Tag Archives: faith

The Pilgrim Progresses as an Athlete

22 Jan

The Pilgrim progresses with the disciplined mindset of a soldier

The Pilgrim masters the rules to travel with integrity and laser like focus

In the 1980 Boston Marathon, Rosie Ruiz crossed the finish line in record-breaking time. She was crowned the victor, draped in the traditional laurel wreath, and celebrated as a marvel of endurance. But the celebration was hollow. Within days, the truth emerged: Ruiz hadn’t run the race. She had slipped out of the crowd undetected by the marshals, and taken a subway to the final stretch, re-entering the course just in time to claim a prize for miles she never covered.

She had the title, but she lacked the integrity. By flouting the rules she demonstrated her lack of character.

The Pilgrim Progresses as an Athlete

Paul’s letter to Timothy warns us against this “subway spirituality.” He reminds us that the life of a pilgrim is not a scramble for status, but an athletic endeavor in which character counts. As Paul writes: “Follow the Lord’s rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize” (2 Timothy 2:5, TLB).

To be a Pilgrim in Process is to realize that the shortcut is a lie. True victory is found in the three pillars of the athlete’s integrity.

Follow the Rules

The Two Trails: Why Discipline is a “Four-Wheel Drive” Experience

In the Kingdom, the “rules” aren’t a heavy slog under a whip; they are the practice of keeping in step with the Holy Spirit.

I recently took a father-son’s trip to Costa Rica to hike the trail to the Rio Celeste. Most folks take the busy tourist trail to see the

I recently took a father-son’s trip to Costa Rica to hike the trail to the Rio Celeste. Most folks take the busy tourist trail to see the famous blue waterfall, One views it from a platform and swimming is forbidden, A local tipped off my son about a trailhead a few miles down the road where you could actually swim.

That trail didn’t have a single soul on it. It started as a pleasant meander and then plunged—about 430 feet down a rocky, gnarlymess of a path. My two sons, worried about an octogenarian navigating those rocks, hovered over me like guardian angels. I eventually took a spill, gashing my knee and leaving a bit of skin as a “donation” to an obliging rock.”Dad, you want to turn back?” my younger son asked.

“Not on your nelly,” I told him. “I want to swim in that water.”

We made it down and had the joy of that cool blue water, but the ascent was where character was developed. My younger son took my hand to help me up. At first, it was just a regular hand-hold. Then, he insisted on locking our hold by grabbing one another by the wrist—a double-grip that ensured even if one of us weakened, the connection was solid. I joked that I finally had “four-wheel drive.”

Positive Mastery

The pilgrim faces sections of the trail similar that. Some rules are “negative”—watch your step, find a secure hold, move with caution. But the mastery Paul talks about is positive. Keeping in step with the Holy Spirit provides an exhilaration in the middle of the difficulty. He is the “heft” in the steep places and the “stability” on the slippery ones.

The disciplines of a happy communion with God—being instant in prayer, meditating on scripture, and serving my neighbor—aren’t heavy weights we carry. They are the energy for the ascent, providing lasting joy.

When we try to bypass the disciplines of faith, we arrive at life’s “finish lines” as cheats rather than genuine champions. We practice these disciplines because they are the only way to ensure that the person who reaches the summit is the person the Lord intended us to be—changed, and reflecting His image.

As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, providing that “four-wheel drive” power, we become more and more like Him. We aren’t just reaching a destination; we are being transformed from “glory to glory.”

“And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, The Living Bible)

Lawful Mastery: The Work of the Unseen Miles

There is a massive difference between just being active and achieving mastery. Paul speaks of the athlete competing “lawfully.” If you look at a marathon runner, you’ll see that mastery isn’t found on the day of the race under the roar of the crowd. It’s forged months earlier in the cold, gray silence of a 5:00 AM training run. It’s found in the discipline of a sensible diet and a regimen prescribed by those who know the way.

Mastery means honoring the “laws of growth” long before the prize is even in sight. It takes honesty to admit where your form is failing, and the humility to accept the guidance of “Coach Jesus.” It requires the patience to increase your mileage by inches rather than miles, doing the relentless hidden work that happens when no one is watching.

In the spiritual life, we often want the crown of maturity without the drudgery of the training ground. But the trail doesn’t lie. You cannot bypass the laws of growth and expect to finish the distance. True mastery is just a long string of honest, quiet choices made when it’s just you and God. It’s taking the “rules of the race” and living them out in the parts of your life that no one else ever sees. This is an internal attitude. It’s the recognition that our stature is built in those “unseen miles”—the moments of cultivated intimacy where we listen with the heart, instantly recognizing what displeases Him and correcting it right then and there.

No Shortcuts

The pursuit of comfort is the ultimate shortcut, and it is the enemy of integrity. A tourist seeks the easiest path, but a pilgrim embraces the grade. Taking a shortcut is really just an admission that you don’t believe the journey itself is worth the effort. Like that subway ride in Boston, a shortcut might get your body to the coordinates of the finish line, but it cannot give you the character God desires or the “glory” Paul speaks of.

You might reach the destination, but you won’t be the person the Lord intended for the summit. Mastery is the only way to ensure that when you finally stand at the end of the trail, you have the heart and the legs to be there.

The Fireside Reflection

Are you looking for a subway to the summit, or are you mastering the basics? The prize for the shortcut is always hollow and you can fool the crowd for a while, applause is meaningless. It is God’s approval that matters.

Next time: The Pilgrim as Farmer

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Pilgrims in Process

19 Jan

Are You a Tourist or a Pilgrim?

3 Rules for a Meaningful Journey

Your life is a process, either as a tourist vacantly gaping at attractions, or wandering bewildered through a foreign grocery store; or, as a determined pilgrim living with intentionality. Life is not a simple path from A to B. It is a winding, rocky ascent through fog and friction—a path defined not by the miles covered, but by the fortitude forged in the climb. To be a “Pilgrim in Process”—one genuinely committed to this path—requires more than forward movement; it demands an intentional internal posture.

In 2 Timothy 2:3-7 Paul admonishes his protege: “3 Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, just as I do; 4 and as Christ’s soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in worldly affairs, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. 5 Follow the Lord’s rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. 6 Work hard like a farmer who gets paid well if he raises a large crop.7 Think over these three illustrations, and may the Lord help you to understand how they apply to you.” (Living Bible)

Let’s look at the metaphor of the soldier in this blog. (Paul gives us three distinct pictures of the pilgrim life: the Soldier, the Athlete, and the Farmer. While we will dive deep into the Athlete’s integrity and the Farmer’s patience in my next two posts, today we begin with the foundation: the resilience of the Soldier.”)

1. Embrace the Soldier’s Suffering

Pilgrim/Soldiers make the choice: discipline over the siren song of comfort. In a culture that worships ease, and equates happiness with wealth and power, a pilgrim understands that growth only happens at the edge of our capacity. We are not tourists on this path, ready to retreat at the first sign of trouble. We are, as the source notes remind us, “soldiers in a spiritual sense,” committed to the mission no matter the terrain. “This means accepting that a fixation on comfort acts as a barrier to progress—it encourages a slow slide into complacency and leaves our character fragile when the terrain inevitably turns rough.”

This willingness to ‘suffer’ through the rigors of discipline is not a call for self-punishment; it is the fundamental price of admission for achieving your destiny. And therefore it is not burdensome, but joyful. But this resilience is the engine, not the compass. It must be paired with a singular focus, which brings us to the second rule.

2. Stay Intentionally Unentangled

The second rule is to carry only what is essential for the journey. A tourist collects souvenirs; a pilgrim sheds weight. A pilgrim’s progress is immediately halted by the gravity of unnecessary burdens. Getting ‘entangled’ in the world’s distractions—the petty dramas, the fleeting pursuits, or even the ‘lawful’ but non-essential activities—will anchor you in place.

Progress requires doing things the “lawful way”—not just in a legal sense, but with a profound integrity and a disciplined focus that honors the mission. This is the art of strategic renunciation. By letting go of what doesn’t serve the journey, you gain the freedom and momentum to move with purpose. This singular focus clears the path, but a clear path is useless without a map.

3. Understand Your Place in the Ranks

The third rule is to recognize and respect the structure of the journey. Tourists wander where they please; pilgrims understand their part in the caravan. A true pilgrim is not like a sheep wandering aimlessly but is part of a larger body with a defined order. This means acknowledging the role of the “man of authority”—the leaders, mentors, or the “Undershepherd” who provides guidance—and even answering to a higher calling that serves as an internal compass.

“Stop measuring your life by the ease of the terrain or the miles you’ve logged. Measure it by the resolve you’ve built and the community you’ve kept. The fog will lift and the rocks will give way, but the fortitude you forge in the climb is yours forever. Keep walking. You are a Pilgrim in Process, and the path is exactly where you are meant to be.”

This is not a call for blind obedience, but for strategic alignment and teachability. Humility isn’t a weakness; it’s a strategic tool for accelerated learning. It allows you to absorb wisdom from those ahead, preventing costly errors and positioning you to contribute and, eventually, to lead. One must first know how to follow before one can ever hope to guide others.

Conclusion: The True Meaning of Destiny

“At the end of the day, we have to realize that these three postures—the Soldier, the Athlete, and the Farmer—aren’t just a checklist to complete. They are a trinity of principles that create the rhythm of the walk itself.

The Soldier’s Hardness is like your steady breath; it’s the grit to keep your feet moving when the trail gets steep and the air gets thin. Intentional Unentanglement is the lightness of your pack; it’s the constant work of making sure you aren’t carrying ‘stones’ from the world that only serve to slow you down. And finally, understanding your Place in the Ranks is your compass. It’s the humble recognition that you are following a path blazed by those who went before you, ensuring that all your disciplined, focused energy is actually leading you in the right direction.

When these three things click, the ‘process’ stops being a burden and starts being the way we find our destiny.”

They are the internal architecture required to see the journey through to its end. The goal is not aimless wandering but focused accomplishment. We are here to discern our purpose and then do the work to finish it.

To know God’s will. To accomplish it — that is destiny and only that.

What is one thing you can do today to shift from being a tourist to a pilgrim on your own journey?

Coming Next in the Series:”

  • Part 2: The Athlete’s Integrity — Why the ‘Process’ matters more than the ‘Podium’.
  • Part 3: The Farmer’s Patience — How to work when you can’t see the harvest yet.

Make sure to subscribe to the blog and my YouTube channel so you don’t miss the next leg of the journey.

See my channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCOReIq0xjlIM79DrT0oQ-A

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The New Morality is Ancient

23 Nov

Since the adoption of the absurd proposition that there are no absolutes and that truth is relative – (try arguing with your bank manager that you really are not in the red because that is HIS truth, not yours; or the judge that the stop sign you ignored was the cops truth, not your truth), – since that lie became the standard operating principle of society, morality has become meaningless. For example, sexual predators get elected into high office, corruption is standard practice, liars cannot be held accountable and the human race has started the descent into complete anarchy.

The Bible nails it! Eugene Petersen (The Message) paraphrases Romans 1 in such a way that the 2000 year insight is like a polar vortex that reaches through the centuries:

But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. … What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. …

… So God said, in effect, “If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.” It wasn’t long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes!

Since they didn’t bother to acknowledge God, God quit bothering them and let them run loose. And then all hell broke loose: rampant evil, grabbing and grasping, vicious backstabbing. They made life hell on earth with their envy, wanton killing, bickering, and cheating. Look at them: mean-spirited, venomous, fork-tongued God-bashers. Bullies, swaggerers, insufferable windbags! They keep inventing new ways of wrecking lives. 

Sigh, The most frightening thing is that in many “christian” quarters this behavior is lauded and mimicked. Lord have mercy.

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The Illusion of Control

25 Jun

Last night our dishwasher sprang a leak and the kitchen floor was filmed with water. I attempted to shut the water supply off under the sink, but the valve had calcified and it was immoveable. I attempted to control the situation by spraying it with WD 40. I thought it was loosening and applied more pressure with a spanner. The shaft of the valve sheared right off and water started spraying under the sink. I dashed for the main water supply and shut it off. But it too has calcified and all my efforts reduced the water to a trickle that I cannot remedy. Many times events have spiralled out of my control. Sometimes the outcome was pleasant, and at other times beyond belief catastrophic.  

In an idle moment, renowned National Geographic photographer Pete McBride, lounging on a couch,  suggested to journalist Kevin Fedarko that they do a thru-hike of the Grand Canyon. “It will be a walk in the park” he maintained. Thru-hiking the Grand Canyon is daunting even  to veteran hikers and requires intensive planning and massive support with food caches at strategic points. It is not for the faint hearted. Fortunately the thru-hiking community saw through their amateur status and stepped up in support. Even so, Fedarko came to this conclusion, that is applicable to all of life:

“Sooner or later, every difficult journey collides against a moment that crystallizes the imperative of accepting that the outcome of any ambitious undertaking can neither be ordained nor engineered by its participants, and that the heart of an odyssey is reached-and its deeper truths begin to reveal themselves—only after the illusion of control is permitted to fall away and disappear into the gathering night, like a loose pebble over a cliff.”

Kevin Fedarko. “A Walk in the Park”.

Searching for God is an unimaginably daunting and ambitious undertaking. God says of Himself, “I am the high and holy One who Inhabits eternity.” “Holy” in the Bible means other-than, God is “different” to mortal flesh and blood. That is, he is outside of space and time. Where all our scientific data end, that is where He dwells. To know Him requires handing Him control, or, to state the obvious, trusting Him. Some are content with a shallow self indulgent search and abandon the journey at the first obstacles.  

Read the sentence again.

“. . .  the imperative of accepting that the outcome of any ambitious undertaking can neither be ordained nor engineered by its participants, and that the heart of an odyssey is reached-and its deeper truths begin to reveal themselves.” 

Job discovered this – he lost everything, property, livestock, family, and finally his health. He searches for God to hold Him accountable for all this suffering. And finally God shows up and reveals His Highness and His Holiness: This new perspective brings Job to confess, “I had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.” The ocean depths have been little explored because of the difficulties involved. God has depths that no mortal can fathom, no equipment is available and His purposes go beyond our understanding.

What shall we do?

1 Peter 5:6-7: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”. 

“The proper time” is not something we like to hear. Yet to reach the deeper truths, we must give up control, “casting all our care on Him.” 

Soldiers who suffered together have a special bond that only they understand and share between themselves. God suffers too and draws into just such a special bond. Every tear that humans have shed formed  in God’s eye first. Suffering takes us to a special place in God’s suffering heart.

“Proper time” has another dimension – the other dimension involves your exaltation. Trust changes the perspective of suffering from self-pity to contentment. 

The other dimension is an exalted view of God, and exalted experience of God, an exalted place in eternity with God.

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Going to Church is Wrong

25 Feb

While shaving this morning, I was anticipating with great joy the prospect of going to church. I like to prepare myself so that I get the full benefit.

The thought came to me forcibly, “STOP USING THAT PHRASE!” 

In biblical context, you cannot “go to church.” The Greek word that the bible uses  for church is “kuriakes.” It appears twice in the New Testament. It literally means “of the Lord”, describing people as “belonging to the Lord.” (See Gemini answer in ENDNOTE) You can trace the English word back to the Greek word: the krk in “K u r ia k es” became “kirche” in German, was abbreviated to “kerk” in Dutch, Scotland added brogue and it became “kirk”, and since England is slightly (considerably?) an island unto itself, it is “church” in English – the hard k starting and ending the word in the other languages was changed and softened to ch, as it chat, in English.

When Jesus spoke of what is now called “church”, he used a different Greek word “ekklesia”. Its secular use was political, “to call out citizens to a public meeting”. The antecedent to it is found in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word “qahal” describes people gathering for public meetings, including legal proceedings, military call up, and worship.

So how did the switch happen? It was illegal to translate the bible into English, and early translators were in peril. Wycliffe translated the Latin Vulgate into English, and hand copied versions circulated. He escaped execution, but was declared a heretic after he died, and his body was exhumed and burned at the stake. (really!)

Tyndale translated the original Hebrew and Greek texts into English, working from Belgium to escape persecution. He was captured, however, and executed by strangling and then his body was burnt at the stake as a heretic in Vilvoorde, Belgium. There is a park, impressive memorial and museum there now. (Picture generated by Gemini AI)

Why such opposition? To distill a complex issue to one implication; both the Roman Church and Kings (who were Roman Catholics) feared any challenge to their absolute power and authority. Church and state were so intertwined that those who did not baptize their infants were considered treasonous. Heresy and treason were somewhat of a synonym. Any gathering of believers not sanctioned by “The Church” could well lead to unintended consequences.

However, when it became apparent in England that due to popular demand a translation was inevitable, King James authorized a translation so that he could control it. Some 47 scholars appointed by King James, worked under the constraint of 15 rules set by the King. One rule was that the word ekklesia, translated by Tyndale as “congregation” (and In some cases as “assembly”), must be translated as “church”. This choice was deliberate – a new meaning was threatening to the institution of church and state. Church was an entity with the King (or the Pope) in charge, a congregation was a loose cannon on the ship of state. Since it became the only standard translation, it enshrined “church” as a politically controlled entity, the very thing Jesus refused. He refused to acknowledge either the Sanhedrin or Caesar and this was the human cause of His public execution. 

Ekklesia is a composite noun made up of the preposition “ek”, meaning “out of”, and the verb “kaleo”, “to call”. So the ekklesia is the mustering of those who have been called to gather to worship. 

What should I anticipate and what will the eyes of my understanding grasp as I gather? Hear these magnificent words! “… you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.” (Hebrews 12:22-23 NLT)

Going to church? Nah! Could be, has been, very boring. I sit as a critic, evaluating people, performances and practices, all have self at the center. Worship has God at the center.

Fanny Crosby went blind at an early age. Her secretary, knowing she was alone in her office, once heard her talking, and crept up to hear if help was needed. She heard the hymn writer exclaiming in prayer, “O Lord! If only those poor sighted people could see what I see now!” The experience was captured in the great hymn, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine, O what a foretaste of heaven divine . . . Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels descending bring from above, Echoes of mercy, whispers of  love.”

Reflecting on the gathering: the choir sang a piece beyond their capabilities, I was in a “dead space” in the auditorium and missed some things, the liturgy was wordy and rushed but magnificent, the sermon was outstanding and short, I sat – inadvertently – where families with small children were constantly and delightfully on the bustle. I am only aware of it retrospect, my spirit was soaring, glued in worship and wonder to the Lord of Glory.

Open the eyes of your heart. 

Go to Worship! 

ENDNOTE:

The Greek word “kuriakos” (κυριακός) appears twice in the New Testament:

  • 1 Corinthians 11:20:
    • Here, it’s used in the phrase “kuriakon deipnon” (κυριακὸν δεῖπνον), which translates to “Lord’s supper.”
  • Revelation 1:10:
    • In this verse, it’s found in the phrase “kuriake hemera” (κυριακῇ ἡμέρᾳ), meaning “Lord’s day.”

Essentially, “kuriakos” signifies something “belonging to the Lord.” So, in these instances, it specifies that the supper and the day are associated with or belong to the Lord (Jesus Christ).

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GENDER STRIFE

29 Nov

Current thinking stems from Genesis 3. In Genesis 3 humankind goes into the god-business for themselves and so a power struggle between the sexes begins. A pecking order came into play – “Who’s the Boss” became the main issue between men and women.

God’s intention, however, is in Genesis 1, where humanity is created to reflect the harmony that exists in the Trinity. Practical implications follow; some puzzling passages in the bible become clear.

https://www.westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/862031-harmony

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Peace That Transcends Understanding

10 Nov

Sometimes our need is so pressing that we rush to demand our requests. We experience such anxiety as the aquatic pressure that water exerts on our submarine, and we feel set to implode. Panic motivates us, helplessness paralyzes us, we hit the emergency call button repeatedly. 
Paul, writing from a Roman prison where his future meant probable death, writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
His statement is not made from a secure palace by a cozy fire surrounded by a moat and an army.  He is in the trenches.
He exercised his choice to resituate himself. He saw himself, not languishing in prison, but luxuriating in a palace.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQw0pWKsnAFhIF1gZjlMpv6lwg_5FKxKCq7BUAefsX4wfrWH1kuKWePQ6PI_-lx0Ji9d-rkGpqhSC8S/pub?embedded=true

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Who’s Calling?

21 Oct

Roaming in Romans

The promise is “peace that transcends  understanding.”

That alone should set the alarm bells ringing loudly.

And what must I invest for this priceless gift?

Nothing! Nothing?

What’s the catch?

Conclusion: An imposter is scamming me!

My inner voice is screaming: “Check the credentials!”

Paul’s Credentials 

I, Paul, am a devoted slave of Jesus Christ on assignment, authorized as an apostle to proclaim God’s words and acts. (Romans 1:1 The Message)

He is a slave 

Four things are pertinent concerning a slave:

  • Absolute obedience constrains him. 

Slaves do not punch time clocks or have off hours. They cannot resign or choose their assignments. They cannot argue about their assignments. Paul’s words were spoken in obedience and not concocted in the laboratory of his own mind. (Galatians 1:11-2:10)

  • A great love binds him. 

In the Hebrew scheme, slaves were to be released after 7 years. Slaves could elect to remain in the ownership of their masters when the time came for their release. This indicated they were happy in the household, they loved their master. A slave who elected this option would have his ear pierced by pinning it to the door post with an awl. This was a sign that symbolized his ear was open to hear his master and he was fixed to the household. Paul opted to remain in the service of the greatest King for the rest of his life.

  • A great office honored him.  

He is not just any slave – he is a slave of Jesus Christ. Far from being embarrassed, there is immense pride by the addition of the words “of Jesus Christ”. Slaves no doubt boasted of the great houses they served in. “You belong to who? I belong to Caesar!” While the world may pity his slavery, he is honored to serve such a great King.

  • A humble attitude envelops him. 

He always defers to the King. He does not put on airs or seek to promote self. He dies daily with great cheerfulness. This relationship alone brings significance to life and all else is relatively trivial. He lives humbly and happily as a slave of Jesus Christ.

He is called to be an apostle – A Plenipotentiary

A slave is the lowest denominator in society. Slaves do not generally generate a lot of excitement. As menials they can be ignored as safely as little sisters. An Apostle, on the other hand, is a specially chosen and authorized envoy, of the same order as an ambassador. These officers are known as “plenipotentiaries”. They are empowered (potent) in all areas (pleni). His call to the office is exceptional. Intently bent on stamping out Christ and his followers, God interrupted his agenda in a most dramatic way. (Acts 9:1-18) His message was imparted to him directly. (Gal 2:12) 

He is set apart for the gospel

Paul is of the order of a Test Pilot, a breed apart and set apart for a specific function. They are unique in their capabilities and have honed their skills through rigorous and arduous discipline. God called Paul from his mother’s womb, uniquely equipping him from conception, overseeing his development, so setting him apart for this exceptional calling.

His credentials are impeccable and are backed by the authority of God himself. 

They minimize the man, exalt the office and authenticate his message. We may fully expect to enjoy all the benefits of the spectacular promise. We will see that the message itself also has authenticating credentials, which will make a sure thing made more certain. 

Reflections

Slavery requires application in four areas of life. Assess yourself in each category, with 10 being perfect and 1 being pathetic. Ask someone close to you to honestly assess you in the same way. Confess your sin and then determine specific ways to bring about improvement. Ask your honest assessor to hold you accountable. Do this not as a duty, but as an exercise in demonstration of your love for God. In other words, be relaxed, concentrate on the friendship and enjoy his encouragement.

How should the idea of being Christ’s ambassador  (2 Corinthians 5:20) impact you today? 

You too have a calling. You too are uniquely conceived and your life has been an equipping for service. Let this astonishing fact elevate your life this day. “For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13)

Would you describe yourself as a person who knows this “peace that transcends understanding?” Recent data shows that unclaimed lottery winnings have averaged between $40 million and $50 million annually.

Unclaimed! 

Peace is like a winning lottery ticket. All you have to do is cash it in. How? Remember who God is, then pray: “Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of peace. You are in charge now.” Every time you feel disturbed, focus on God’s greatness and repeat the prayer. Initially it may mean praying it once every ten minutes! Gradually the truth will take hold and the peace will become pervasive.

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Promised Peace: Scam Or For Real?

14 Oct

ROAMING IN ROMANS

Existential Angst

My three year old grandson was experiencing the acrimonious separation of his mother and father. His mother took him to visit some friends. He asked the host this staggering question: “Who do you belong to?” The host looked astonished and laughingly responded: “That is a very theological question.” The three year old was terribly earnest and followed up with another zinger: “Do you belong here?”

This three year old was caught up in the turmoil of family strife, he was disorientated and the pain of his restless heart came out in those two existential questions. At the tumultuous heart of every being lies the agony of those two questions: “Who do you belong to?” “Do you belong here?” When the gospel extends peace to us, it is setting our hearts at rest concerning those two fundamental existential issues. God is wrapping His arms around us to say: “You belong to me.” “You are at home in my Presence.” 

The Apostle Paul starts his letter to the Romans with this gigantic phrase:  “Grace and Peace to you.” Those two concepts address the existential questions troubling every heart.

Grace

Readers of Romans are not goaded to find peace, as if it were at the end of some obstacle course as a prize or reward for accomplishments. Peace is imparted as a gift. And that is the meaning of grace. Grace gives what we cannot earn. Our response to grace is often downright disbelief. We cannot fathom how we can possibly be given such a spectacular present. It is too good to be true. So we ask, correctly, “Is this a hoax?” 

“Mow the lawn,” says a younger sister. “Who says?” is the belligerent retort. Should I act on the information or can I simply ignore it? “Dad says!” brings an immediate obedience. “I say!” would bring a sneering jeer of contempt. 

“Grace and Peace to you.” “Who says?” 

The Apostle says, and he has provided ample evidence that he has been commissioned by God to be His direct spokesman, therefore God says. 

Peace

Distill every desire in your heart, and the residue will be peace. We crave it for our world, our neighborhood, our families and our hearts.

How will we achieve peace, this universally intense desire? 

Two solutions come to mind:

The first is daunting. 

Work for it. Organize and invest and strive and labor. Understand the system of rewards and punishments and work hard to enjoy peace as a reward. The trouble is that many things are beyond my control. Life requires co-operation and some that I need may be dancing to different music. Others are inept and keep treading on my toes. Circumstances often dictate nasty twists of destiny, and inner turmoil is generated by emotions that I cannot always control. Peace is an eel with a soaped skin. Just when I think I have a grip on it, it slithers out of my grasp.

The second is delightful. 

Peace is a gift. Peace is not at the mercy of emotions, other people or circumstances. It is not an onward search, promoted by self-effort. It is the result of a relationship with God, the gift of his friendship. Security and satisfaction are nowhere else to be found.  It cannot be engineered. So the promise of Christ is different to popular conceptions. “Peace I give unto you … not as the world gives,” he says. He promises it and also provides it. It is there for the taking. How do you accept a gift of friendship? With gratitude you accept the invitation to walk and talk together.

Notice once more how Paul phrases the concept. He does not exhort us to obtain peace. It is an impartation of grace and not an incitement. He can only do that because peace is the gift that grace bestows. Life with all its sin and strain is in constant interplay with grace that leads to peace. Without the stress and pain there could be no appreciation of the grace of peace. The greater the stress, the more we lean on him and the deeper our friendship becomes.

Reflections

In what areas of your life are you struggling with the enjoyment of peace?

How have you sought to find peace in the past? How successful have you been?

When offered a gift that is non-tangible, how do you go about accepting it?

Does the offer constitute the enjoyment of the gift, or is there some responsibility for the recipient to exercise?

 

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THE GOD OF MERRIMENT

22 Jul

We recently attended Caversham Evangelical Church in the UK.  Pastor Bruce Jenkins gave an extraordinary exposition of Psalm 100.

One phrase was not explicitly addressed, “We are the people of his pasture.” I discussed it with him over lunch, and he reflected on a book by a genuine shepherd turned theologian, who commented that as a shepherd he kept watch over the pasture from a vantage point, with binoculars and a rifle. He saw and shot dangers of which the  sheep had no inkling! They grazed with contented security. I have let this occupy my mind, chewing the cud like a cow, meditating day and night:

1. Jesus has the binocs out, scouting for danger, ready to respond even when we are not aware of danger. (Like the chained lions in “Pilgrim’s Progress”; or Bach composing, “Sheep may safely graze ..”

2. But more, It is HIS pasture, so it provides the perfect toxic free, (organic is the mod word), grazing – pleasurable joyfulness and free abandon to the abundance in the meadow. “Or, as the Hebrew may be rendered, the flock of his feeding, whom he takes care of and provides for. He that made us, maintains us, and gives us all things richly to enjoy.” (Barnes’ Notes)

3. And also, poetically, the sheep graze on Him! We feed on His word. Consider the lush grass of the pasture in Gill’s Exposition:  “… we are his people; by choice and covenant; by his Father’s gift, and his own purchase; and by the power of his grace, bringing to a voluntary surrender and subjection to him; even the Gentiles particularly, who were not his people, but now his people, 1 Peter 2:9”

The hymn by William Kethe, “All People that on earth do dwell… ” sets the Psalm to music. It has the line, “Him serve with mirth, His praise forthtell”. Pastor Jenkins underscored the element of joy throughout the Psalm, and then pointed out that the word “mirth” was changed somewhere in time, because “mirth” was considered too flippant. So many hymnals today have the line “Him serve with fear.” But the Psalm has this bright element of mirth about it! The word “mirth” comes from the Old English word “myrgth” or “myrth,” which means “joy, pleasure, or gladness.” “Psalm 100:1 consists of but a single clause, and is like the signal blast of a trumpet,” (Expositors’ Bible Commentary) like a herald opening a celebration. Jesus said, My burden is light, and talked about our joy being full. And what is more delightful than good company that cheers the heart, mirthful company! 

God hosts mirthful company!

What a wonderful thought! God hosts mirthful reunions! Pointing beyond the painful experiences of Job (38:7) is this mirth inducing phrase about the act of creation: “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” verse 1 of Psalm 100 exhorts us, literally, “Make a joyful shout”. There is an air of jubilation in the phrase that carries throughout the Psalm.

The verb “Make” is an imperative. It is not a suggestion but a command that requires active participation. The noise is to be joyful. 

Celebrations are noisy. Consider how an audience reacts when their team takes the lead in a sports competition – the stadium erupts.

We enjoyed an evening in England with good, long-standing friends. The evening was anything but sedate! We laughed out loud with joyful memories in a free for all, rowdy reunion. It was mirthful. That is what Psalm 100 calls us to, with God Himself as the host.

There is marrow in the bone, you can access some more of it here:  

https://archive.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps100.php

Here is the hymn:  https://hymnary.org/text/all_people_that_on_earth_do_dwell

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