Author: Craig

Which one is not like the other?

/ Craig / 1 Comment

IMG_3082
31 “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, 

“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”  Luke 7:31-35

The games we play searching for a handle on life.

Remember the game? Remember the exercise in learning how to differentiate? Which one is not like the other? But now that we are growing up we must add a second question:  Which one is not like the other and what does that mean?

We can differentiate. And there are many places in life where we must. However, the problem comes when we are infected with the temptation to control for uniformity. Like the generation viewing Jesus and John the Baptist we are frustrated by not being in control. We play the flute and you do not dance! We sing a dirge and you do not cry!

Missing the diverse work of God.

Jesus is drawing out the proclivity of his generation and ours to miss the work of God when it is different from what we expect. Could Jesus and John have been more different in the lifestyle? John lived the life of an ascetic in the desert. Jesus lived the life of one fully engaged in the lives of city sinners. John fasted. Jesus feasted. And the people were dismayed by the difference so they judged and accused: John has a demon. Jesus is a glutton.

The Beginning of Wisdom

Jesus says wisdom is demonstrated, shown, justified by her fruit… by her children. Wisdom begins with worship. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” So there it is, the source of Jesus and John’s difference is God. As we each pursue Christ we should not expect that we will all be uniform in the expression of His grace and truth through our personality, passions, patterns, professions, and prayers. Wisdom encourages us to watch with wonder and delight as The Spirit of God manifests the image of the Son in the followers of Christ and His church to the glory of God.

 

The Voice

/ Craig / Leave a comment

GospelWise

32And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! 1 Samuel 25:32-33

What’s your capacity for hearing the voice of wisdom?

David was on long journey to become King of Israel. A seventeen year journey.

But now the one who tapped him for the job was dead. Samuel had died.

Now he’s leading a ragtag group of misfits and malcontents.

600 of them. And they must be fed.

Now he’s living in the desert with so many things unsure.

Now he’s being hunted by Saul the King of Israel.

Now he’s been shamed and dissed by Nabal.

Now he’s wondering what’s the use of persisting in doing good.

Now he’s out for blood; and honour; and stuff.

But God intervened.

He sent a voice of wisdom.

He sent Abigail.

She humbled herself. Fell at David’s feet.

She reminded David of God’s hand on his life.

She reminded David of God’s hand to provide.

She reminded David of God’s promise to establish his throne.

She reminded David that their future was linked.

She reminded David of how the stain of revenge would never leave him.

The Voice of Wisdom.

We need this voice of wisdom.

We are so short-sighted in our views, attitudes, and actions.

So Jesus comes to us as the voice of wisdom.

God’s wisdom from above.

Jesus intercepts us on the path of destruction.

Jesus humbly kneels at the feet of his disciples and washes their feet.

Jesus serves us at the point of our greatest need — forgiveness —

through even through death on the cross.

Jesus fulfills God’s promises for us.

Jesus establishes us with Him in His Kingdom.

Jesus links us to His future.

Jesus provides.

He is The Voice.

Are you listening?

Showing Off

/ Craig / 1 Comment

39You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.   John 5:39-40

We don’t memorize the Scripture in order to show off. Rather we memorize the Scripture because it bears witness to Jesus. It leads us to Him. Its voice, which is His voice, speaks to us calling us to come to Jesus. “Come to Jesus” that’s the call of the Scripture. Jesus said so Himself. Knowledge does not give us the Kingdom life; Jesus does.

When it comes to memorizing the Word that bears witness to Jesus here’s some suggestions:

1. Write it; say it; sing it.

2. Review it, review it, review it.

3. Meditate on it. Take time to meet Jesus in the words and see the many varied ways the Word of God merges with our lives.

4. Oh yeah and the secret of Scripture memory: review, review, review.

6 Just in Time Reasons to Memorize Scripture

/ Craig / Leave a comment

6 Reasons

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

A Moment in Time

The phone rang; a brief conversation ensued and then I was at my wits end. In fact internally I felt shattered. A deep sense of dread occupied  most of my core. I didn’t even trust myself to drive over familiar territory so I set the GPS. When my mind tried to comprehend what had happened and the outrageous pain and grief that lay on the horizon I could think of nothing. 

So I prayed “Oh God, this is too much.”

Then to the surface of my thoughts the Spirit of God brought this word, “The God of all comfort will come alongside you all.” And then I felt calm.

That “thought” is a fragment of a larger segment of the Bible that I had memorized years ago:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4

The picture these words brought to my mind was shaped by the image of the “comforter,” the one who comes alongside and carries us when we cannot carry ourselves.

There was no time for me to go look it up. Because it was already there in my mind, “memorized,” The Spirit of God was able to access the word for me in the moment. It was just in time. Grace.

 The Illusion of No Need

Today memorizing the Bible might seem like the last thing you need to do. For those of us who have gone mobile we have it all with us. We don’t memorize phone numbers, directions, or math facts. The Bible has been wonderfully provided for us through The Bible App. so we have it with us all the time. Plus Google is fast! It is able to search for us when we don’t have the verse “address” and just know a phrase. Type it in and in moments we have a list of possibilities. So why memorize scripture?

Choose to Memorize God’s Word

Through the ages followers of Jesus have discovered the benefits of memorizing scripture. Dallas Willard said that of all the disciplines that support our life with Jesus if he was forced to choose one, he would choose Bible memorization. The Word of God, Scripture, informs and the Spirit of God transforms us through it that we might become like Jesus.

6 “Just in Time” Reasons to Memorize the Bible

1. Jesus on my mind. The Scripture keeps pointing us to Jesus and shaping us to be like him.

…from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 2:15-17

2. Truth in my meditation. The Scripture activates the formation of godly affections that can prevail when we are tempted.

14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  Psalm 19:7-14

3And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  Matthew 4:3-4

3. Grace. The Scripture reveals The Gospel of Jesus.

4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:4-9

4. Wisdom from my mouth. In the battle for hearts and minds God’s Word is truth and grace shaping the words proceeding from my heart.

11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.      Proverbs 25:11-12

15but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…  1 Peter 3:15

5. Correction for my way. The Scripture judges our beliefs, attitudes, and actions.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.   Hebrews 4:12

6. An eternal perspective. The Scripture keeps heaven and the larger story of God’s Kingdom large in our minds and therefore causes us to be of earthly good by reminding us what is going to last forever.

“22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:22-25

Need some suggestions for verses to memorize? Here are two sets of verses available for viewing and reviewing on your mobile device.

My Resolution Dilemma Caused by the Gospel

/ Craig / 3 Comments

Live the Yes! 2014

20For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.  2 Corinthians 1:20-22

Dilemma: Goals or Resolutions or Not at all?

Some of my friends are resolved in 2014 to not make resolutions.  They make goals instead.  And then there’s the crowd that’s resolved not even to make a goal!  The benefit of setting goals is well-studied.  Make them, break them down, and set out on a path of improvement. I’m all for it.

The New Vision Created by The Gospel

But the Gospel does not begin with a vision of self-improvement. The Gospel begins with a vision of Jesus showing us who God is.  God does not start with a vision of making us better.  God starts with a vision of Jesus glorified in our lives and in all creation.  God’s word for us is not one of self-perfecting in order to gain presence and peace. His Word is life through His Son. So now even the promises of God find their “Yes,” their possibility, their fulfilment, in Jesus.

And now through Him we can say “Yes” or “Amen” for His glory with not just our mouth but also our very lives. He has made it possible through the work of the Cross and the gift of His Spirit. I believe the apostles were saturated with the Gospel reality expressed in 2 Corinthians 1:20-22.

For His Glory

So my dilemma. Its the New Year. Its time to declare my resolve and make some goals. The Gospel sets me on a path of growth, not in order “to get God to like me,” that would be religion. The Gospel sets me on a path of growth for the glory of Jesus in my life. Now my desire for each year is that somehow by His grace I would be like Jesus in character, attitude and action. Now I trust Him, that even in my weaknesses the greatness of Jesus will be displayed.

Goal: this speaks to my effort to achieve. I will make bite sized goals about every six to nine weeks.

Resolution: this speaks to the over-arching desire of my heart.

Live the Yes

I am making a resolution for 2014: Live the Yes.

By the grace and power of God keep saying “Yes” to Jesus.

What’s your resolution for 2014?