Page 53 of 70

Posted on

Reflections on "Jesus Manifesto," pt. 2

Chapter 1: The Occupation of All Things


Read over this passage slowly.

15 He is the image of the invisible God,

    the firstborn over ALL creation;
    16 because by Him EVERYTHING was created,
    in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible,
    whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—
    ALL THINGS have been created through Him and for Him.
    17 He is before ALL THINGS, and by Him ALL THINGS hold together.
    18 He is also the head of the body, the church;
    He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
    so that He might come to have first place in EVERYTHING.
    19 For God was pleased [to have] ALL His fullness dwell in Him,
    20 and through Him to reconcile EVERYTHING to Himself
    by making peace through the blood of His cross —
    whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Colossians 1:15-20, HCSB (emphasis added)

Notice a theme? These are some BOLD claims Paul is making. Everything we see, taste, touch, hear, and smell, AND everything we can’t see, taste, touch, hear, and smell has been created BY Jesus, THROUGH Jesus, and FOR Jesus. Not only that, all that stuff is held together by him! You may think that the laws of physics are holding this world, this solar system, this galaxy, and this universe together, but it’s Jesus. You may think that you are responsible for paying the bills, staying healthy, and providing for your family, but it’s Jesus who holds your life together. And you may think that Jesus died just for you and those you love, that human souls are the only part of creation that will enjoy redemption and reconciliation, but through Jesus’ blood, everything is reconciled to him–the whole of creation.

Viola and Sweet explore in this chapter how EVERYTHING is occupied with Jesus the Christ–the heavens, creation, the Old and New Testaments, the writings of Paul, etc. Jesus is given first place, top priority in everything. It all points towards the Christ.

With us, however, there is a different story. The created order extols, reflects, and points to Christ. That’s just the way it is. That is how the non-human creation was created. But we humans have the option to NOT put Christ in first place. We are actually given the ability to deny Christ his rightful place in our lives. Even in the church, ministers, teachers, and pastors continually deny Christ his rightful Lordship over EVERYTHING they do, say, or preach.

Viola and Sweet make this chilling statement:
“The tragedy of our time is that countless preachers, teachers, even healers are giving dozens of sermons, lectures, and messages, relegating Jesus to little more than a footnote or a flourish to some other subject. At best, he gets honorable mention. What is lacking is a groundbreaking revelation of Christ that boggles the mind and enraptures the heart.”

Read the passage from Colossians again. When you sit through Sunday morning services, does Christ take priority over ALL THINGS? Does EVERYTHING the preacher says point back to the awesomeness of Jesus? Are we, as Christ’s body, allowing ourselves to be held together by something other than Christ’s spirit? Are we proclaiming the reconciliation of everyone and everything and the peace that comes through the blood of Christ?

If you answered “No” to any of these questions, then something is wrong. If Christ is not head over everything, then something else is–whether it’s evangelism, church growth, theology, doctrine, social action, missions, worship, and the list goes on. What is occupying your time? Is it Jesus, or is it this list of other things?

“To our minds, there is one reason why a Christian would not be absolutely occupied and consumed with Christ. That person’s eyes have not been opened to see His greatness. The sad truth is that the Jesus who is preached so often today is so shallow, so small, and so uncaptivating that countless believers are enthralled with countless other things.”

Read the Colossians passage one more time. Does that Christ seem shallow, small, or uncaptivating? Absolutely not! The exact opposite is true. The Christ we serve is so deep, so big, and so captivating that the world and the cosmos get sucked into Him. Christ is the pre-occupation of all things.

Is He yours?
Posted on

Resurrection

I watched this the other day. I had heard most of it from the sermon podcasts I listen to from the Mars Hill Church, where Rob Bell is the pastor. This is pretty much a condensed version of his sermon on resurrection highlighting the main points. If you can get past the overdone, in your face visuals, his message is pretty legit. The video is from YouTube, but the video and script can both be found at robbell.com/resurrection

Jesus is standing in front of the temple in Jerusalem
the massive gleaming brick and stone and gold house of God
and he says destroy this temple
and I’ll rebuild it in three days
the people listening to him said how are you going to do that?
it took 46 years to build this temple!
but he wasn’t talking about that temple
he’s talking about himself
he essentially says, listen
I’m going to be killed
that’s where this is headed
because you don’t confront corrupt systems of power
without paying for it
sometimes with your own blood
and so he’s headed to his execution
if you had witnessed this divine life extinguished on a cross
how would you not be overwhelmed with despair?
is the world ultimately a cold, hard, dead place?
does death have the last word?
is it truly, honestly, actually dark
and so whatever light we do see
whatever good we do stumble upon
are those just blips on the radar?
momentary interruptions in an otherwise meaningless existence?
because if that’s the case then despair is the
only reasonable response
it’s easy to be cynical
but Jesus says destroy this temple and I’ll rebuild it
he insists that his execution would not be the end
he’s talking about something new and unexpected
happening after his death
he’s talking about resurrection
resurrection announces that God has not given up on the world
because this world matters
this world that we call home
dirt and blood and sweat and skin and light and water
this world that God is redeeming and restoring and renewing
greed and violence and abuse they are not right
and they cannot last
they belong to death and death does not belong
resurrection says that what we do with our lives matters
in this body
the one that we inhabit right now
every act of compassion matters
every work of art that celebrates the good and the true matters
every fair and honest act of business and trade
every kind word
they all belong and they will all go on in God’s good world
nothing will be forgotten
nothing will be wasted
it all has it’s place
everybody believes something
everybody believes somebody
Jesus invites us to trust resurrection
that every glimmer of good
every hint of hope
every impulse that elevates the soul
is a sign, a taste, a glimpse
of how things actually are
and how things will ultimately be
resurrection affirms this life and the next
as a seamless reality
embraced
graced
and saved by God
there is an unexpected mysterious presence
who meets each of us in our lowest moments
when we have no strength when we have nothing left
and we can’t go on we hear the voice that speaks those
words
destroy this temple and I’ll rebuild it
do you believe this?
that’s the question Jesus asked then
and that’s the question he asks now
Jesus’ friends arrive at his tomb and they’re told
he isn’t here
you didn’t see that coming, did you?
he’s isn’t here
there is nothing to fear
and nothing can ever be the same again
we are living in a world in the midst of rescue
with endless unexpected possibilities
they will take my life and I will die Jesus says
but that will not be the end
and when you find yourself assuming that it’s over
when it’s lost, gone, broken and it could never be
put back together again,
when it’s been destroyed and you swear that it could never
be rebuilt
hold on a minute
because in that moment
things will in fact have just begun
Posted on

Reflections on "Jesus Manifesto"


I recently finished reading an excellent book coauthored by Len Sweet (The Gospel According to Starbucks, Soul Tsunami) and Frank Viola (Pagan Christianity, Reimagining the Church). There have been throughout the centuries many pendulum swings of Christological thought. It seems that many theologians and scholars are content to take up arms in the debate between the “Jesus of History” and the “Christ of Faith.” Leaning too much to any one extreme, however, misses the richness and beauty of the God-Man that we worship. Sweet and Viola have done an outstanding job of refocusing the reader’s mind and heart onto the true awesomeness of Jesus the Christ. At the same time, they tackle the tough questions about living as the body of Christ on the earth. I thought I’d start back writing again with some reflections on various parts of the book.


Introduction:

I think this paragraph helps to set the stage for the rest of the book:
“So what is Christianity? It is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Christianity is not an ideology or a philosophy. Neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic, or worldview. Christianity is the ‘good news’ that beauty, truth, and goodness are found in a person. And true humanity and community are founded on and experienced by connection to that person.”
Wow. What a statement. As I think back to my world religions class, I am still blown away by all the competing faiths, belief systems, moralities, and worldviews swirling around our culture today. It’s very easy to take a broad, sweeping view of all the religions and to think that Christianity has nothing unique to offer. It seems like all the major religions have their sacred texts, their god/gods/spirits, their earthly leaders/founders, their own code of ethics, their own belief about the afterlife, etc. It’s so easy to get caught up in the similarities blurring the lines that we lose focus on the truly unique nature of our faith.
Christ is what makes our faith as unique today as it was in first century Palestine. Yes, we believe in the Bible as the word of God, but the Word became flesh. Yes, we have a certain morality for which we strive, but all of that morality was fulfilled in Christ. Yes, we have a way of viewing the world around us, but we see the world as God sees the world. Yes, we believe in an afterlife, but we believe in eternal life here and now.
In Christ we find more than a list of rules and regulations. He gives us more than instructions on how to get to heaven. In Christ we find truth, beauty, community, acceptance, and a love that out-loves all other love that we could ever know. Christianity is Christ! When it becomes about “Christ and,” then we have lost our true focus. We have forgotten our first love.
I’ll leave you with this final quote:
“[W]e cannot properly love him if we haven’t caught sight of how incredibly glorious he is. But once we do–once we catch a sighting of Jesus Christ in all his glory–we will gladly exchange our dusty rites, Christian-speak, and pop-culture church-building tactics for the joy of becoming a walking, breathing ‘Jesus Manifesto.'”
Posted on

Swim

This song has been on my mind a lot as I am facing the stresses that accompany one’s final semester of senior year. Enjoy the video; lyrics are below.

You gotta swim, Swim for your life
Swim for the music that saves you
When you’re not so sure you’ll survive

You gotta swim, swim when it hurts
The whole world is watching
You haven’t come this far to fall off the earth

The currents will pull you
Away from your love
Just keep your head above

Chorus
I found a tidal wave
Begging to tear down the dawn
Memories like bullets
They fired at me from a gun
Cracking the armor yeah
I swim for brighter days
Despite the absence of sun
Choking on salt water
I’m not giving in
Swim

You gotta swim
For nights that won’t end,
Swim for your families, your lovers your sisters,
And brothers and friends

Yeah, you gotta swim
For wars without cause
Swim for the lost politicians
Who don’t see their greed as a flaw

You gotta swim
Swim in the dark
There’s no shame in drifting
Feel the tide shifting and wait for the spark

Yeah you gotta swim
Don’t let yourself sink
Just find the horizon
I promise you it’s not as far as you think

The currents will drag us away from our love
Just keep your head above
Just keep your head above
Swim
Just keep your head above
Swim
Swim
Just keep your head above
Swim.

Posted on

Image of God and the Power of Touch

There is a therapeutic element to physical contact. Studies have shown that affectionate touch is critical for a child’s development in all dimensions – social, mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Babies and infants who a deprived of adequate contact and interaction with parents or caregivers are at much higher risk for mental and social impairment later in life.

Not only does physical touch lead to proper human development, it can also mean the difference between life and death in premature newborns. Affectionate human contact can instill an amazing resiliency in newborns that would have no chance of pulling through otherwise. Also, touch therapy and therapeutic massage can increase recovery times and lower stress among the elderly and surgery patients.

Beyond that, we are a society that appreciates the value of physical contact. Hugging our children and long-time friends — kissing our spouse and holding their hand — giving a good firm hand shake to that person we just met — a pat on the back or high five for a job well done. People need to feel the warmth of another person’s touch in order to maintain a healthy sense of self-esteem and self-worth.

When we look to the ministry of Jesus, he could simply say the words and a person could be healed of whatever ailed them. However, there were many cases in which he included some form of physical touch, especially when the person had not had physical contact with another human being for some time (i.e. the leper in Mark 1 and the woman with the bleeding problem in Mark 5).

We are created in the image of God. When God created man, he actually reached down and formed man from the dust of the ground. We are God’s workmanship, his masterpiece, the work of his hands. Language is used throughout Scripture picturing God taking his people by the hand and leading them (i.e. out of Egypt, into the promised land, etc.). David describes God as the one who lifts up David’s weary head. We all are longing for God’s touch. We all desire to feel our Creator’s hands once again. Yet we are all created in the image of God, and we all contain the Spirit of God.

The power of human touch cannot be explained away in mere scientific terms. Science can’t explain why a mother’s kiss will heal a booboo. Chemistry can’t tell you why it makes us feel better to cry into someone’s shoulder. Biology cannot fathom what would make a person touch another person with an incredibly contagious disease. The power of human touch only make sense because of whose image we bear.

Posted on

Bunnies and Candy and Eggs! Oh My!

I just finished reading this disturbing study performed by the Barna Group concerning Americans’ view of Easter. It is unsettling how many people don’t regard Easter as a religious holiday, and of those who do, many fail to associate the holiday with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Looking at my own past, there has never been an Easter weekend which I remember spending focused on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The Lads to Leaders convention, in which I participated from 2nd to 10th grade, is always on Easter weekend. For eight years I spent the weekend of the resurrection in competition with my fellow believers.

Then I came to Harding where the biggest event of the year, Spring Sing, dominates the weekend. So again, I have spent 4 or 5 more years supporting or participating in competition on Easter weekend. During the days my Savior was dead, I was singing and dancing for thousands to see.

Spring Sing and Lads to Leaders are not bad in and of themselves. And they are not the only distractions taking place during Easter time. We have Easter Egg hunts, school parties, and pastel colored baskets full of fake grass. On top of that, rarely have the congregations I have attended actually taken time out to remember the day on which the new covenant was ratified. The resurrection of Christ should be a bigger deal than the birth of Christ, yet Christmas is a much bigger holiday on our calendars.

Let me also clear the air a little. I’m aware that Christians commemorate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus every time they take the Lord’s Supper and perform a baptism. Also, I know that the Easter holiday has been overrun with pagan tradition since its inception (hence the bunnies and eggs).

Regardless of all that, the rest of America (and much of the world) recognizes Easter as an important holiday. I think that we should do a better job of ridding the holiday of all the pagan and secular mess and really SHOW the rest of the world WHY we are celebrating! Let’s present them with the good news of the resurrection while they are wondering what this Easter thing is all about.

PS – Easter keeps in line with the Jewish celebration of Passover, and the Jews traditionally use a lunar calendar. That’s why the date changes from year to year.

Posted on

Tents and Tarps

Harding University is heading up a fund raising campaign calls Tents and Tarps. A $50 donation will enable us to send a large tent and a large tarp to homeless Haitians. Not only have most of them lost their homes, but most people are afraid to be inside the remaining structures! These tents will address one of their most pressing needs right now: shelter. These tents will enable an entire family to stay warm and dry until permanent, safe shelters can be built.

So help us out by donating today!

The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ -Matthew 25:40
_____________________

Posted on

Love

One of the greatest limitations of the English language is that we only have one word for love. The most common Greek lesson in our churches concerns the Greek forms of love, especially in regards to John 21:15-17. The two words used by Peter and Jesus would best be translated something like this…

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me [unconditionally] more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you [like a brother].”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me [unconditionally]?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you [like a brother].”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you [even] love me [like a brother]?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you [even] love me [like a brother]?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you [like a brother].”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

Jesus began by asking Peter if he loved him unconditionally (agapo). Peter replied by saying that he loved him like a brother or close friend (philo). Peter was not at the point that he could answer truthfully that he loved Jesus unconditionally with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. Peter was staring God in the face and could not bring himself to express this agape love which God expressed to mankind so clearly.

Fast forward a few decades and Peter is writing a letter to the scattered believers. The church has spread throughout most of the known world. Men and women were fully committed in love and devotion to this Jesus of Nazareth. Look what Peter had to say to these Christians:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him [unconditionally]; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9

These people had never seen Jesus. They had never been to Jerusalem or the Sea of Galilee. They never saw a miracle, never heard a parable, and had no physical proof that the resurrection ever even happened. Yet they believed. What’s more – they loved him…unconditionally. They had this agape love for Jesus that Peter himself could not express even while looking into the eyes of the resurrected Lord.

Now think about it. How many times have you caught yourself thinking that you would believe more fully if you could just see God. You would truly learn to love Him if only he show himself to you. So what is it going to take? Action on God’s part or commitment on yours? Are you going to be just one more generation that “asks for a sign,” or are you going to take a look around and see the signs that are already there?

Posted on

Who is Tom and why do you have his shoes?

TOMS shoes are the latest craze going around Harding. In case you haven’t heard, TOMS is the company that for every pair purchased will give a pair to a child in need. “One for One” is their motto. To date they have given away over 200,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina, Haiti, Ethiopia and other places. It’s an awesome movement, and it’s really cool to see how many of my fellow college students have joined in. You can read more about more about TOMS shoes here.

And in case you’re wondering, they are some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever had.