Fables or Faith?

Francis Chan has always made me think. Over last Summer I did one of his Bible studies with my church life group. There were quite a few thoughts that he expounded that shook me. His concepts of God and how we view God as well as Jesus were profound.

One of the key concepts was that the God in the Bible is often not the God we pray to or believe in. The God of the Bible was all powerful, omnipresent, all knowing, able to consume offerings  drowned in water with a fire from heaven, able to bring down walls and move mountains. That's the God of the Old Testament. There was such a fear and awe of who God was and what He could do. The same could be said of Jesus. The Jesus of the New Testament was able to perform miracles, and bring back life into death.

These concepts of God and Jesus are often distant from our modern view of them. Somewhere we have lost the translation that these are the same regardless of time. The Bible is not a book of fables about some distant history. It is a living breathing account of history and actual accounts of how God and Jesus interacted with us.

There are several people who I know that are facing situations that are bleak and their future does not seem very bright. I had a radical audacious thought. If I began seeing human circumstances through the lens of the Old Testament God and the New Testament Jesus there isn't any way that I could have despair or depression about what these friends face. If I believe that God can literally do the things in the Bible and have that type of faith then present problems give way to hope. If I believe that Jesus can raise the dead then I have to have faith that in the face of death He can speak life into bodies ravaged with cancer.

Faith in God and Jesus isn't about a present focus on current circumstances. It is about a belief in the future. Living each moment as if there is intentional focus on how does God see my future. Living is faith in action. Every breath and every plan we make comes with a degree of faith in the next breath we breathe. Most research notes that if you go into a situation with the belief that you can overcome you are more likely to do so. I think as an addendum to that thought is that if we go into situations with faith in God that isn't diminished by our human limitations there's nothing that He can't do.

We never know who God places in our path regardless of location that needs to see someone with audacious faith. I'm not believing in fables... I choose to stand on faith!

jamie

Go!

(Dedicated to the following: Fathom Church, Jacksonville, who are currently serving in Kenya; Scarlett and Graham Treloar, Missionaries and friends serving in Aboriginal Australia; Vann and Vanessa Brock who are living and serving in Peru; and my mother and father in law, Jeff and Carol Morgan who served for several years in Peru and have a passion for the world mission field. Jeff and Carol have led mission trips to numerous countries and have conducted many medical and agricultural mission trips. I would also like to dedicate this to all of my mission trip brothers and sisters and to Pastor Hernan who lives and works in Peru. Thank you to each of you for allowing the message of Matthew 28 to live in you.)

I have been keeping up with a great friend who is in Kenya on a mission trip. It has brought back such great memories of my mission trip to Peru. I can recall the hesitation and butterflies in my stomach as we disembarked the plane in Lima and the days that followed. I remember the schools and families we helped and how they were appreciative. I also remember coming back with a great sense of thankfulness.

It was so amazing to see people who lived in conditions so beneath where we live but they carried a joy in their hearts and a smile on their faces. It was always so inspiring to see that no matter what your living conditions joy was a place in the heart. It was much more than just an action... it felt tangible.

I came home with such a sense of how richly blessed we are in the United States. I have heard many talk about the need to help the poor in America and that if you are looking for a mission field there are plenty in your local community. I don't negate those comments. I think they are very real and true. I also think that unless you see, hear, taste, and feel another community that you can't truly understand what it is like to be there. We can send money and pledges all day to Peru but still have very little invested in their health, well-being or spiritual growth.

When you make a conscious effort to plan a mission trip it is more than just visiting a foreign country. You plan through prayer and training on how you can best service the community you are going. You also invest your money and effort into getting there and into whatever projects you will be working. The idea of a mission trip is so much more detailed than a whimsical view of people just going to spread the gospel. Missions is a calling.

No one said that going on a Mission trip had to be to a foreign country. There are lots of communities in the United States that need assistance. If you have issues with going abroad then pray and seek out an area that you can go give aid to in your local area, metropolitan town, state or other area.

The bigger issue in my mind isn't whether you as an individual go abroad or stay stateside. The bigger issue is that you GO! Jesus instilled this concept into the early church personally. He stated: Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (NLT). 

Many churches have forgotten this edict and think by donating to a missionary or some foreign missions board that this fulfills this calling. I did not read where Jesus said donate of your monies. While this is a good practice the scripture clearly states for the church to 'Go'. It also doesn't state that we are to 'Stay'. Giving is much more than a monetary donation. When we 'go' we are making a personal investment of our time, and talents and where possible money. It's an investment in not just the local congregation but 'The Church'.... the church of Christ. When we leave the walls of our church we are stripping away our labeled container. We are now free and clear to be agents of Christ taking on His characteristics and His calling.

As I disembarked the plane coming back from Lima, Peru I left a little of myself there and brought a little of them with me. I have many moments since prayed for individuals and churches that we encountered there. I may have went as a member of a denomination but when I returned I came back as an ambassador for Christ and before we left we prayed with those individuals not as our denomination but we were all God's children.... bound in love and service to Christ.

jamie

I Have Decided

There's a boldness and clarity that often comes with age. I know this is not true of everyone but for quite a few of us it occurs. I have always been reflective and contemplative. I question things and believe that my religious beliefs and preferences are fair game as well. After all if you don't question why you believe what you believe how can you expect others to understand your beliefs.

In Christianity salvation is a cornerstone. I along with all other self-professing Christians believe that in order to get to Heaven, within our faith system, you have to have an understanding and a life altering experience whereby you ask forgiveness of your sins and you confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord of your life going forward. This redemption is achieved through our belief that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin named Mary and that He died on the Cross and three days later was resurrected and now sits in Heaven at the right hand of God and makes intercession for humans. If you believe all of this and feel that you are being urged and drawn into prayer by the Holy Spirit you can ask forgiveness and you will be 'saved'.

This is Salvation 101. There are many nuances and added behaviors after this that each denomination deems as 'necessary' but in my 41 years and much research of my own denomination (and I have been a part of 5 over the past 41 years) this is the crux to your ticket into Heaven.

After much consternation and prayer and meditation on my part and questioning and soul searching I decided many years ago that I believed in this process and for me Christianity and Salvation was my path to Heaven through salvation in Jesus Christ. That was my individual decision. Of course my family encouraged that decision but in my reading and understanding of scripture it has to be an individual decision. No one can make that decision for you once you are old enough to understand the concept of sin and the concept of salvation.

One thing that occurred to me over the past few years is how collective most people are with their salvation. Although the idea itself is individualized we expect that once that decision is made that the process of individualized salvation ends. It's now a collective action whereby we must conform to our family, denomination, or particular congregation. If the newly minted saint does not conform to the convictions of the group it nullifies the redemptive quality of Christ. At least that's the view by many.

One area this tends to solidify is within families. If a family member does not carry the same convictions of their family then regardless of their affiliation with Church or Christ they are ostrocized and discounted as heretical. The place of acceptance, family, is often the root of outcasting.

Salvation itself is a commitment between the individual and Jesus. Scripture does give directives on how we are to behave and treat each other. In a legalistic and traditional environment these directives are taken literally and although many things in scripture are misinterpreted the perpetuation of antiquated convictions continues. It's amazing to me how many people believe their denomination or particular conviction 'set' are the only path to Heaven.

When we read the life of Christ we do not read where he denoted denomination as a key to salvation. In fact he had much anger toward the 'church' of His day. The mission of salvation is one of inclusion. It is not one of exclusion. Salvation was also not delivered as a message of judgment but of love and mercy. I believe God is a God of Judgment but I believe salvation is rooted in the belief that man needed to be reconciled to God and this reconciliation was through the birth, death and resurrection of Christ. Nothing in this process was judgmental.

I am proud of my heritage of faith but I want to always be aware that there are many who did not have the richness of my Christian upbringing. I want my interactions with people to show the love of Jesus and hopefully they will see characteristics and values that appeal to them. I don't have to wear a bumper sticker, bracelet, or shirt denoting my faith if I let my faith lead my life.

jamie

Ending. Silence. Hope. Beginning... repeat

This time of year is usually pretty drab. Gray skies. barren trees. brown grass. desolate. Winter. I along with many individuals find this period very low on my list of favorite times of year. As I contemplated Winter I was thinking about the positives that also seem to arise.

Winter is a time of endings. It seems as if the year and many things are coming to a close. It's a time of re-evaluation for some. A time to look at how the previous year has gone. A time of finality. Just like the trees seem barren and empty people often feel that same emotion during this period. Depression and sadness are also common. Evaluating our year however is not a negative thing to do. It can be very encouraging to see how far we have progressed. We need to look at this time of year in more hopeful terms.

Winter is a time of Silence. Sometimes I enjoy walking through a forest during Winter. When the trees are bare and stripped of their foliage the beauty of their surroundings can sometimes be realized. I also enjoy walking outside on a winter night or early morning and with the brisk coolness you can feel revitalized and refreshed. At night the stars seem to shine brighter and the quiet is great for contemplation, prayer, meditation. It's a great time for being still both physically, mentally, and spiritually and let yourself be open to listen to what God would like to say without interference. Silence is often the best catalyst for creative thinking and innovative ideas!

Winter is a time for Hope. At the end there are buds on plants and new growth. Many plants can not grow without a period of hibernation. I believe we are much the same. We need a period of time for 'selah' in our lives. A period of pause and reflection and to look prospectively at our life. There is great Hope and expectancy about Winter. This is also the period of time when many of us create yearly to-do lists and resolutions. Moving hope from thought to action is the ultimate issue!

Finally Winter is a time for Beginnings. As I walk through a barren winter forest around March and see the new growth and the new leaves and flowers budding there is a renewed sense of beginning. The expectancy of Spring gives new vigor and life. Remembering that life moves forward is a great reminder of Winter. As much as we want life to remain the same the seasons prove to us that we are always in a constant state of change. How we manage that change is the key to a successful transition from season to season both in nature and in our own lives. Children become adults. Adults become seniors. Parents die and babies are born. Paupers become Princes and Princes become paupers and the joy of living is knowing that in whatever circumstance I am in is always temporary. It will change. I need to be in a place within myself to accept where I am and appreciate the beauty and believe that the next chapter or season is equally as beautiful in it's own way.

jamie

Be Present

It's hard to live in the now! I have this problem where I'm constantly thinking of what's next. What will be my next career move and how I can get there. Where do I want to be living in five years. What do I want to eat for dinner as I finish eating breakfast.

The problem with living in the future is I don't appreciate the present. It's good to remember that God doesn't promise us tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. He does promise in Jeremiah to give us a 'future and a hope' but what that looks like is not explained. If we are honest a future in God's view is much different than what we envision as our future.

God gives us today. He gives us our present circumstance whether we view it as a blessing or a curse. He gives us what we can handle right now. While we can plan for our future and our family and our career it's all relative. I'm sure God has to chuckle at times when he hears our grand plans as He knows it will be vastly different. I also think God wants to see how we handle change.

With a present focus I can look at where I am and who I interact with as most important. Tomorrow may have some very big decisions, but today I need to be present in each interaction in making an impact in the lives of all who I encounter.

As you go through your day try to make each moment impactful. Treat each person with purpose and each interaction as if it's the last you will make with that person. At the end of the day let's look back and be content with how our day has gone and go to sleep with the intent that tomorrow is still in the future and if it comes, it too will be a new day full of new experiences and ways to leave a positive impact!

jamie

It was Good

Beginning a new year often begins with a renewed interest in many Christians to read the Bible. I along with many have made a concerted effort to build my devotion time and my spiritual reading time. As I have been reading in Genesis 1 the overarching theme in my mind was that God created everything with meticulous detail.

He didn't create somethings and think 'oops messed up there' or start over on a day. Each day was purposeful and built on one another. At the end of each day he notes that 'It was good'. What was even more interesting to me was after the sixth day of creation there wasn't a simple 'It was good.' Scripture notes that it was 'very' good.

I think we forget that ALL things were made by God and they are ALL good in his eyes. What seems to blind this fact is our interpretation of 'things' and people. It comes as a shock to many but God didn't ask our opinion on whether His creation was 'good.' He stated as fact that it was!

As I go through my day and interact with His creations both human and otherwise I pray that I remember that in His eyes they are good and if He thinks they are good then I should believe that the inherit nature of all things is that of 'good'.

jamie