A Disciple's Journey

Blog Moved

2011-06-16T11:18:00.002-05:00

I have moved my blogging over to www.drewcuster.wordpress.com

I hope you follow me there.

Thanks.

My Son's Imitation

2011-01-28T16:37:00.000-06:00

Last week, before my family came to visit, I finally got around to one of the items on my wife’s “honey-do” list. I had previously mounted my daughter’s curtains too low so the light was still coming in at the top. So I got my tools out and a chair and began to remount the curtains a little higher. My two year old son saw what I was doing and approached me intrigued. Anything done on a chair is awesome as far as he’s concerned. He watched me for a little while then went to ask mommy for his plastic tools, or “chools” as he pronounces them.

When he found his way back carrying his plastic pliers I was finishing up the remount and I must say I did a great job. The curtains were level and I only had to redrill holes twice. I finished and left the room to go put my tools away. When I came back I found my son with his plastic pliers pretending to fix things while on the chair. He would touch his pliers to the blinds and then the dresser and then say, “ee ix it.” Which is Lukaguese for, “I fixed it.”

When I saw this scene it hit me. You know what I’m talking about, those moments when your heart opens its eyes and sees familiar things in a different way. My son wants be like me. He is learning from everything I do and imitating it. He is not just imitating it in a Simon-says kind of game, but he seriously wants to become like me. The only way a two year old knows how to be like me is to imitate me.

So, I could write about what a big responsibility it is to model good behavior and good character for our kids, but you already know that. What I want to encourage you to do is to remember who you are to be imitating. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.” I believe that a natural response to loving God is imitation, just like my son’s love for me prompts him to pick up plastic tools.

God wants us to know that we are his children and that we are “dearly loved.” When we recognize how loved we are by God we won’t be able to help wanting to be like Him. Let us all recognize how much God loves us and in response to that love be “imitators” of his holy and loving character. More than anything, even fixing things, which I’m not really that good at anyway, I want my son to imitate my imitation of God. This is what I’ll focus on doing. I hope you will too.

New Year Goal-Setting

2011-01-04T13:28:00.000-06:00

Happy 2011 everyone! I don’t know how you feel this time of year, but I get very reflective. First, I think about how this past year went. What did I do well? What did I do badly? Then, my thoughts turn to this year. How would I like to improve? What can I do better? What goals do I want to set for this year? In life, it is important to take time to examine yourself and to see how improvements can be made. I think it is important to spend some significant time evaluating your life and setting goals at least once a year. Of course, you don’t have to set goals around the New Year, but it does provide a natural atmosphere for reflection and goal-setting.

These are my suggestions for goal-setting. Carve out some time alone and make goals in the following areas of your life below. You may think of more areas that I have not included here. I have provided examples next to each category.

1. Spiritually— “I will fast once a month”
2. Mentally— “I will read a book on parenting”
3. Socially—“I will invite someone over once a week”
4. Physically—“I will walk/run 4 times a week”
5. Financially—“I will make a good budget and stick to it”
6. Family—“I will carve out a date night each week with my wife”
7. Church—“I will serve with my gift of teaching”

You will have many goals under each category but don’t overdo it. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too much but take it to God and he will help guide you. Set these goals in an atmosphere of prayer and humility. When you are done, write them out or print them out and post it somewhere you will see it often. You have to always keep your goals before you if you intend to keep them. This list is just a good starting place for setting goals for your life and for 2011. Let us approach his throne as we think about glorifying him with our goals. I would like to end with a poem.

He came to my desk, with a quivering lip
The lesson was done.
Have you a new leaf for me, teacher.
I have spoiled this one
I took his leaf, all soiled and blotted
And gave him a new one, all unspotted.
Then into his stirred heart I smiled
“Do better now my child.”

I went to the throne with a trembling heart
The year was done.
Have you a new year for me, Father
I have spoiled this one.
He took my year, all soiled and blotted
And gave me a new one, all unspotted
And into my tired heart He smiled,
“Do better now, my child.”

How's Your Faith-Esteem?

2010-12-29T09:39:00.000-06:00

I used to be a Christian with a low faith-esteem. I did not have much confidence in my walk with God. It was not that I did not know the Bible because I did. It’s not that I did not strive to live for God because I did. It’s not because I doubted God too much or anything like that. What I mean by low faith-esteem is that I did not think I was good enough to approach God. I thought I did not deserve to ever be in the presence of God.

When I was younger, I pictured God as a meticulous note-taker from afar. He was always behind the scenes taking notice of all the ways I mess up. This was strange for me, because in every other area of my life I was always pretty confident, over-confident really. But when it came to God, I never felt like God wanted me near him. I knew I wasn’t good enough. I knew my sins and I knew that He knew my sins. This made me feel insecure and unworthy in my walk with God.

What has helped me with my low faith-esteem is passages like Hebrews 4:15-16. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

God’s Son understands. Jesus empathizes with us. Jesus knows about the temptations we go through. Jesus walked among us, lived a perfect life, and then he died as a sacrifice for our sins. The writer of Hebrews says that knowing this should propel us toward God’s throne with our head held high in confidence because he is full of mercy and grace to help us. Only when we truly understand that God empathizes with us will we be able to have a high faith-esteem. If we know that God understands our situation, we can be confident to approach his throne of grace with confidence and he will help us.

Becoming Less

2010-12-13T10:25:00.000-06:00

Many times I feel as if the greatest enemy that fights against my ability to adequately live for Jesus is…ME. I am talking about how naturally selfish I am. It is ingrained in me to think about what I want and then go get it. This is what the Apostle Paul calls our sinful nature. Paul says that our bodies are made up of “sarx,” translated “flesh”. This flesh is naturally selfish and fights for self-preservation and self-glorification. Left to its own devises, our flesh will always seek its own gratification no matter the cost, whether right or wrong.

In many ways, the Christian walk is a constant fight against our own selfish desires and motivations. Not that the goal is to beat the selfishness out of ourselves, but the goal is to follow Jesus. You cannot genuinely follow someone if you are always selfish. You have to give up the sins of the flesh to be able to adequately submit to Jesus. How can you possibly submit to the will of God if you are constantly seeking to get your own? It’s not possible! Following Jesus takes selflessness. It takes humility.

John the Baptist taught me something about selflessness and humility this week in our reading of John. In John 3, John’s disciples are pointing out to him that Jesus is now baptizing more than him. Jesus is stealing John’s followers! John could have been threatened by Jesus if he was about self-glorification or about self-promotion. Of course John didn’t mind. Jesus is the son of God and John was sent to prepare people to follow Him. I love what John says to his own disciples when he hears of this. “He must become greater, I must become less” (John 3:30).

It hit me this week that this should be our mantra as we strive to follow Jesus. I have to become less important in my own life. He has to become of greater significance in my life. We must truly learn to be selfless and humble if we are to become true disciples of Jesus and to truly experience the life to which he calls us. Like the classic hymn says, it should be our stance to live for “None of self and all of Thee.”

Zoo of Love

2010-12-08T09:49:00.000-06:00

My family and I went to the Houston Zoo on Saturday for the first time. We had a great time. We saw sea lions splashing and barking. We saw all kinds of monkeys swinging from trees. We saw this little orangutan trying to pick a fight with the big one by sneaking behind him and pulling his fur (or is it hair?). We saw elephants getting their nails done (yes they have them) while being fed treats so they would keep their feet up. It’s pretty amazing really. My kid’s favorite animals at the zoo were the plastic ones with the poles going through them that moved up and down and around in a circle. Go figure! One of the coolest things at the zoo was the piranha tank. There is a clear tunnel that runs through the tank so as your kids crawl through it looks like they are in the tank with the fish.

Can you imagine having to take care of all these animals? What a tiring job it must be to be a zoo keeper. It must be hard keeping all the wild animals alive, happy, and under control. Do you ever feel like a zoo keeper? Do you ever feel like all you are trying to do is get through your day with your kids alive, happy, and under control? I was thinking about this the other day when I was washing the chalk out of my son’s mouth. My 2 year old has decided that one of his favorite foods, one of the few things he actually looks forward to eating, is sidewalk chalk. Do you ever get worn out by all the stunts of your little ones? They can be very challenging and test your patience. Sometimes in the midst of all their animal-like stunts I can forget that the goal is not just to keep them alive, happy, and under control, although very important. The goal is love.

We all love our kids and want them to feel loved. Donald Miller writes, “Give a kid the feeling of being loved early, and they will be better at negotiating that other stuff as they get older. They won’t fall for anything stupid, and they won’t feel a kind of desperation all the time in their souls.” The most important gift that we have to give our children is love. This is why Jesus and the writers of the New Testament spoke so much about love. It tells us that God is love. God’s love is foundational to making our children a success in this world. Even though we may sometimes feel like we are living in a zoo, make it one filled with God’s love.

The Christian Atheist

2010-12-03T09:57:00.003-06:00

There’s a new book out right now called The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel. The idea of the book is fascinating. It is about how so many people lives their lives saying they believe in God, saying that they believe in Jesus, they say they are Christians but they live as if he does not exist. In other words, their belief does not influence their lives. They do not practice what they preach. Religiously they are Christians, but their lives and actions seem like that of atheists.

Groeschel says that in a way we are all recovering Christian atheists. We all have to fight daily to have our faith and deeds match up. He says that you may be a Christian atheist if you believe in God but don’t really know Him. When you believe in God but are ashamed of your past. When you believe in God but aren’t sure he loves you. When you believe in God but not in prayer. When you believe in God but don’t think he is fair. When you believe in God but won’t forgive. When you believe in God but don’t think you can change. When you believe in God but still worry all the time. When you believe in God but pursue happiness at any cost. When you believe in God but trust money more. When you believe in God but don’t share you faith. When you believe in God but not in His church.

I find it to be an intriguing yet disturbingly correct assessment of our present struggles to match our faith with our lives. We never want to be guilty of claiming to “know God, but by their actions they deny him” (Titus 1:16). May God continue to guide us as strive to live blameless and holy lives for Him.

A Daughter's Question

2010-12-01T16:49:00.000-06:00

My daughter Hannah sometimes has trouble staying in bed at night. She has recently realized that if she does not have anything important to tell us, we will immediately usher her back to her slumber chamber. Being the smart girl that she is, she has decided to try and come up with something important to ask us.

One night, Hannah slowly peaked around the corner from the hallway and looked into the living room. She looked disappointed to see just daddy sitting there. The look on her face said, “Dad is a tougher sell than mommy so I better try to get to mommy.” “Hey sweetie, it’s time for you to be in bed,” I said lovingly but with a no-nonsense tone. She thought for a second and said, “Daddy, I have to tell mommy something.” She looked pleased with herself, like she might have figured out how to get passed me. I quickly responded with, “What do you have to tell her that can’t wait till the morning?” She was stumped.

She then made the same demand a few times thinking that the more she said it the more likely it would be that I would allow it. That didn’t work. I finally said, “Tell me what you have to tell mommy and I will tell you if you can ask her.” She seemed displeased with this idea but went ahead and told me. She slowly and thoughtfully asked, “Daddy…why are we people?”

“What?” I said, as an instinctive smile formed. “Daddy, I have to ask mommy why we are people.” Now, with a full smile on my face and fighting back laughter I scooped her up and took little miss philosopher back to her pink dream quarters. She then gave up and finally went to sleep. Jamie and I shared a good laugh together later.

Even though Hannah’s question was mainly a ploy to stay up a little longer, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t a valid question. Why ARE we people? I got to thinking how in parenting we teach our kids a lot of things. But isn’t this question something that we should strive to answer for our kids?

As parents, it is our responsibility to teach our children that they are precious creations of God, that they are made to bring honor and glory to him, and that all our lives are to be lived out in the knowledge that God loves us. I look forward to many years of attempting to answer the question that she asked that night. I pray that God guides all of us as we strive to teach our children why we are people.

Trust Me

2010-11-30T12:09:00.001-06:00

Our level of trust in the world and the people in it has taken a significant hit over the last few years. People used to trust their spouses, their neighbors, their employees, their kids. No one trusts anyone anymore. We don’t trust big business, we don’t trust politicians, and we don’t trust the guy trying to sell us stuff. Even Christianity has been affected. In general, people don’t really trust Christians anymore. Why all the distrust?

The short answer is that we have been “burned.” People have failed us, business has failed us, investors have lost our money, fellow citizens have stolen from us, criminals have hurt us, products have broken on us, our families have upset us, and even fellow Christians have sinned against us. Because of this, we tend to think that the only one we can trust is ourselves. We are trustworthy right?

According to a recent gallup poll by Frank Luntz, did you know that 90% of Americans think that they are smarter than the average American? Also, 61% or Americans think they are more attractive than the average American. Interesting huh? What is most interesting to me, more than the fact that there are a lot of people that are mistaken, is the fact that we overestimate our intelligence more than our appearance. When comparing ourselves to others, we trust us.

But Proverbs 28:26 says that “He who trusts in himself is a fool…” So, we can’t lay our trust in ourselves either. Who then are we to trust? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Pr 3:5-6). Even though we live in world that is filled with distrust, we can trust God. I believe that by the message of God’s loving faithfulness and His people living out genuine Christian lives, we can bring trust back into the world we live in.

“The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him” (Ps 32:10).

Imitation

2010-11-22T09:56:00.000-06:00

Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.” I believe that a natural response to loving God is imitation. I remember seeing a picture that my mom took when I was about three, wearing my dad’s big shoes with a tie wrapped around my neck hanging down to the floor. I looked so happy. Why did I do that? Because I loved my dad. I loved him so much that I wanted to be like him. I even wanted to wear his big shoes and his tie. I felt so loved by my dad (and I still do).

God wants us to know that we are his children and we are “dearly loved.” When we recognize how loved we are by God we won’t be able to help wanting to be like him. Let us all recognize how much God loves us and in response to that love be “imitators” of his holy and loving character.

Being Great in the Kingdom

2010-11-15T15:18:00.000-06:00

In Mark 9:33-34, Jesus and his disciples are traveling when something interesting happens. “They came to Capernaum. When he (Jesus) was in the house, he asked them (disciples), ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.” I find this amazing. Imagine if you were traveling with Jesus, the Son of God, seeing him healing people everywhere you go, and hearing him speak wisdom constantly. What would you talk about with the other disciples? What would be the subject of conversation? I would like to think that I would not have much to say. I would be too awestruck by how great Jesus was to speak about anything that would detract from him. I would like to think that I would be so consumed with how great Jesus was and how privileged I was to be near him, that I would only speak about him and about our journey together.

What do the disciples end up talking about as they journey with Jesus? As they travel with Jesus they argue about who is the greater one among them! Can you believe that? Jesus is right there. You would think they would know better. In fact, they did know better, that’s why they pretended they didn’t hear Jesus when he asked what they were talking about. I guess that’s better than saying to Jesus, “uhh…nothin.” I wonder who was winning the “I’m the greatest” argument before Jesus interrupted. I wonder what that would of sounded like.

This story amazes me because it seems like the disciples are too stubborn to understand that ranking in the kingdom of God does not go in the same direction as ranking in the world. Jesus says that in the kingdom of God, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) In the world, the greatest means trying to out-do everybody. It means trying to make yourself the best. But in the kingdom of God, being the greatest means putting yourself aside for the service of others. Jesus lived to serve. Jesus died to serve. Jesus expects us to be the “greatest” servants in the world.

Perseverance

2010-11-10T10:25:00.001-06:00

“I can’t do it,” Joe said to me in tears. Joe had gotten up during a small group study that I was leading and walked out crying. I told everyone else to wait a moment and I chased after him. When I caught him he said, “If you walked a mile in my shoes and with my cane you would know that it’s not possible for me to have joy!” In our group study we had just read from James 1:2-3 that says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” Joe couldn’t take hearing that. Joe was in continual pain from wounds he got while serving in the armed forces. He was slowly and painfully dying from these injuries. “How can I find joy? Tell me!” Joe’s face had changed from sadness to anger. I had no idea what to say. I just stood there with tears in my eyes. Unsatisfied with my lack of words and concerned look, Joe walked away.

Have you ever felt like Joe? Have you ever wondered why God has allowed you or your loved ones to suffer? Have you ever been angered by the idea that we are to find joy in trials? We will never know for certain on this side of heaven, why we go through the terrible things we go through. We should not be discouraged to the point of quitting though. James encourages us with two thoughts. One idea is that trials develop perseverance in us. When trials happen in our lives God can use them to develop perseverance in our faith. God can mature us and those around us through hard times.

Secondly, James says in 1:12 that, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” Even in times of trial, the Christian can have hope because there is reward and relief for those who stay faithful in spite of awful trials in this world. God will give those who persevere a “crown of life” that will last forever. When this life is over and we persevere in our faith, God will bring into a life without any pain or suffering. This knowledge should help us to have joy when we face trials.

Transformed not Conformed

2010-11-08T15:03:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite passages is Romans 12:2 which says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” It all starts with our thinking! God wants us to have our minds “transformed” to think about God’s will. God’s will is of course thinking about things that are pleasing to Him. It is described as good, pleasing and perfect. Transformed thinking is graceful, kind, righteous, pure, and selfless.

The fact that Paul is urging us to be “transformed,” points to the reality that we are not naturally or instinctively godly in our thinking. Paul hints that the Roman Christians, and us too, often allow our minds to be conformed to the pattern of this world. What is the pattern of thinking in our world? It seems to me that to be worldly in our thinking is to be selfish, materialistic, impure, destructive, and downright mean. Through sinful thinking our minds can be “malformed” (it means badly formed) instead of “transformed” into the likeness of Christ.

How do we transform our minds to be godly? TV, movies, music, and bad company all have a way of conforming us to their way of thinking. That can be good or bad, so choose wisely. We have to eliminate the influences in our lives that move us toward worldly thinking. Most importantly, we have to surrender our minds to God through prayer, meditation, time in His word, and through Godly relationships. Through prayer, reflecting on the Word, making good decisions, and through godly relationships, God can begin washing away the conformity and deformity, and present us as transformed minds more in the likeness of His Son.

Reliance

2010-11-01T16:22:00.000-05:00

In 2 Corinthians chapter 1, Paul talks about some of the recent hardships that he had suffered in Asia. It must have been some sort of persecution involving physical and emotional pain. He says that the suffering was so great that he “despaired even of life” (v.8). He says that his heart “felt the sentence of death.” He then goes on to write something that I had not remembered, but something that hit home with me. He writes in verse 9, “But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God.”

It is only human nature to rely too much on ourselves. We think we can handle it. We can take it. We can do anything we put our mind too. We can become anything we want to be. All of these phrases, which we have all heard, put too much reliance on our own abilities. Paul says in this passage that suffering, failure, pain, and trial have happened in his life to remind him that he is unable to do things without God. Without dependence on God, we are unable to be a success in life.

Some of the greatest failures in my life happened because I put too much reliance on myself and not on God. In other places the Bible calls this self-reliance— “pride.” Pride does come before the fall. God many times brings about the “falling” in our lives to teach us that we are to rely on him and not ourselves. It is easy to rely too much on ourselves when things are going well. During times of sickness, despair, loss, and heartache God lovingly and painfully teaches us to rely on Him. The important thing is that we learn from the lessons that God teaches us. May God help us as we continue to grow in our reliance on Him!

Easter and Black Friday

2010-04-05T11:00:00.003-05:00

I think Easter and the day after thanksgiving, a.k.a. Black Friday, have some real similarities. Black Friday is the single biggest shopping day of the year. Shoppers hit the stores at insain hours to find the perfect gift at a perfect price. Similarly, Easter is the single biggest church attendance day of the year. Many people who don't usually go to church will go that day. Leading up to Black Friday, retailers advertize their sales on television and through the mail to get customers in the door. Leading up to Easter, churches advertize their special Easter service and prepare to receive visitors with an impressive display of hospitality and show off their services and ministries. On Black Friday stores strive to capitalize on peoples hightened interest in buying gifts for the holidays. On Easter, churches strive to capitalize on peoples interest in going to church.

What do these similarities mean? I'm not really sure, but maybe it points to churches becoming too consumer oriented. I can't see Jesus trying to convince the masses to come to his church through programs and services that meet the needs of the local families. That's just my opinion. To make disciples of Jesus we need to model the kingdom life through genuine relationships with those outside the faith. Easter services are fine and all, but they are often geared towards impressing and creating a good show, instead of an opportunity to form new relationships with new people so we can share the gospel with them.

These are just some thoughts that were going through my head yesterday.

Love

2010-02-15T13:00:00.000-06:00

Every year more and more money is spent on Valentine’s Day to say “I love you” to the ones we love, but in spite of our efforts we are still seeing a lot of divorces and dysfunction in families (maybe even more than the year before). This has led many to question love.

Jesus says “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you”. Is love possible in this world? Love seems like it brings more bad than good. The ones you love bring so much hurt to you. They sin against you. They lash out. The betray you. They show favoritism and leave you out. A loving relationship will be good for a while and then Kaboom, it explodes in hurt and disappointment. Doesn’t it?

Love seems so complicated too. There are so many misunderstandings that happen in relationships. There are so many unpleasant expectations, hidden and not so hidden. People are so messed up! Is love even possible? Why do we keep failing in our relationships in our families, friends, and church? Why is it so hard?

The short answer is because we are all unlovable. We are not easy to love. We make things difficult for others to love us. We are sinners. We are inherently selfish. We judge others and hurt people’s feelings. We expect things our way. We worry and snap at our loved ones. We have bad morning breath and get grumpy when we run out of nachos. Everyone of us are seriously unlovable.

Is love possible then? Well, no. Not if love depends on the nature of the one you are trying to love. Love is not possible if it depends on whether or not that person will always be good to you. It is not possible if it depends on whether that person will fail you. It is not possible if it depends on whether that person will ever act ugly toward you. You will never be a good lover of people if you are waiting on others to get their act right.

Jesus taught something revolutionary. For Jesus: love depends on the nature of the lover not on the beloved. The reason we haven’t been getting love right is because we had it backwards. The quiche, “True love comes from within,” is so cheesy, but true. Love does not come when we expect others to be lovable, because they won’t be. It comes when we decide that our nature will be love. It comes when we cultivate hearts that will love no matter what. Even though our loved ones will fail us, love will not.

We hear all kinds of lies about love. “Love is a feeling” is a big one. No it’s not. Feelings come and go but love stays. The butterflies that happen in romance have to do with attraction, not with love. Attraction is a God given thing, but it’s not love. Love is something from the heart not the gut. Love is a forever commitment for the betterment of the other person, not a “here and then gone” feeling.

Another lies is that love depends on whether a person is lovable. There is nothing revolutionary about loving those that are lovable or attractive to us or loving those that love you. Remember what Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that.” (Matt. 6:32-33) We are to love the unlovable not just the easy to love. Jesus lived among the unlovable remember. We will only be given credit for true love if we are able to love those who do not treat us with love. Jesus even says to love enemies.
Love depends on the nature of the lover not of the beloved.

The basis for all of this is God’s love for us. We are unlovable but God loves us anyway. “While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” God loves because he is love not because we are anything worth loving. Let us love because we are love not because we expect anything out of anyone.

This Valentine’s Day strive to love your loved ones because you are love and because God loved you (and still does).

Defiled

2010-02-08T11:44:00.001-06:00

Matthew 15:1-20 continues to show Jesus’ concern for the inner heart of man over the legalistic rules of religion. Jesus is upset that the Pharisees make up their own rules and follow their own traditions instead of following the direct commands of God. Not that they reject the laws of God, only that they prioritize their laws over God’s. Jesus turns the issue to the heart when he quotes Isaiah and says, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God’s commands with their own man-made teachings.” (Matt. 15:8-9, NLT)

So, Jesus is saying, “Don’t follow your own laws but follow the Lord’s laws.” Well, yes and no. He does want us to follow God’s commands but not in the way that we think. For Jesus takes the commands of God and takes them from the realm of legalistic law and places it the realm of the heart. He goes on to say in verse 10-11, “Listen to what I say and try to understand it. You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do.” Jesus totally reinterprets for his disciples the meaning of living the commands of God. Following the commands of God, for Jesus, is not a matter of reliably and systematically following the Old Testament like a giant check list. But instead, following the commands of God can only be done from a pure heart.

This discussion with the Pharisees began because they were disturbed that the disciples did not wash their hands before their meals. On a side note, I am disturbed too. That’s bad manners. Anyway, the ritual of washing speaks to the issue of purity which has been, and still is, an incredibly important part of the Jewish religion. The purity laws are an important part of who they are. There are all kinds of laws stipulating what they are and are not to touch, each, and do, in order to not be defiled before God. But Jesus makes a radical statement, “You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do.” We don’t understand how deeply controversial this principal was in those days.

The teaching of purity of heart over legalistic religion was a teaching of incredible significance to Jesus. This topic comes up in Matthew chapters 6, 12, 15 and 23. As followers of Jesus and members of his earthly kingdom let’s remember cultivate pure hearts over constructing man-made traditions.

Yoke

2010-02-01T10:35:00.002-06:00

Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." (Matt. 11:28-30, NLT)

I always thought the "burdens" in this passage were talking about our personal sins, struggles, trials, and heartache. This of course is true, but there is somethings deeper here. Humanity is overburdened with religion. Religion can be an oppressive, heavy burden. Especially the legalistic kind. The kind with all the rules and regulations. The kind where you feel you are walking on eggshells around the priests or preachers. The kind where you never want to be seen as being imperfect. The kind that lends itself to people judging each other. The kind that never makes you feel good enough. The kind that puts actions over character. The kind that treasures sacrifice over mercy. The kind that values tradition over service. The kind that looks to gain members instead of disciples. The kind that looks for attendance over openness. The kind that likes graceful appearance more than divine grace. The kind that values lists over heart.

Religion can be burdensome to our souls. It can make a soul weary. It can frustrate it and make it uneasy. It can make it impatient and judgmental. It can depress it and make it uptight. It can make it critical and cynical. We can be so concerned with religion that our souls can suffocate under its heavy, burdensome load.

Jesus says, "Throw off that unnecessary yoke. It's killing you. I care about your soul. I care enough to give you what you need. Take what I have to offer. Take my yoke. It is light and easy on your soul. Following me should be free of the binding, restricting, soul-confining traditions of religion. Carry my load only. Follow me alone. Let me teach you. Follow only what I tell you. I will give your soul what it needs and you will feel the benefits of my yoke. The freedom, tranquility, peacefulness, love, openness, joy, and hope. Only in carrying my yoke will you truly find rest for your soul."

Jesus did not start a new religion. Jesus wanted his followers to escape the traps of legalistic tradition and follow him alone. I am not saying, "Give me Jesus and not the church." I am saying to the church, that we need to stop pretending that tradition is something that Jesus wants for his disciples. Legalistic traditions bind and confine. Jesus brings freedom and a light load. May God give us the wisdom to learn to carry Jesus' yoke alone.

Fulfill

2010-01-22T14:18:00.002-06:00

I believe that Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) is the most important passage on discipleship, or what it means to be a follower of Jesus and a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. There are a lot of important teachings on priorities and morality for those who are a part of His kingdom. One particular passage that has been hard for me to understand is Matt. 5:17-20. This passage sheds light on Jesus’ view of the Old Testament. The passage says,

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (NIV)

This passage has to me always sounded like Jesus was highly concerned with keeping the Law and encourages all his followers to do the same. I mean, in a legalistic way. If this is true, then it would be contradictory to his teachings in other places, even in the Sermon on the Mount.

Being a reader of the NIV, it has been hard for me to understand this passage for two reasons. First, they mistranslate the end of verse 18 which says, “until everything is accomplished.” This makes it sound as if a major emphasis of Jesus teaching is about keeping laws. But, the passage should more accurately read, “until what it looks forward to arrives.” I get this translation from R.T. France. The correct sentiment of the verse is that the law and prophets will not disappear until the whole thing finds its fulfillment, or full meaning, in Jesus. So, an important role of the Old Testament is to point toward the coming of Jesus and his saving work. Well, that makes more sense.

Second, they mistranslate the word “breaks” at the beginning of verse 19. This makes the verse sound like Jesus is teaching his disciples to be legalistic keepers of the law that are not to break any commands. R.T. France says that the word should be more accurately translated, “place aside” or “reject.” Christians are to accept and love the Old Testament and are not to reject any of it. Jesus was not talking about keeping the law like the Pharisees. Instead he wanted his followers to accept the Old Testament and see Jesus as fulfilling it.

Jesus even mentions the Pharisees in a negative way in verse 20. Jesus wants his followers not to follow the Pharisees example of literal obedience but instead he wants righteousness. Jesus wants a character that strives for moral obedience more than legalistic observance. The way of the Kingdom is about doing right not about keeping the right rules. Sometimes doing the right thing will go against established religious, political, social, or cultural rules.

So, the Old Testament is to serve the church as it points to Jesus. We learn from its stories, laws, and messages but find its full meaning in Jesus. It serves the Kingdom as its citizens strive to live in all righteousness.

Prove it

2010-01-19T12:36:00.002-06:00

My journey through the New Testament has begun in Matthew. I was reading in Matthew 3 where the Pharisees and Sadducees go to see what John is up to in the desert. When John sees them, he is not happy about it. The Pharisees and Sadducees were the two major Jewish religious parties of John’s, and Jesus’, day. They represented institutional Judaism. They were the ones who made the rules and held religious power. It says in Mathew 3:7 that they came to watch John baptize. I don’t assume that they came to support John’s ministry, analyze his baptizing technique, or to be baptized themselves. They probably came to make sure that their religious power was not threatened by this desert prophet. They probably came to check up on him or even to figure out how to get rid of him, like they did to Jesus later. John knows this and immediately points them out as “snakes,” or deceivers.

He says to them, “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.” Basically he says, “You are not saved by inheritance, but by turning to God and living right.” John goes on to say, “Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and through into the fire.” This idea is later taught by Jesus also.

We do not inherit our salvation through a bloodline but instead salvation comes to those who bear fruit, which means doing good or blessing others. Salvation is still a free gift from God, we do not earn salvation, but good works are required of those who accept God’s salvation. We have to prove it. All of us inherit things from being born into a particular family. We inherit the way we look, relatives, a language, an ethnicity, and a culture. We also inherit a set of values, priorities, and a religion. Some lucky ones of us inherit some money from a rich relative, that won’t be me. Although these things that we inherit are important to whom we are, and we should spend considerable time getting to know who we are, it is not important in terms of salvation. The Pharisees and Sadducees thought, according to John, that they had it made with the big man upstairs only because they had Abraham on their family tree. They had inherited salvation in their minds. Something inherited is not usually worked for. I did not work hard to get my brown eyes. I just got them.

I wonder sometimes if those who have been born into Christian families, that includes me, need to remember this principle, "Prove it." We will not, or are not pleasing God simply because we were born into a Christian family, live our lives by conservative Christian values, or take part in weekly Christian rituals. Those who belong to God’s family are those who have turned from a life that has been self-centered, and have turned to Jesus, to live according to his kingdom priorities and values. Christians are to live lives intent on bearing fruit to bless others. We have to prove it. May we never let the attitude of the religious teachers of John’s day creep into the way we approach God’s salvation. We inherit God’s salvation through faith in Jesus and display that faith through kingdom choices, priorities, and by blessing others.

The Ways of Babylon

2009-02-20T13:52:00.004-06:00

(The following post is a sermon I preached based on a Tony Campolo sermon I heard this January at the National Conference on Youth Ministries in Colorodo Springs. He rocked my world with one of the most powerful messages I have ever heard. It is a needed message for all who live in this country. I pray that my version of this message will be a blessing to you.)

I have had difficulty in my life, especially when I was younger, knowing what to make of the book of Revelation. I participated in a bible bowl group that studied the book of Revelation for a tri-state bible bowl competition. I know the book well, as far as what chapter was the 7 headed beast mentioned, etc. But right off the bat I began to wonder what the book was all about and what does it have to do with me. Some people have taken the book very literally and use it as a prophetic description of what is to come. In it they see descriptions of an antichrist that is coming, a description of a literal 1,000 year reign of Jesus that is on its way, and other conclusions. A lot of very interesting conclusions come from interpreting the book this way.
I see it differently though. It is not just me, but many if not most notable biblical scholars agree with me (haha), that the book of Revelation was not written to describe future things that are going to happen, but instead it is a book written to the early church to explain to Christians how they are to live out their lives for Christ in the midst of their surrounding culture. It is there to encourage early Christians to hold firm to Christ amidst the persecutions and influences of the dominant Roman culture.
Now, there is a lot of code language used in Revelation. And one of these code words is the word used for the Roman Empire. They did not straight out mention the Roman Empire in the book for fear of what it would do to them. So they used a code word. That code word is Babylon. When Babylon was mentioned by early Christians they knew what it meant. They knew that Babylon refers to the dominant culture around them.
Today it is much the same. Every Christian has its Babylon. If you live in France, then France is your Babylon. If you live in Japan, it is Japan that is your Babylon. But you and I live in the United States, so the United States is our Babylon. Now don’t get me wrong. I love the United States. It is the best Babylon on the face of the earth. But it’s still Babylon people. It is not the Kingdom of God.
Revelation chapters 18-19 is a description of Babylon, its awful character, and how it will fall. Babylon has become a perfect place for evil spirits, and buzzards and beasts that feast on men. It has become a place of indescribable immorality and it shares its wine of passionate sins with all the nations. Babylon has influenced the whole world to live by its corrupt values.
Babylon also consumes a ton. In Rev. 18:11 and following there is a long list of things that Babylon consumes. Babylon does not mind exhausting the world resources. Sound familiar? We have to import natural resources like crazy to keep up with our desires. The United States is 6% of the world population but consumes 43% of the worlds resources. Babylon exhausts the resources of the world.
People are living outside of their resources too. We bought houses we couldn’t afford. Like I need to talk about this one. We buy big houses. Bigger than we have ever seen before. But not because the families are getting bigger. Families are shrinking. The average now of kids per family is 1.94.
If families are getting smaller then why are houses getting larger? Because of all the stuff we have! We need room for all the stuff we got. We spend all our resources buying stuff that no one needs. And put it in a house too big for our family. You have felt that problem during holidays or birthdays. The problem of how do you buy stuff for someone who has everything. The solution to that problem is that we should stop wasting money of things no one needs. But we don’t have the guts to not buy presents for those who have everything do we? Instead we search for days, weeks, maybe even months, for that one thing that they may not have but definitely don’t need.
You may be saying, Drew, your making our lifestyle sound so absurd. Your making our way of life sound disturbing. It is absurd. It is disturbing. Because we spend our money on things that do not satisfy the soul. We exhaust our resources running after ways of life that do not satisfy. And we borrow like crazy looking for a level of life that will bring great happiness. We max out our credit cards. We borrow for great big vehicles that we can’t afford. And we take out mortgage after mortgage that is way to big for us. All of this is done looking for that which satisfies the soul. But none of it does. And when banks run out of money because of so many borrowers they borrow from China. You do know that we borrow a trillion dollars a year from China. Tony Campolo said “They don’t have to conquer us they are going to own us.”
We are Babylon and it is falling apart on us. It is scary for us I know. And many of us have been directly affected by the crumbling economy. But all of the kings horsemen and all of Barracks men may not be able to put Babylon together again. And are we ok with that? A recent economic advisor to the president said that he could easily see breadlines in this country soon like they have in Poland if things don’t turn around quick.
Rev 18:11 mentions that the merchants weep and mourn for her because there is no one left to buy their goods. The one who made them rich is falling. Merchants can’t sell their stuff. Can’t you feel that right now. All the sales that are going on right now and stores are still closing down and the merchants weep and mourn because the system that once made them rich is falling.
But we see another reaction in chapter 19 of Revelation. It comes from a large crowd and they shout Hallelujah! It is from the people of God and they cry Hallelujah because the great prostitute has been brought down. Wait a minute, are you calling our dominant culture a prostitute. Oh, Drew that’s too far. Well, wait a minute. What do men and women who are prostitutes do? They seduce. And don’t try to tell me that Babylon has not seduced you into a consumeristic lifestyle that is obscene. I know that it has me.
While 35,000 men, women, and children starve to death each year. I live in a country that is guilty of eating too much. I had people in Bolivia ask me all the time, "Americans are pretty fat huh?" Well, yeah. Our pleasure hoarding materialism is obsene. And it is all in expense of the poor. And many people around the world and those in the kingdom of God will cry, “Hallelujah” when this system collapses.
Our kids are being seduced by Babylon too and we seem to be ok with it. They are seduced to buy so much stupid stuff. Commercials are geared so much to young people because they are the ones looking for identity and happiness more than any group. And ads on TV and the Internet are selling a spiritual lifestyle that is sick. Our kids are taught that they are to get a good education to get a good job, and if you get a good job then you will be able to make a lot of money, and if you get a lot of money you can buy all the stuff that Babylon has seduced you into buying. And so they spend their lives this way. They spend their lives chasing after that which does not satisfy.
As the kingdom of Babylon falls and it will fall. All Babylons fall. Do we want to invest ourselves in it or should we listen to God’s call to come out of Babylon and to give ourselves to Him and His Kingdom. God tells us in Rom. 12:1-2 to not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you can do the will of God (my paraphrase from the NIV). Not being conformed is more than making and keeping a list of do’s and don’ts but it is a lifestyle based on the Kingdom and it's values. I am afraid that too many Christians are more committed to Babylon in their lives then they are the kingdom of God. I am too afraid of knowing what I would chose if it came down to it.
In light of all this discussion, the words of Jesus on the sermon on the mount make a lot of sense. The words of Jesus on the sermon on the mount make little sense to those in Babylon. The part of the sermon where Jesus says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." Store up treasure in heaven. It’s easy to forget to take care of our soul when we are so busy accumulating and taking care of all our stuff and possessions that need attention.
The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12 applies here. Read the parable. Even in my young life I have caught myself concerned and worried about the future. I even now get worried about retirement. I wonder if there will be any Social Security left when its my turn to collect. I worry if I am saving enough for retirement out of my monthly check. I worry that if I don’t set financial goals now for the future that I will never get there. And I hear God say to me, “You fool.” Why do you worry about such things. Store up treasures in heaven.
Then I remember other words of Jesus on the Sermon of the Mount. In Matt. 6:25-34, Jesus say, "Do not worry about tomorrow." He says, "I will take care of you like I do the birds and the flowers." We have been seduced. We have been seduced into a lifestyle that makes us think we are to run after these worries. And this is how we live our lives. Running, working hard to store in barns for the day we can take it easy. But the Lord says, “Seek first my kingdom and I’ll take care of you.” Don’t invest in Babylon because you think it will take care of you. Besides, it’s falling remember. Invest in me and I’ll take care of you like I do the birds, flowers and everything else I’ve created.
During this time of economic downspin, churches have to make a lot of reevaluations because giving is down. Budgets are down 30-40% nation wide. Things are getting cut. And churches and his people are having to ask, “Is God’s ministry dependant on money. Can I minister even if my ministry is not receiving funding from the church?” We have to reevaluate why we are a part of the church. What are we in it for? Are we in it to promote God’s ministry or the values of Babylon?
The philosopher Kierkegaard said, “This present age will die because of lack of passion.” And Babylon feeds on passion in feeds on the souls of men. Like at the end of the list of things that Babylon consumes in Rev 18. The very last thing on the list is the souls of men. It feeds on our souls and leaves us dry. It leaves us seated in our pews without passion for his work, without passion for his gospel, and without passion to live in Christ. We are neither hot nor cold but we are cool. And we don’t mind just being cool and comfortable. But Jesus said in Revelation, "if your just cool I will spit you out of my mouth. Where is our passion? I want you on fire for me."
Tony Campolo works at Eastern University where he works hard to help kids see the need to give their lives to serve the poor and the oppressed. And one time a parent came in angry wondering why he is teaching them to throw their potential lives away to live among the poor. The angry father said, “Well, don’t get me wrong, professor, I don’t mind serving the poor or being Christian up to a point.” Don’t we all do that in our lives. Isn’t there that point that we don’t want to cross in following Jesus. "Jesus I’ll sell all that I have and follow you…up to a point." "Yeah, I won’t pursue the values of Babylon and seek your kingdom first…up to a point." After the boy's dad said that the boy said, “could that point be the cross?” Wow, could that point be the cross. We will easily follow Jesus when it is easy but what about when its hard. Jesus said take up your cross and follow me. That isn’t easy. Jesus says, "Forsake Babylon, take up your cross and follow me."
To be people that are different from those who follow the ways of Babylon we have to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. This takes a lot of spiritual strength. It is impossible for us to fight the mother of all prostitutes, Babylon, without spiritual strength from our Father. It take being filled with His empowering Spirit. I’ve always wanted to have incredible passion for God. And that is a favorite word among young people today. They, as I did and still do, value passion for life and anything else. But God wants us to have passion for Him. Not just as an ingredient that help us to be passionate for something else. I remember being awed by the passion that I saw at an Pentecostal service I attended with a couple friends at Harding. Yeah they have passion, but I don’t understand that stuff. God doesn’t give me passion that way. So that can’t be it.
So I’ve tried trough praying. But I don’t know how to pray. Like most of us we don’t know how to pray. We approach it like a little boy who is going off to bed for the night and says, “I’m going to my room to pray and go to bed, anyone want anything?” We approach prayer like it’s a time for us to give non-negotiable demands to the Almighty. We even approach prayer as an avenue for us to get God on our side in pursuit of the things of Babylon. "Give me this or that."
There is an astounding amount of books on prayer and meditation and spiritual disciplines and we can get overwhelmed. During my time at Harding Graduate School of Religion, I was able to read some from the past fathers of spiritual formation. There is a great amount of literature on wonderful practices of prayer, fasting, and meditation that we can draw from to gain the passion and strength from our Lord.
Campolo mention one form of prayer that he learned from Ignatius that I have been trying. Ignatius wrote about centering prayer. Those who practice centering prayer, get up before they have to and they go somewhere where there are no distraction. Remember when Jesus said that if you want to pray in front of people go ahead. It has its own reward. But if you really want to pray to me to be heard…go into a closet. In other words, go somewhere where there are not distractions. And what is done in secret I will reward.
Anyway, centering prayer is about getting where there are no distractions and putting your mind on Jesus. There is an African American spiritual that I used to sing at the Frayser Mission Church that went, “I woke up this morning with my mind it was set on Jesus.” And that’s what this prayer is all about. The only thing you say is the name of Jesus. Because there’s something about that name. The evil ones can’t stand the sound of that name. It drives the forces back.
The morning is the time that my mind wants to race ahead to all the things waiting on me to do. But we have to put those things on hold for a little bit and hand them over in the name of Jesus. Through prayer that is focused on our Lord we begin to feel strength and power to stand up to Babylon. We feel strong to avoid the temptations on the prostitute of our culture. This is what Paul meant by "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." It doesn’t mean that you will be able to run faster, dunk a basketball, or take a test better. It means that through Jesus you will have power to stand up and do the right thing in this age of evil.
Through Jesus it is possible for us to escape the grips of Babylon. Through Jesus it is possible for us to be set apart for his service. Through Jesus it is possible for us to rely on his kingdom. Through Jesus we are given indescribably joy for our lives. Through Jesus it is possible for us not to worry all the time. Through Jesus we will be able to say "no" to the wide and easy life that is Babylon’s and "yes" to the self-sacrificial lifestyle of our Lord. Through Jesus all things are possible.
Through centering prayer Jesus becomes a fountain that pours love, peace, and joy into our lives. We begin to see the world in different colors. I feel like my eye sight is sharpened and my senses refreshed after being in the presence of Jesus. I am aware of what God is concerned about. I see the world the way God intended. This is what the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, does. He gives us strength. He empowers. Only through prayer that is focused on our Lord will we gain the strength resist Babylon.
The problem is that the spiritual fire for God fades like a bonfire needs more logs. We need daily charges of his power. Last friday, I went to the movies. It was poring rain. I got out and ran to the show. Afterward I returned to the car and realized that I left the light and wipers on. What was I doing? Anyway, the car battery was drained. I needed a jump. One of my teens gave me a jump. So often, I go through my day with a dead spiritual battery. And my battery is dead, and my lights are out, so my power steering doesn’t work, and I don’t move for God. I need to remember to keep getting in that closet with my Lord often.
Let us remember to not conform to the powers of Babylon but be transformed by the renewing of our mind through spending time in the closet with our empowering Lord.

Life is Spiritual

2009-02-04T14:31:00.000-06:00

I have recently been thinking about how I have often used the term "spiritual life" to describe the part of me that involved my soul. The part of me that has a relationship with God. The part of me that has to do with matters of spirituality. Wait a minute, I thought, there is no "part" of my life that is spiritual. Yes I have a spirit. And I am indwelled by the Spirit. But, is not all of life "spiritual".

Does not "spiritual life" imply that there are multiple lives in my existence and only one is submitted to God. For instance, I have a social life, an academic life, a home life, a church life, and a carreer life. So there are many "lives" that occupy my days on this earth. I know well that people who do not submit all areas of their lives to the reign of God are hypocrites. We know well what God will do with those people. These people like to make their "spiritual lives" look good to others but in reality their lives are not fully submitted to God.

So, I don't like the term "spiritual life" anymore and will cease to use it. I do not have a "spiritual life" but my entire life, including my home, friendships, family, church, and carreer; are all a part of my one life that is committed to the cause of Christ and his indwelling Spirit. All of life is spiritual because God is spirit and is to be worshiped all the time and in every context.

"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24