to investing in other believers. 

At times in his letters, Paul expressed concern that he had not invested properly, that those he had shared both the gospel and his life with were not good “proofs” that his time was well spent.  Other times he commended his former pupils on their development after he had invested in them.  Here are just a few examples:

To the believers in Philippi, Paul wrote to encourage their progress in their relationship with God and how well they imitated Jesus to those around them.  He described how their growth was a benefit to them individually and to the further spreading of the gospel…but also to Paul, himself:

Philippians 2:14-16
Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life.  Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.

When Paul was correcting the believers in the region of Galatia for becoming confused by false teachers, he didn’t question their salvation, but he was concerned about their fruitfulness:

Galatians 4:11, 5:7
I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted…You were running well.  Who prevented you from being persuaded regarding the truth?

When checking up on the believers in Thessalonica, Paul spoke proudly of their progress in faith and love.  He joyfully told them:

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?  Is it not you?  Indeed you are our glory and joy!

When I look at two of Jesus’ most famous parables, The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and The parable of the minas (Luke 19:11-27), I find that Jesus is looking for a good return on His investment of gifts and abilities in each of us.  When we Christians do give an account to Jesus, what else can we give as evidence other than the lives we have ministered to, invested in, and enriched?  After all, Paul was writing to Christians when he said:

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad.

Just like in The parable of the talents and The parable of the minas, the master will return and He will evaluate what we have done in His absence.  The judgment seat of Christ is only for believers; unbelievers will be judged at a different time.  As such, the judgement seat of Christ is not a place to determine our eternal destiny, instead it will be the time when Jesus determines our eternal rewards and opportunities to serve in His kingdom in the life to come.

I am proof that Joe Rheney did not run in vain.  I am not the only proof of his efforts, but I will be evidence – and I want to be good proof for a man who loved and invested so much in me.  I will also be proof for any Godly investment made by others at various times in my life – my parents, grandparents, teachers, friends.  Similarly, you are my proof that I did not waste my time blogging my Bible study.  It is my hope and prayer that you find good encouragement, a clear explanation of Scripture, and Godly challenges here.  What return on investment (ROI) is there for God if all I have learned and experienced with Him is kept solely for me?  Put simply: If I am not sharing who God has made me into and what God has taught me, then I am not fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission. 

I know, this is a lot to take in all at once.  And not many churches emphasize this topic.  If this is new to you, or if you are suddenly feeling overwhelmed, here are a few application points to consider:

·       Paul invested in different people for different seasons of life.  Similarly, there will be different seasons when we invest, on God’s behalf, in others.  It’s also likely that we will not always invest in the same way or in the same physical location.
·       If you have children living at home – they are your primary ministry.  Not to say that you can’t or shouldn’t be investing in others, but your children must take priority over all others for this season.
·       The servants in both The parable of the talents and The parable of the minas were responsible for and received rewards based upon how much ROI they had from the master’s initial investment in them.  They were not judged in comparison with each other.  As such, we should not beat ourselves up if we are not “Paul the Apostle” or “Billy Graham”.  Instead, we should focus on being faithful with whatever skills, abilities, finances, and time God has given to us.

Truthfully, this topic can be summed up in just two questions:

Who are you proof for?
and
Who will be your proof that you did not waste God’s investment in you?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The MVP - good ground

We’re looking into The parable of the sower.  It was this parable that Jesus referred to as the “key” to understanding all His parables (Mark 4:13).  As such, I’m calling it: The Most Valuable Parable – The MVP.  All three of the synoptic gospel writers included this parable.  It can be found in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:4-15.  So far, we have looked at the sower, the soil of the path, the rocky soil, and the thorny soil.  We’ve also observed that the word of God produced new life in the rocky soil, the thorny soil, and the good soil.  Now we’re taking a closer look at the good ground:

While we might best identify with the conditions of thorny soil, I think it’s safe to say that we’d all like to be good ground.  The good ground produces good fruit, which pleases God…so why wouldn’t we want that?  And all we have to do in order to be considered good ground is do good things and avoid doing really bad things, right?  Well, that’s not exactly what Jesus said about how good ground believers end up producing abundant fruit.

Luke 8:4-8, 11-15
As a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, He said in a parable:

“A sower went out to sow his seed.  As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured it.  Other seed fell on the rock; when it grew up, it withered away, since it lacked moisture.  Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with it and choked it.  Still other seed fell on good ground; when it grew up it produced fruit: a hundred times what was sown.”  As He said this, He called out, “Let anyone who as ears to hear listen.”

…“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.  The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.  And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy.  Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing.  As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit.  But the seed in the good ground – these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, produce fruit.

There are two big observations about the good ground we need to look at – 1) When did it produce mature, abundant fruit? and 2) How was that fruit accomplished?

The first observation question – When did the good ground produce the mature, abundant fruit?  Jesus says that the fruit came when [the seed’s plant] grew up – not before it had grown up and matured, and not immediately when the new life burst forth from the seed.  God’s word needs time in your life to grow in you.  So don’t berate yourself if you still have stress, struggles, and doubts.  God isn’t tapping His foot and being disappointed that you haven’t yet forced out some fruit growth.  That’s not our job.  Mature fruit is the natural result of the seed being planted in good ground.  Our job is to become that good ground.

How was the ground made “good” and not have the same rock issues and thorn issues that the other soils had?  How can we be made into good ground?  As for me, I can tell you that others have helped pull weeds and thorns from my life.  In one of my favorite song lyrics, the singer states he’s “Still pulling weeds from seeds of yesterday’s scheming”.  We often need help to get rid of those.  Also, I can look back and see that God has removed boulders from my life, so that Godly roots can be laid down, often in that same space where the rocks once were.  Lastly Jesus said that good ground will hear the word with an honest and good heart, putting into practice the lessons God is teaching through His word.  Am I learning and applying His lessons?  In all my examples here, nothing was automatic.  God is willing to take the time for me to grow up and then produce fruit.

However, just because ground is fertile and relatively clean does not automatically mean that mature fruit will be brought forth…there is one more step here, and that involves our second observation question: How was that fruit accomplished?  In a word, by enduring.

We can survive just about anything, but if we are to endure and grow and come out stronger after a trial, we’re going to need to rely on God.  We must trust His path and His leading.  2020 has had more societal disruptions than we’ve seen in the last decade, and it feels like it’s just one crisis/problem after another.  Your persistence in these days matter.  Pursue God.  Seek Him out.  Ask Him to make you like His son.  Cling to the promises of God.  Your efforts in doing so will grow, multiply, and echo in ways your can’t imagine right now.  Don’t just survive; instead, endure these times as training, knowing that your Heavenly Father will produce mature fruit in your life because of it.

Growth takes time.  Enduring takes time.  As much as we want successful, spiritual fruit to happen immediately…all throughout Scripture, we find God taking His time to bring about the results He desires.  So let’s be patient with our growth and trust God as He removes rocks, weeds, and anything else that keeps us from becoming like Jesus.  Let us believe Him with an honest and good heart, holding on to the word of God planted in us…so that we can endure the times set before us…and then, because of God, produce fruit in quantities we could have never imagined.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The MVP - thorny soil

We’re looking into The parable of the sower.  It was this parable that Jesus referred to as the “key” to understanding all His parables (Mark 4:13).  As such, I’m calling it: The Most Valuable Parable – The MVP.  All three of the synoptic gospel writers included this parable.  It can be found in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:4-15.  So far, we have looked at the sower, the soil of the path, and the rocky soil.  We’ve also observed that the word of God produced new life in the rocky soil, the thorny soil, and the good soil.  Now we’re taking a closer look at the thorny soil:

Remember, the fruitfulness of the seed was dependent upon the character of the ground it fell on.  Always the same seed, but never the same soil.  Watch for what happens to the seed that falls among the thorns:

Luke 8:4-8, 11-14
As a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, He said in a parable:

“A sower went out to sow his seed.  As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured it.  Other seed fell on the rock; when it grew up, it withered away, since it lacked moisture.  Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with it and choked it.  Still other seed fell on good ground; when it grew up it produced fruit: a hundred times what was sown.”  As He said this, He called out, “Let anyone who as ears to hear listen.”

…“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.  The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.  And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy.  Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing.  As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit.

If we’re honest…this is the soil where most of us American believers would see ourselves.  With our basic needs readily met (food on the shelf, water from a faucet, sturdy shelter), ours is an affluent society – one with all sorts of distractions. 

Advertisers are relentless, aren’t they?  Everything is “new”, “improved”, or something you just gotta have.  The media, and especially social media, never stops for us to take a breath.  Seems like everything we want to do or experience costs money.  Our bodies eventually fall apart, no matter how much effort we hedge against it happening.  There’s also “the unknown”, and thinking about that for too long will quickly drive you crazy.  But…rather than paint an entirely negative picture, let’s be honest…there are good things, too.  Lots of good things.  There are so many good things available to us in this life – things that are not bad, in-and-of themselves – that, if allowed to grow unchecked, even those can cause significant issues.

Jesus made a rather interesting metaphor when referred to the worries, riches, and pleasures of life as thorns.  Thorny bushes are inhospitable.  They cover up and obscure beauty.  But the biggest trouble thorns cause is that they absorb resources that should go to the plant.  They are a resource drain, diverting nutrients and water away, which stunts the growth of the seed…and to make matters worse, as the thorns grow up, they physically crowd out anything that tries to grow near them.  Growth from the seed does occur, but useful fruit is unable to be produced.

One last observation from what Jesus initially said about the thorny soil: other seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with it and choked it.  Notice that the thorns weren’t full grown at the beginning; instead, they grew up with the seed.  In life, we’re pretty good about recognizing big things that would be a potential problem for us…but we’re not so good at recognizing the potential for little things to divert our resources away from what’s most important to us.

If we do not intentionally seek God’s perspective, then the worries, riches, and pleasures of life will insidiously grow up and take over, choking out the fruitful, mature life God has for us.

The author of Hebrews also recognized this possible dilemma for us.  Thankfully, though, he offered the solution to staying out of the thorns:

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore…let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us.  Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.

Keep Pressing,
Ken