Co-Branches? What the...?

             You should see my backyard. It’s a more pertinent place for a botanist or a scientist than a homeowner or a Frisbee player. There once was a day when this prickly, weed-infested junkyard was a lusciously soft, green backyard. Now, though, I could almost picnic under the umbrella-sized mushrooms that have sprouted back there. The blades of grass are sadly outnumbered by the less cordial weedy folks. I mow it, but it’s kind of like trimming my facial hair… it’s a lost cause… it’s like organizing the contents of a trash can. My point is, I don’t have much of a “green thumb”. I can do lots of things, but growing facial hair and reviving a dead lawn are not listed in my repertoire. I need someone’s help.

           

                                                *                        *                        *

            Anyway… I’m reading through the Bible. I would encourage all of my readers to do the same. It has radically changed my understanding of who God is and who I am. (As a parenthetical side-note: Atheistic Bystander, I’m talking to you. Bored Christian, I’m talking to you. Complacent Pastor, I’m talking to you.) Anyway, as I was reading I came across this little snippet:

“Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets [or eyes]. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day” (Zechariah 3:8-9).

I understand that this is coming from Zechariah’s vision in a long list of, honestly, a sort of mind-numbingly long list of prophets in the Bible. But this was one of those moments that inattentive readers have when their eyes are glazing over the text and suddenly a word (or words) jump out and kiss them on the cheek. This time, for me it was God’s words: “my servant, the Branch.” This is what God spoke through Zechariah: he was going to bring his servant who is a… is a… Branch. Not a politician, or a warrior, or an “Italian Stallion” like the Rocky movies? A branch? A Branch with a capital B?

            So, my first thought was, What is this Branch. I’ll take the Reader on the same journey of inquiry through which I meandered. Let’s look at the biblical references chronologically. First we must go back in time as Zechariah was not the first to mention the Branch. In about 700 B.C., Isaiah wrote that the Branch is a someone. He will be “beautiful and glorious” and that he will come from David’s family (4:2). He, in reference to Messiah, goes on to say later that the Lord’s “servant” will grow up “like a tender green shoot” (11:1). Approximately one-hundred years later, Jeremiah planted the motif by saying, “I will raise up a tsemach tsaddiq [a righteous Branch] from David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom.” (23:5). About one-hundred more years after Jeremiah’s prophecy, Zechariah claimed that this Servant Branch will build the temple of the Lord, become king, and serve as high priest (Zech. 6:12). We’ve gone full circle. That’s only a couple of several references to the Branch over the course of about 200 to 250 years of biblical prophecy.

So, just to clarify… This Servant Branch comes from:

            A. David’s family

            B. God’s family

            and

            C. The ground

And this Servant Branch person does three things:

           

            1. Serves

            2. Builds the Temple

            3. Becomes King and Priest

                                                *                        *                        *

           

            This is the point of contention. What you’re about to read splits Orthodox Jews from Messianic Jews, Mormons from Catholics, and Muslim from Christians. The remainder of this conversation I want to have with you, Reader, is built upon the foundational principles of what it means to be a Jesus Follower, a Christian. Either way, I believe you will undergo a fundamental life-change after reading this. These words cut and heal; they’re divisive and remedial; they warn and cuddle us at the same time.

           

Who is the Branch to whom these ancient prophets were referring?

Could it be Jesus? I’ve read, admittedly almost exclusively, the New Testament my entire life and so, naturally, I assumed these ancient prophecies were in reference to Jesus. It’s like reading the end of a book first. So… are they talking about Jesus? It sounds a lot like him to me…

            A. Jesus is a part of David’s lineage (Matt 1:1)

            B. Jesus is God’s son (Matt 3:17)

            C. Jesus rises from the “heart of the earth” (Matt 12:40)

            … and He said…

            1. “I have come not to be served but to serve”? (Matt 20:28)

            2. “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18); “I will rebuild the temple” (Matt 26:61,  John 2:19… and don’t Christians call church the “body of Christ”?)

            3. “I AM the Messiah,” as he was chosen by God to be the priest in the order of Melchizedek, he interceded for us, offered himself as the sacrifice for our sins, and rose again to be the head of the church (Mark 14:62, 15:2, John 4:26; cf. John 18:36; Heb. 4:14- 5:10; 7:15-28).

Jesus is the Servant Branch. He is the One. He is the Messiah. He fulfilled God’s plan by coming to the earth as a human, dying as the only acceptable propitiation for our sins, rising again to build the church and send his Spirit to guide us. Jesus fulfilled the old prophecy laid before him. Jesus said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.” (Luke 24:46). He has served us, he has rebuilt us, he has become King over us and has become the ultimate Priest. What an unfathomably generous and expansive gift! It’s an offensive love. It’s too much.

But… here’s where the Good News gets even better…

Who are we according to God? Who does our King say we are?

Jesus said, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches…For apart from me you can do nothing,” (John 15:5 NLT, emphasis added). Paul, an apostle of Jesus, said, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God,” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV). Did you read that? Oh my goodness!

Whoa. Now this is starting to sound really weird, though. I mean, He’s the Branch but we’re branches? He’s God but he became sin; he’s a lush, green prairie that became a weed-infested, waterless wasteland. For us? What’s going on here?

Jesus gave us a green thumb. He passed on his ability to be a branch of God. We are the servant branches as well, now.

Jesus fulfilled everything and extended the work of God by anointing all of us who follow him as co-heirs… or shall we say, co-Branches (Colossians 1, Romans 8:17). We, like Christ, through God’s mercy alone, are given the opportunity to become the fulfillment of God’s plan. We, too, can become prophets, priests, and kings. No, I’m not saying that we are our own gods or that we become Jesus. I am simply relaying the message, called the Gospel, that is spelled out on every page of the Bible. When Messiah was raised from the dead and then left the earth, God glorified himself by giving us his Spirit (Luke 24:49, John 20:22, c.f. Ezekiel 36:27). It was his plan all along. We, then, continue to fulfill God’s plan:

            A. David’s lineage becomes extended; it’s no longer about a family name (1 Cor 1:2, Gal 3:7, Eph 2:19)

            B. We are adopted into God’s family (Eph 1, 2:19, 3:6, Rom 8:15, 2 Tim 1:7, etc.)

            C. We are (and will be) raised up from the ground (John 5:28-29, 6:39, Acts 24:15)

And, we become “like Christ” by becoming….

            1. Servants: “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code,” (Romans 7:6 NIV).

            2. Temples: “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God is in you?... For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple,” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

            3. Prophets: “But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives – especially the ability to prophecy,” (1 Corinthians 14:1).

                Kings: “And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the  right to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29-30); “And you have caused them [the people of God] to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth,” (Revelation 5:10).

                 Priests: “You are royal priests [a royal priesthood], a holy nation, God’s very own possession,”(1 Peter 2:9).

                                                *                        *                        *

            So, it’s kind of like God has made me a green thumb, a professional gardener. It’s like God has sent someone to my house, named Jesus, who has cleaned up my backyard, planted grass seed, killed the weeds, and planted flowers that brighten up the yard. It’s like I’ve been given a special ability, through no power of my own, to maintain this new lush garden of mine. Now, as for my lack of facial hair… I’m not sure how that fits in with the analogy… it’s just funny and awkward. There’s probably no hope.            

            Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are branches.” Those salvific words carried more weight with more valuable implications than we might ever realize. When we recognize that God has forgiven us already through Christ’s death, that he has adopted us into his family, that he has given us his Spirit, suddenly life becomes more than finding your “inner happiness” or just evolution’s next step towards the last man, the superhuman. Christians understand that the Superhuman (eschatos-man) has already come! His name is Jesus and he has fulfilled “everything in every way” and has enabled us to continue the journey (1 Corinthians 15:45). He is the Branch. We are branches. Let us be planted by streams of living water so that we might grow for the glory of God (Psalm 1:1). He said, “I sent you a harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.” (John 4:38). Jesus is our Planter and we gather his harvest.

Beggars CAN Be Choosers

            My girlfriend, Dana, was entering a grocery store parking lot one day when a battered, homeless woman caught her eye. The woman was holding a sign asking for a cup of coffee. Being the compassionate lady she is, Dana rolled down her car window to speak to the homeless woman and asked her, “Are you sure you only want a cup of coffee?” The beggar said darkly, “Yeah… just a cup of coffee.” Again, Dana persisted, “Are you sure? I can get you something else, too.” The woman again protested, “No. A cup of coffee.” So, Dana gave the woman what she asked for.

            Why, with all the resources available to Dana, would a poor woman ask for only a cup of coffee? Common courtesy? Even if that was the case, when Dana offered more than that, the woman still asked for such a small thing. She had an entire grocery store at her disposal and that’s the best she could come up with? Coffee? 

           

Why do beggars beg the way they do?

Well, I suppose it’s true… They say, “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

            We read a story in the Bible about a stormy night. To make matters worse, the storm takes place on the sea. Jesus and his disciples are on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee when, suddenly, an ominous black cloud moves in. Before they can react, a storm tramples through the sky and tosses the sea around as if it was a puddle. The terrified disciples are sopping wet as they are covered in water from above and below. Panic fills their minds as quickly as the water is filling their boat (Matt. 8:23-27). Imagine the loud sound of thunderclaps as the mist from the broken waves hit their faces. It’s a scene of desperation.

            They need a savior. They need help like a beggar.

            In the midst of the chaos, as they are trying to empty the floodwater from their boat, it occurs to them that someone’s missing… someone’s not pulling his weight. Jesus. Where’s Jesus? “Didn’t he just heal a man with leprosy, a centurion’s servant, and a bunch of other people?” they probably thought. “He can do miracles… where is he now?” Jesus was sleeping.

            They literally begged him saying, “Lord, save us! Deliver us!” In Greek, that can be translated to, “Lord, heal us! We are dying!” One of them probably yelled out, “Grab a bucket! Help us! I’m begging you… help us get the water out of the boat!” Jesus got up and said in essence, “Come on, guys. Why don’t you believe in me? You have little faith.” He probably yawned, stood up from his nap, and told the storm to stop and… it did!

            I wonder…

Is that what they expected Jesus to do? Is that what they meant when they yelled, “Save us!”?

            That is, did they want a cart full of groceries or…

                                   

                        Just a cup of coffee?

           

            The disciples didn’t ask Jesus to calm the storm. It seems like they just wanted him to grab a bucket, pour out the floodwater, and maybe help steer the boat back to shore. They didn’t even consider that simply telling the storm to stop was even a possibility.

The question I have for us, Reader, is this: What do we ask of our unlimited God?

            Maybe you don’t ask God anything because you’re afraid that you’ll accrue too much debt. Maybe you don’t ask God anything because you don’t think He’s standing right in front of you. Maybe you’re blind to him. Maybe you only ask him for small things like, “God, help me to eat less sweets and to eat more vegetables.” Or maybe even, “Lord, help me to stop sinning.” I don’t know.  I mean, believing that He can redeem every sin we have ever committed and creating a new life in us would be far too presumptuous. No, no. Our God is unlimited, but… asking for those big things is too much. It’s like a Miss America speech. It’s like a beggar. And… as we all know… Beggars can’t be choosers.

           

            Right?

            Look here. Stick with me!

            Let’s look at another story from the Bible. This one’s about another beggar. John tells this story about a guy who was born blind. He couldn’t do any work because he couldn’t see, so he would just sit and beg. He was an outcast. A blind beggar begging for money and food. Jesus ends up walking by this guy and, having a compassionate heart, stops to help him. In order to help him, Jesus spits on the ground and mixes it around to make mud. Whatever. Then, he puts the spitty mud on the beggars eyes, tells him to go down to the pool and wash it off. With nothing to lose, the guy does what Jesus told him to do. Suddenly, he can see! He’s healed! (John 9:1-12)

           

            What was that all about? The beggar was not asking for sight. He was not asking for a life changing miracle. He just wanted a proverbial cup of coffee. Jesus gave him more than that. He gave the blind man something he never had and something that he never could have gotten on his own. The beggar did nothing to inherit blindness and he did nothing to inherit God’s miracle. It was done, as Jesus said, for the glory of God (v.3). The pool to which the man was sent to receive his blessing was outside Jerusalem’s wall. It was literally called Sent. So, blindness was given to the beggar so that God’s light may shine; he was sent outside the city walls to be cleansed; the dirt was washed away so that he may gain literal sight and so that he may gain spiritual enlightenment. He eventually said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe” (v.38).

Who else was an outcast?

Who else was sent?

Who else was sent outside the city gates for the glory of God?

Who else was given darkness so that God’s light might shine?

Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Say it out loud… Jesus!

           

            Jesus was the ultimate beggar. In fact, he even portrayed himself as one in Matthew’s account (25:34-45). Jesus, though spotless and sinless, was sent in darkness outside the city gates to a hill called Golgotha to be murdered. He was blind for three days in the tomb. He was resurrected and made completely new so that God’s love may be available to all who beg of him. “Take this from me,” Jesus begged (Lk. 22:42). But, as he chose to serve God, the sins of the world were taken away. The Beggar… the Beggar chose God’s will. The Beggar, the Beggar chooses us. He chooses you, Reader! Whoever you are, whatever you’ve done, whatever you’ve chosen in the past. He chooses you now. He chooses me. He chooses us. Still.

            Is it coincidence that Jesus was recorded saying that he was sent by God to be the light of the world? I mean, he just said that before he gave the blind man light in his darkness. It is both a metaphorical and a factual, literal story of healing. The blind man never asked for either. After all, he probably just wanted some food or money. He didn’t anticipate the complete healing of his body and soul. Because, of his enlightenment, though, he was confronted with a choice. Do I put my faith in this Jesus, or not? Later in the story, he utters the most precious words God wants to hear, “Lord, I believe.” Earlier Jesus said, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:63). I’d say this story is certainly the work of God. Beggars can be choosers.

            Now, we have a choice to make. We can ask for coffee. We can ask for money. We could even ask for faith. Or… we could start asking for a complete miracle. We could start asking for a new life. Remember, God only gives. The disciples were given a storm. The beggar was given blindness. Jesus was given the curse. And every time God gave peace and light to those who asked for less than that. We, as beggars, can be choosers. We can choose Christ. He chose us so that we can choose him. We can choose to say with confidence for the glory of God, “Lord, I believe.”

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Eph 3:20 NLT). 

The Answer

God, among other things, is…

…The Creator, Sustainer, Author and Perfector, the Great High Priest, the Sacrificial Lamb, the Beginning, the End, the Son, the Father, the Good Samaritan, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Groom, the Lord of the Sabbath, the Deliverer, the Faithful One, the Fulfillment of the Law, Emmanuel, the Shepherd…

            Hearsay? Sure… if you’d like to call it that.

            But, I have heard these names and seen them to be true.

            In fact, the entirety of this blog is dedicated to those of you who need to hear and see that these names are embodied in one entity: God. It doesn’t matter to me whether you’ve never heard about God or if you have been going to church for 60 years. There is a common denominator among us all. Faithlessness through forgetfulness. Even those of us who have heard and seen the goodness of God forget who he is and who we are in him. We forget. We forget?

            That being the case, it does us all a bit of good to hear and see who God is on a regular basis.

           

                                                ********************

            I wonder sometimes if we hear and see God the way he wants us to. We might see him as a all powerful. We might see him as a mean judge. We might see him as a really nice guy.

            I wonder what would happen if we saw him as he declared himself to be. I don’t want to get caught up in who everyone else says he is. I don’t even want to get caught up in translations… let’s take his words… literally. (I want to make myself clear to the Reader… the following references are the literal translation of the words in the Bible.)

Who did he declare himself to be?

            Well, to Moses he said, “I Am.” To Israel he said, “I Am.” Again, he reminded the unfaithful “witnesses” of his essence by saying: “I Am” (Exodus 3:14, Deuteronomy 32:39, Isaiah 43:10).

            When God came to the earth he defined himself in the same manner. He comforted the tattered woman at Jacob’s well when she spoke of the coming Messiah by declaring, “I Am.” He approached his fearful disciples by prophetically uttering the words, “I am.” When the Jewish scholars prodded Jesus in disgust, “Who do you think you are?” he responded with the majestic and timeless words, “before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 4:26, 6:20. 8:58).

                                                ********************

            Reader, if the question that raps on your mind is why?,  know that God responds lovingly with, “I am.” If you wonder what the answer is to your perpetual sin, his words in response will inevitably be, “I am” (cf. Romans 7:25 NLT). If you’ve been wondering where God is in all the pain and suffering of this dark world, his response will be, “Before and after the pain was here… I am.” If you’re asking how we can follow the law and rules of the Bible, he will whisper, “I am.”

            I want to assure you, Reader, that there is no limit to who God is, where he exists, and what he can do. He is the Great I AM. His responses throughout the Bible are consistent. Still, he is who he is; he is who he always has been. Now, in the midst of pain, fear, waiting, guilt, happiness, sin, nothingness, busyness, or disbelief… he is the Great I AM and he always will be.  

Follow

Trust Him to Lead

Our God cannot be quantified. He cannot be grabbed, bottled, boxed, achieved, saved, stored or owned. He is borderless, limitless, and completely free. When this deep truth becomes realized in a Believer's heart, he arrives at a place in his mind where trust becomes a simple part of his nature. No longer do questions linger in his mind about the validity of the Bible, evolution versus creationism, what career path to take, whether he'll be able to eat tomorrow. All of life takes on new meaning.

            Trust is the fundamental element, the only essential element (according to John's side of the story) to the will of God. Jesus said, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life…" (John 6:40). Before that, John recorded Jesus saying, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent" (John 6:29). What, then, are we supposed to trust? Is it enough to simply believe that God exists? Well… I suppose one could say that it is "enough", but it doesn't end there for the Believer who legitimately wants to accept God's gift of peace, authority, and true life. To believe in God means that we trust in God. What are we believing and trusting in God for, though? I mean, where does our trust take us?

            To trust in God means that we believe in and rely on His leadership. That means we go where He goes. We desire what He desires. We are pleased with what pleases Him. We accept the fact that sometimes we just don't know. He leads.

            Ponder that for a second, if you would, Reader. Do I really trust God? Do I trust that He not only exists but that He wants to lead me? The Bible tells us that when we finally let Him lead, we will have peace… we will have authority… we will have life.

Manifestations

           

            Although God is unfathomably mysterious, He has not left us completely in the dark. He drops little hints here and there about who He is. It's interesting… a few years ago I began a conscious effort to look for signs that would show me more about God. The more I thirsted for Him, the more I sought Him, the more I found Him. I began to see Him everywhere until soon… my entire life and the entire world with all it's history became a huge analogy made up of trillions of little analogies. I began to see the world as one massive salvation story conducted by the Great Author. When a Believer becomes aware of God's salvation story and how it is unfolding all around him, he begins to see God's manifestations. These manifestations tell us more about who He is. Not to spoil the ending of the story for you, but He's won! It begins and ends with Him.

            The Bible gives us a myriad of examples of God's manifestations. Among them are fire, water, bread, oil, blood, breath. There are many more. They all tell us more about His personality, His characteristics. Each one is a symbol of God's leadership. He is constantly leading. I could literally write volumes about the various analogies and manifestations that God uses throughout the entire Bible to show us more about Himself. I won't… not now anyway…

            The question is… If, in fact, He is constantly leading, are we following Him?

Psalm 37

"Trust in the Lord and do good;

            dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the Lord

            and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;

            trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,

            the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;…"

                        Psalms 37:3-7

            I believe that if we all lived according to this psalm we would live to our fullest potential as followers of Jesus Christ. I want you, Reader, to take a few minutes with me and examine these five verses. Allow these concepts to drip into your mind. Do nothing as they begin to flood your entire heart space. I promise, the outcome is fruitful. Meditate on these words and ask God to invade. (However, before you do… take this as my warning… whenever you ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you or to invade your heart, He will come in His entirety; it may hurt… it may burn. Let his fire consume you and let His water nurture you.)

            I want to compartmentalize these verses into three big ideas: Our part, God's part, and the outcome. When we do things in communion with God, there are always historic results. When we live in step with the Father, according to His pace, we become the essence of His plan. As I was reading through this psalm last month, I became entranced by the inner workings of God's idea. Again, the simplicity of the Believer's life was vividly expressed to me. If you've read my blog for more than a few months, you'll notice that I repeat the same idea a lot: Living a life next to God is simple. His commands are not hard to understand. His pace is not hard to comprehend. His plan is not difficult to imagine. Working it out may be tough, but ultimately, God does not ask us to do impossible things. God does not ask us to do the things that He Himself will do. So, lets look at this psalm together and allow it to sweep us into a lifestyle. May this be more than a blog entry. May this be more than a good idea. Let it prompt you to action. Otherwise, don't read it. If you don't plan on making this a lifestyle, then you might as well be checking your email or roaming around on Facebook.

Our Part

           

            David wrote within these five lines seven commanding verbs:

                        *Trust in the Lord

                        *Do good

                        *Dwell in the land

                        *Enjoy safe pasture (or more literally "eat of the Lord's faithfulness")

                        *Delight yourself in the Lord

                        *Commit your ways to Him

                        *Be still before the Lord and wait

These suggestions are not new to us. These are all big ideas that Jesus himself communicated generations later. These seven concepts are repeated over and over and over again throughout the Bible. Our trust in the Lord sums up the entire Bible and fulfills our purpose in God's plan. Through the Holy Spirit's prompting and through His power, we "work out" these seven commands. These are things we do. Basically, our doing is not doing. Our part is to not have a part, but to allow God to father.

           

God's Part

            God's part is to orchestrate the mundane, the impossible and everything in between. Here in Psalm 37, David wrote out (right alongside our part) what God does, has done, and will continue to do. Check it out:

            When we…

… trust in Him, do good, and dwell with Him… God provides safety and sustenance in His faithfulness.

… delight ourselves in Him… God gives us the desires of our hearts. Our hearts become like His, and, therefore, our delight becomes his delight and our desires become His desires. He gives us what is His.

… commit our way to Him and trust Him… God will make your righteousness and justice reach to the ends of the earth.

… are patiently still before Him… God will act.

When our role, our part, and our efforts are boiled down to their final atom, they are simply a response to God's action. What, then, is a cause for worry? Whom should we fear?

The Outcome

            When we live lives that are with God, we are conquerors. What stops the hand of God? There is no limit to what He can do in you. There is no final sin that casts us too far from His mighty grip. There is no amount of time that can separate the Father from His children. There are no vows that are stronger than that of a Groom's. So, when we combine our efforts to release our efforts with God's promises is when we experience the fullness of Christ's payment. Enjoy the fact that is stated in verses 5 and 6: "… he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." Then, David tells us to wait for God to act in verse 7. So, let go.  Don't worry about "reaching enough people" or "being a good enough example" or "saving enough souls." That's not your role. Remember… HE will do this. He WILL do this. As long as you trust in Him and commit your way to Him, He does all the work. You are simply His still and patient conduit.

            So… I implore you, Dear Reader, to begin to exhaust yourself in your pursuit of these seven commands and to allow God to meet you there and to "make all things new." He is so excited to see you!

           

           

           

If I AM, You Are

            This is not an assault on the Church. This is not a Bellian approach to reform the Church. I am not writing to tear down the institution. We have heard enough about how the Church at large has failed and how the flood of "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" has drenched the carpets of our churches. Enough is enough. Okay. The modern Church has missed the point. Got it. Enough whining. Among the last things God needs is a bunch of whimpering, pharisaical freaks who refuse to stand with His authority. So, no, I'm not bashing the Church here. Instead, I'd like to explain the simplicity of the Christian life. If we understand the simplicity of who we are personally then we will have no choice but to paint it, to proclaim it, to cultivate it, to promote it, to spread it, to sing it. It'll simply fall out of us.

            The change starts personally before it wets the entire playing field.

            Last week I was at church and found myself utterly distracted during the worship set. I couldn't focus my thoughts. I closed my eyes and asked God to "distract me from my distractions." The very asking became my distraction. Before I knew it, I was analyzing the snare tone, thinking about an upcoming trip, wondering about what I was going to eat for dinner, planning a drum lesson, and poking at deep (though peripheral) theological issues. For whatever reason, I was jolted out of my strangely hypnotic "prayer." I opened my eyes. It was a new beginning. I again asked God to take over. Knowing that it is counterintuitive to ask God to make me pray an earnest prayer, I began to simply worship Him. I began to tell Him who He is. God, you are the Redeemer. You are Lord. You are the King. You are the Creator. You are Love. You are all knowing, all loving, all encompassing. My prayer went on and on with simple declarations as I told God what He tries to tell me all the time. Eventually, my prayer ended. I sat in silence. I felt like it was time to listen. What is it you want to say to me, Father?

            I heard Him say in a clear, uninhibited whisper, "My turn. Let me tell you who you are…" Just feeling His voice was enough to shake me up. I had to sit down. Check this out, Reader. I'm not making this up. The way He decided to romance me was beautifully unique. His words consumed and stung like fire but replenished and lingered like water.

            He whispered, "If I am the Redeemer… you are redeemed. If I am Lord… then you are a serf. If I am the King… you are my servant. If I am the Creator… you are my creation. If I am Love… you are beloved. If I am all knowing, all loving, all encompassing… then you are safe and secure in my love." He didn't stop there! "If I am the Builder… you are my temple. If I am the head… you are the hands. If you are the Bride… I am the Groom. If I am the Savior… then you are saved. If I sanctify… you are sanctified. If I am Life… then you live abundantly." He went on and on almost simultaneously. I couldn't keep up.

            My point is simply this: If we know who God is, we know who we are. Period. That is ALL we need to know. Everything else falls into place. After we understand God's definition for us, all the questions… all the questions about how the Church should operate, what songs we should sing during worship, if we should elect a Christian president, how we should treat a fallen pastor, whether speaking in tongues is appropriate, how we ought to pray, or how we should conduct meetings… seem to look an awful lot like heresy.

            How do we answer life's questions? Who sends us out to be the Church? "Moses said to God, 'Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of you fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?' God said to Moses, 'I AM.' This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:13-14). So, why does God refer to Himself as "I AM"? Because if He is, then we are. His life is our life. He brings is-ness where there is nothingness (1 Corinthians 1:28).

            What made God's revelation to me so brilliant was all in the way in which He chose to phrase it. He didn't simply tell me who I was. He told me who I was in relation to Himself. His phrasing implied action. In other words, He didn't say, "I am Love so you are beloved." Instead He said, "IF I am Love… then you are beloved." The operative word there is IF! It was as if He was asking me what I believe. "Who do you say I am?"

            So, I'm asking you, Reader. What do you believe? Do you call yourself a Believer? Do you believe that God is all loving and is omniscient as well as omnipotent? God defines us. I dare you to believe that! Watch what happens when you truly believe who God is and what He says about you. It changes everything. It ironically simplifies everything.

            If thousands upon thousands of us take on God's definition for us, the Church will no longer be probed by seething "atheistic Christians."

           

           

           

            

Luke 14, Part II: Discipleship

"Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator… I am fighting for the work of the Lord."

            -Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

Unbelief As Idolatry

            Needless to say, humankind has always come up with our own analysis of what God's will is. Obviously, Hitler was completely insane and all we can draw from the above statement is that he was utterly debased as he knew nothing of the true God. He wasn't alone, though. Since Adam and Eve, mankind has tried to hypothesize and theorize who God is and what He wills. Even today (or should I say especially today) we formulate our own personal philosophy of what the "work of the Lord" really entails. What does it mean to be God's disciple? The ironic thing about this "mystery" is that we don't have to guess. It's not as esoteric as we make it out to be. God's will is written out plainly in the sixth chapter of John's gospel account (apparently, Hitler missed that):

            *"The Work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (v. 29)

*"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day." (v. 40)

Something, then, has clearly gone wrong. The gears and pinions of this world are misshapen and rickety to say the least. The world has bastardized God's design with futile, erratic mechanizations that differ greatly from His work. Why, if God's will is clearly spelled out for us, are history books full of bloody crusades, religious intolerance, slavery, genocide… hate, deconstruction, and war? What happened?

            Well… in a word… unbelief happened. An unbelief in God means that only one umbrella sin has occurred: idolatry.

            The world has fashioned it's own definition of the words of God. That is, we've  made other things by which we live, worship, and obey. The culmination of which constitutes idolatry.

For instance:

Hate. The world says that we should hate those who hate us; we should hate those who wrong us. The world says that we should hate immorality, injustice, weakness, and narrow-mindedness. We should hate sinners.

Deconstruction. The world believes in the destruction of monotheism, of monogamous and unconditional marriage between a man and a woman. The world believes destruction should be used to rid our world of something; it should be part of a cleansing process. In the physical sense, destruction is a form of construction; it makes an opening. (For that reason, I've referred to it as deconstruction.) 

War. This world has seen war as a necessary means to settle arguments. War is declared as a means of progress, nationalistic pride, stability and sustenance. The world believes that war is an evolutionary process that siphons out the weak from the strong.

            These three words (hate, deconstruction, and war) were building blocks in Hitler's speech. He built an army. He adopted disciples. He created a fellowship, a dynasty, a family off of words like these. Hitler's motivation was derived from a beastly interpretation of the true definition and application of hate, deconstruction, and war. All of which he idolized as the "work of the Lord."

Original Definition

In front of a large crowd Jesus turned around to them to describe what being his disciple was all about. In Luke 14, Jesus describes the beauty of a life spent with him in an inverted form. He explains self denial, but then he uses two examples that are unique to Luke's account. He warns of the cost of discipleship. It says (with my emphasis added):

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

Let me get this straight. Jesus spoke of hate, deconstruction (the cost and labor of building) and war, too. Jesus has disciples. He also created a family.

So… what's the difference between a disciple of Jesus and a disciple of Fuhrer Adolf? (I'm only using Hitler to represent the world because it is an extreme example. Replace his name with any more relevant name you wish to use. In any case, the unbelieving world has a completely different and, in some cases, opposite set of definitions.)

Though there are many, many, many obvious differences, I'd like to point out one significant difference: Definition. It doesn't take long for a new believer to discover that God gives us true definition. This is one of the most profoundly intimate acts of God. Do you see, Reader? Like a Bridegroom to his Bride, He gives us a new name… or should I say… He reminds us of our original name.

Instead of Sinner, I am now called Son,

Instead of Saul of Tarsus, he is now the Apostle Paul,

Instead of Simon, he is now The Rock,

Instead of ashes, I have beauty,

Instead of mourning, I have the oil of gladness,

Instead of asking why, I can now worship,

Instead of being crippled, I can now walk

Instead of being blind, I can now see

Instead of fearing death, I can live life abundantly.

Humanity's common beliefs about who we are and what it means to be a disciple are, for the most part, misinterpretations. They are at best skewed versions of God's intentions. We were not given what the world offers us; we were given God's gifts (Rom.8:15, 1 Cor.1:12).

            When Jesus spoke of hate, deconstruction, and war, he meant them in a completely different, other-worldly context.

Hate: God says that we should "hate" (or love less) everyone around us so that we may love him more. We must hate the sin, not the sinner. Hate what is evil and cling to what is good (Romans 12:9). Hate is designated by God for the contempt of the flesh. This is a word that should never apply to other humans, but only to the dark, lustful nature of mankind.

Deconstruction: When God speaks of deconstruction, He is referring to the clearing out, the sanctification (the set-apart-ness) of our hearts. In order for us to live, something must die; in order for construction to take place, there must first be some form of deconstruction. Therefore, count the cost. There will be a cost to serve our God. But what a glorious home He will build in place of our tattered hearts. The stability of His foundation will far outweigh the cost.

War: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not of the world…" (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). When God mentions war, it is aimed at the things which are not seen. Our father fights for us on our behalf! Oooh… don't you see? He loves us! "With justice he judges and makes war" (Revelation 19:11). We must have a belligerent, warlike abhorrence for sin. As Paul says, we do not fight against flesh and blood, but the principalities of the unseen spirit (Eph. 6:12). Therefore, we shouldn't compromise, strategize or "ask for terms of peace." No, we need to fight. Jesus told us plainly that he "did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (see Matthew 10:34-38). God has already won the war, anyway! Passivity is reserved for the unbelievers who live by the old, illusory and dead-end definitions slathered on them by the world.

By whose definitions will you choose to live, Reader? Of whom are you a disciple? Do you follow Truth or liars?

Jesus said that the will of God is that we believe. If we believe, then we are his disciples. This discipleship resurrects our original meaning and deconstructs the world's confabulations and distortions of God's perfect and pleasing will.