Before Caesar

Take a Time-release Tylenol

2011-10-04T20:38:00.005-04:00

Captain Janeway of the Starship Voyageur always complained about time conundrums claiming they gave her a headache. So if this is your problem too, take a Tylenol and come back in a few minutes of time.

We are Creatures of Time but God is not, it seems. We typically say that God lives 'outside of time' and so we are recognizing His Infinite nature; He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. God is not I Was, or I Will Be, but I AM. He is the Eternal Existent One where concepts of past, present and future do not apply. This is why a day is like a thousand years to God and a thousand years are like a day. Augustine, in Book 11 Time and Eternity, speaks of God being in the Ever Present-Present. Try and think that one through. How is that headache doing?

As Creatures of time it is impossible for us to project our minds outside of time or its rules; we quickly revert to thinking in measurements and times methodical progress. Now our minds rebel at the thought of Eternity past. We are constructed in such a way as to believe that all things had a beginning. We ourselves were created on a date in time and this beginning is wired into our DNA. And so we ask questions like, "Where did God come from?" or "Who made God?" Our finite minds, locked in time, can't imagine never starting, never beginning and we impose our experience upon God. However, it is interesting that it is easy for us to imagine an eternity future in time—a never ending future. Though created at a point in time, we were created to be immortal (Gen. 2), created for Eternity future. Thus it is impossible for mankind to imagine its own non-existence—try it yourself and you will find you can't imagine a time of Not Being ahead. Eternity is in our minds and our hearts (Ecc. 3). We can't look back in Eternity because we were created—it just doesn't make sense to us. But we can look forward to Eternity as we were created to be forever.

It's fascinating to notice that when the New Jerusalem intersects with the New Earth (Rev. 20-22) that our time markers are gone. The sun and moon are not needed, there is no night, God is our Light. However, there is yet a measure of time as the 'fruit' of the Tree of Life comes forth each month, though it is always 'day'. We seem to be presented with a picture of the Ever Present Present intersecting with Time and that for the people of God, both realities are in view and are to be experienced!

Now take two aspirins and call me in the morning.

© Kevin Mahon
http://www.beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

2011-09-04T20:12:00.001-04:00

Ode to Abi

And now she’s gone, my life my song, to another…

Place.

She left for books for film for shutter. I shudder!

Think what harm can fall and who will bear the load?

Not I, too far, too close, too old, there is another…

Boy.

She’s smart and wise and loves her God. I love her!

Think what time will pass and who will walk her road?

I sit and text again ‘All Well?’ Then wait a day, a month, another…

Year.

She has blue eyes, bright smile, kind deeds. I miss her!

Think to pray, “my little girl to keep’, and I will sing her ode.

Daddy

Hit and Run

2011-06-24T21:06:00.005-04:00

The bird I saw once sang, once flew, but now lays dead the fender slew.

The cars pass by his feathers move, I am his friend brief moments few.

If I could help I would I say, if I could heal I should that day,

If I could lift his head I'd lay, upon a gathered bed of hay.

Forget him now for death is lewd, forgive the one who struck and hewed,

My flame is for the Ford in view, that pressed flat my friend with Firestones two.

Kevin Mahon

http://www.beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

Men in Tights

2011-05-18T22:22:00.003-04:00

Superheroes are Super Stars these days. They have leaped from the comic book page to become Box Office Bonanzas. Whether it's Superman or Superteen, Batman Begins Again and Again, or a Spiderman Broadway Musical, it seems a sure fire hit to put a man in tights and give him super powers. Like mythological figures of old, or the false gods of Roman and Greek hubris, they adorn our screens, saving our world and fighting back the forces of evil with style and amazing abdominal muscles.

There is within mankind a powerful desire to be more than we are. What child hasn't hoped for the stars, tried to leap a roof in one bound, or pretended the 'see through glasses' he ordered actually work. We desire to be special, to stand out from the crowd, to be something better than 'me', something other than normal. In adulthood we put away fairy tales and comics, but we still yearn, sensing the years slipping away and wondering when will it be our turn to get bit by a mutant spider, get an alien green ring, or get our chance to pull Thor's hammer from the ground? Slowly it dawns on us that we will never have super powers. Just getting up in the morning becomes a victory and trying to manage real life and relationships leaves no time or energy to wander the fields looking for a strange meteorite to irradiate our flesh.

The thing is, mankind was more than we are now. We used to be innocent and 'walked with God'. We used to have a godly reign and dominion over this planet. We used to have immortality in our grasp, freely given and free to receive. But all that was then; all that was lost. Mankind fell into sin with our very natures fractured and bent, our wisdom crooked and frail, and our immortality withered and shorn. We are not what we were and that is desperately sad. Deep within our humanity we sense this loss and long for what we threw away. And the sadness is compounded when we look anywhere for help—except to God. We will concoct aliens, portals and star gates, chemical concoctions and wormholes, federations and super beings, electing the few to save humanity as stand-ins for our hopes and dreams and visions of grandeur. To live vicariously through their powers and nobility is intoxicating but before God, embarrassing. Men in Tights are not a pretty sight and seem no more than fig leaves to hide our nakedness.

The Psalmist felt his fallenness and loss deeply. As he gazed into the starry night, observing the moon and cosmos and the awesome immense expanse of the heavens, he felt his own insignificance. He sensed his smallness and weakness. And he asked God a question: "What is man that You are mindful of him?" (Psalm 8) Why do you care about us? Why do you focus on us and love us? We are nothing! And then the Psalmist remembers: we are created in the image of God, with a purpose and plan and so have incredible significance and value to God! We have so much value that he sent His Son to bear the justice due our own sins—to pay our fine with His life, to redeem us with His blood. God gives His underserved favour (Grace) to all who will trust in His Son. He makes them a New Creature and one day will resurrect them granting them immortality and eternal life! The old things are passed away says the Scripture, we are not what we were, but we are not yet what we will be!

When your spouse calls you to kill a spider, there is no need to look for a red and blue mark before you step on it. No need to wish for some super power, some gadget that would mark you as special, some mutation to move you beyond the normal routine of living and dying. No superman will save us, no alien or ring, no other dimension or DNA manipulation. That is comic book stuff embarrassing for an adult to have in his possession. As mature men and woman we admit our fallenness and look to our God alone who can rescue us, and grant what we lost so long ago.

© Kevin Mahon

http://www.beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

Common Sense

2011-05-04T20:15:00.003-04:00

Common Cause seems to trump Common Faith these days. Religious leaders like to gather from all faiths and unfaiths to present united fronts on issues of the day. Perhaps a strength in numbers sort of reasoning? Certainly it is a coup for some rising evangelical star to be on the same stage as a Buddhist, Muslim or Hindu scholar. We Christians are expected to view it all with pleasure, relishing how very significant and relevant we appear. It is nice to be popular and cause little offense. It is all very trendy and if our man wears jeans and designer glasses all the better! Throw in a tattoo and an earring and we are ready to follow him over any cliff.

It is astonishing to many to encounter some Christians who actually have standards, faith with non-negotiable content, and boundaries beyond which they will not go. This inflexible confidence is incomprehensible to the world, and even some of the faith-- to think that Common Faith might trump Common Cause!

As King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to ally in war with Israel, the prophet said, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? " (2 Chronicles 19:2) Hmmmm… that is different than we are used to. When Ezra began the temple rebuilding they were approached by false men who said, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do…" ( Ezra 4:2) Well the Jewish leaders knew all was not kosher and said, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God…" (vs. 3). How peculiar and insensible to modern citizens who imagine all religions are the same anyway and can't we all just lay aside what separates us and simply agree with them? Hmmmm…

Scripture instead seems to say the end does not justify the means, the cause does not demand strange bedfellows, and unity of purpose is not more important than unity of belief.

We know the Bible says not to be 'unequally yoked' (2 Cor. 6:14); and we know the Word says, "Can two walk together unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3:3)
Common Faith is the basis of true unity, and out of this foundation Common Cause is deep and lasting. This is all Common Sense.

Kevin Mahon
http://www.beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

Sacrifice

2011-04-18T21:07:00.005-04:00

I see at Wal-Mart there are whole product lines to care for men's skin. Apparently we men are to be pampered and moisturized, de-lined and de-odoured, exfoliated and enriched- just like the fairer sex. I had to get my dictionary out to understand what 'microdermabrasion', 'oxidants' and 'concealer agents' meant. Who knew our skin was dull and dusty and that a deep "Cleansing Masque" was available to lift my skin and make my "face as soft as a baby's bottom". We can relax now that Anti-Shine Powder is in stock in 4 skin-tone shades just for men. The Dirty Harry Cosmetic Line will make our day soon at a store near you! Yikes!

Perhaps the marketer's sense we live at a time when the self-indulgent side of man is in the open to see and smell. Rather than something to be ashamed of, our selfish, self-absorbed nature is encouraged and held up as a societal value. Yet it is not a pretty sight. Ever since Adam offered up Eve for death to save his own skin (Genesis 3), we men are prone to want what's best for us, to get things our way, and to arrange things in our relationships to ensure our personal benefit and ease. Through our anger, our laziness, our procrastination, relaxation and entertainment we express our one-sided opportunism.

Sacrifice is something we men need stirred up by God. Our nature is to manage and impose what is convenient for ourselves, yet God's heart is so far different. He gave His Son to die for us. Jesus died for our sins. That is sacrifice. In his death we have life—if we would put self aside and humbly admit our need for a Saviour. And in faith He calls us to live a sacrificial life. This is why he tells us men to "love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her…" (Eph. 5) Christ died for the church—and we men are to die to self and live for our wives. I don't much like doing the dishes but I love my wife and so I do the dishes whenever I can. You get the idea—now that's a pretty picture!

I am not the standard, nor the best example, but I have sought to incubate a habitual thought and action in my daily life. When I am presented with a need, a thought to help, or a distraction from my own pursuits, I measure the inconvenience. I don't trust my heart and so if doing something is inconvenient, it is usually the right thing to do.

Don't try and save your own skin. Jesus the Saviour died for us. Trust in Him and live for Him and others.

Watch this video for a powerful example of sacrifice: The-Amazing-Story-of-Chris-Medina-Through-his-Song

Kevin Mahon
http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

Certitude

2011-03-28T21:43:00.005-04:00

It is "Roll up the Rim to Win" time in Canada once again. For you foreigners, this is our national, annual game of chance and a great coffee. I am 15 rims and 0 wins. You think I would be certain to expect the dreaded words "please play again' on all my cups. But they are so polite and who knows, I may win—life is full of uncertainties they say.

We are familiar with chance and uncertainty in our daily lives. We understand accidents can befall us, a police officer might ticket us, a calamity might strike us, and a debt might overwhelm us. Recently the horrible news of disasters and lost life has shaken the world with earthquakes, volcanoes or tsunamis now a regular part of our vocabulary. Uncertainty is all around us and in us and through us—it's hard for us to keep our word; we say to our kids, "maybe' because we don't want to commit and break a promise; we do our taxes hopeful we didn't mess something, miss something, or mix something up.

Uncertainty is part of the human condition and at its root is our inherent powerlessness to control the variables of life and creation. And yet we are a proud people who are reluctant to concede this point. We don't like this truth—our uncertainty is not a popular reality for a culture that is told to "believe in themselves and they can do anything "-- and so we often pretend otherwise. It's not easy to admit we are a weak and dependant people particularly in a wealthy, materialistic society where individualism is admired and independence is a value and goal.

As a consequence of our pride, our population likes to impose the human condition upon God! It irritates and scandalizes our fellow citizens to have any certainty about the Almighty and what He has done. To speak with certitude about His Word and salvation frustrates the crowds. To repeat His absolutes or His definitive statements is to make a social blunder and to repeat His certainty is to convince many that we are certainly bonkers.

What a game we play! We are taught we can be certain about our potential, our abilities and our sway over our little dominions despite all the contrary evidence; we are taught that it is God who is powerless, uncertain and risky. Now that is upside down and a sad game of chance that you or I will never win. To exchange the glory of God-- make Him like us and we like Him --is folly! (Romans 1:18 ff)

The truth of our powerlessness confronts us constantly in our lives and in our own person. Our powerlessness is so obvious and also so meaningful if embraced. It's a truth that is even life changing. What a blessing to have stripped away any sense of invulnerability or control, to have filed off an independent spirit or an invincibility of attitude, to have sanded down the deceit of arrogance and conceit of personal power. Such things don't really exist. It's not that we yield to fatalism or chaos, not that we give in to chance and imagine a random universe—rather, we recognize the humbling truth we are powerless, but there is One who is all powerful-- ¹³ Come now, you who say, ^s"Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For ^tyou are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, ^u"If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."^{James 4}

We are powerless in life, death and powerless to deal with our sins. We need a powerful God and Saviour. Be certain about your weakness, be certain about His Power and Grace—certitude about the right things and in the right Person is no game of chance.
¹³ I write ^fthese things to you who ^gbelieve in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13

Kevin Mahon http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

The Fun-house.

2011-03-24T22:19:00.003-04:00

The job add said: "We have fast paced opportunities in a fun environment." Now this wasn't a career at the Magic Kingdom or a Roller-blade Rink- just a sales job in a store- but the add had captured what seems necessary today. Everything has to be fun!

We tend to measure time well spent not on the basis of relationship or personal growth but on the basis of how heavily our senses have been stimulated and has this stimulation crossed our entertainment threshold, our fun index or our good-time bar. "Was the course fun? Did the teacher make it entertaining? Was the gathering a 'good-time'?" We have trained ourselves and our youth to evaluate the worth of what we participate in on a 'fun-scale' as though 'if it's worth doing it better be fun or it's not worth doing at all.' Didn't Shakespeare write something like: "All the world's a fun-house, and all the men and women merely clowns"?
"The younger generations today have seen it all. They have been to every theme park, have every gadget, and know every band. The expression on a lot of their faces tells it all: "Been there, done that, got the shirt." And they are consummately bored." (Michael Horton, The Gospel Driven Life")

Perhaps this is why churches are trying to offer 'worship experiences' and services that stimulate the senses bordering on entertainment. They believe descriptions like boring, routine, or ordinary are the kiss of death for Jesus and His plans for the world. Churches take on the air of the Theatre, the Carnival, the Circus and the Stadium. Will it be long before a Gladiator fight is staged? Why not? Jesus is exciting and fun and cutting edge and all that. Dinesh D'Souza is sadly right when he says pastors and theologians have assumed a reverse mission: "instead of being the church's missionaries to the world they have become the world's missionaries to the church." (Gospel Driven Life)

Christians are evaluating worship services based not on God's pleasure, sound doctrine, prayer and godly fellowship, but based on how it made them feel, how different it was and did it entertain them! They will come out of a service that was shallow, clearly heretical, but fun, saying "That was really good" or 'wasn't that great' unaware or unconcerned that worship of the true God never happened and that instead of the proclamation of the Word of God they received a presentation or production made by man for man.
Jesus didn't say His people would worship in Spirit, truth and fun. (John 4) Church services and worship can often seem boring, routine and even predictable. It's okay, as long as it's not our spirit that is dead. It's okay for a worship service to be ordinary and normal. Most of life is routine and slow and repetitive – this is not bad or unproductive. It's not a negative. Learning takes time, the crops come slow but steady to harvest and 'being-with-child' is a process with only the occasional kick and turn. A rose is still beautiful even though there are billions of them, a song can be precious even though memorized and heard a thousand times, and a familiar sweater can be so comfortable and welcome.
Oh it is better to be faithful then pursue fun! Better to fear God and enjoy Him forever than seek the momentary thrill, frolic and foolery of the fun-house!
Kevin Mahon http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

Disturbia

2011-03-13T22:31:00.003-04:00

Ever sense something was very wrong but you couldn't put your finger on it? That something was just beyond your reach but you couldn't quite grasp it? That something was 'off' but not sure what it was? I experience this sense of disturbia often when I listen to Christian music or watch the newest Gaither Video, or Gaither and Friends, or Gaither Homecoming… The sense of unease or unrest fills my spirit—not because of the makeup and hair-plugs or the polished teeth and plastic smiles—but more because I sense I haven't entered into worship like they promised me. More often I sense that I have bought into a multi-billion dollar music industry with a Christian Veneer—as one writer says, "entertainment masquerading as worship" (Platt).

Well, for sure I had no problem figuring out what was wrong at my last Mega-church experience. We gathered with a sense of expectation, with thousands of others. We had already endured the parking lot wars, the long walk, the confusion and dislocation of looking for 'You are Here" arrows on their maps and signs, and finally to enter their worship hall and take our comfy theatre seating at row TT seat 46. Wow it was something—I felt like Les Miserables was about to start, or Beauty and The Beast was about to begin! Sure enough, when the countdown clock stopped the vast velvety blue curtain parted (never saw a church with a theatre curtain before) and behold—a full orchestra, 200 person back up choir and 20 worship team members with mics! They had a worship leader who walked around the stage, interacting with the musicians - he high-fived the Oboe player which isn't easy to do. Don't know why the choir was there- they never sang anything by themselves. What really surprised me was the lighting show; I imagined I was at Las Vegas or a Hollywood extravaganza with the colours, revolutions and designs all thrown for our enjoyment. What a spectacle. For the preacher—well the curtain closed and he spoke in front of that awesome velvetiness with a slight backlit aura that made him look like President Obama in some of his "Yes We Can" moments. I am sure he spoke well and sought to open the Bible some, but when I left we all had one word on our minds and hearts: Production. It was quite a production. We had been entertained, with the professionalism of a Broadway production; we had been moved through a system of religion where participation in worship is not expected or encouraged and deposited back out in the parking lot.

Entertainment masquerading as worship; Professionalism replacing volunteerism; a Nice Building replacing the Body of Christ; Programs replacing acts of personal service; Dynamic personalities replacing shepherds and elders; Lighting shows replacing the Holy Spirit; Performance replacing participation; our own ability and strength replacing Christ. This is not what Jesus meant when He said 'true worshippers would worship Him in spirit and in truth'. (Jn. 4:23) This is not what Jesus meant when He said "I will build my church" (Mt. 16:18). Many are shaking off the fog of confusion and the sense of dislocation in order to see it all for what it really is- to really put their finger on it! A Production- Entertainment masquerading as worship.

Many, we sense, are longing for true worship, the Word of God and a return to the Biblical church of Jesus Christ. If I could, I would ask every worship pastor to sit at the back and watch what they have wrought! Tell them to look around and see if anyone is actually singing. Try and sense if there is actual worship of the Living God taking place. One wonders if this whole circus would come to an end if the staff and elders were required to sit at the back and look around at the people and ask "is this of God or man?"

Do you Hear What We Hear?

2011-02-23T23:44:00.004-05:00

An art-student painted Ralph's portrait and submitted it for his exam mark. The art Professor gave him a C-minus. "What did I do wrong?" asked the art student. "Well", said the professor, "the head is too big, the shoulders are too wide, and those feet are enormous. Your whole proportion in the painting is wrong." The next day the art student brought Ralph to class. The Professor took one look at Ralph and said, "Okay. A Plus."
Sometimes you have to see something for yourself. Sometimes you have to experience it and sometimes you have to be there. Think of the Northern Lights, or the thrill of the roller coaster—even the crashing waves of the ocean. There are things hard to explain, things that are hard to feel or think on unless they first pass through the five gates of our senses. Touch, taste, sight, hearing and smell are all powerful and physically immediate declaring "I am here and can experience this for myself!"

Now listen When it comes to faith in God only one gate matters—that is the gate of hearing. The Bible says, "And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?" (Rom. 10:14). Through our ears we hear the truth—that we have fallen short of God's standards and deserve judgment, but that He sent His Son to redeem us, paying the price for sin. We hear this Good News and we believe! This is the normative path of God's message into our lives—we hear His truth, we think and feel on it, and we believe. Faith is born! The seed of God's Word has fallen on good soil!

Sadly though, mankind is very materialistic. We favour the other senses when it comes to God- especially sight and touch. How often have people said "if I can't see Him or touch Him…?" Thomas the apostle expressed such words when Jesus rose from the dead: "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." (John 20:25) We prefer to think if we see and touch truth, it is more real—just let me see Him and touch Him and then I will believe! Sounds spiritual but it isn't; it is a trick we use to feel comfortable in our unbelief. The people against Jesus demanded a 'sign' from him. After all he did and said they still wanted more! He told them 'no more'—except the sign of Jonah: a reference to His Resurrection. (Matthew 12:38ff) Yet even the Resurrection was and is not enough for those who insist on unbelief. "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead." (Luke 16: 31)

This is a warning to all of us. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ." (Rom. 10:17) To pretend that in demanding to see and touch God we are discerning and careful is just a conceit—there is more than enough evidence to believe. Seeing and touching will also not be enough for those who refuse the Word proclaimed and the message told—a message of Good News to all with 'ears to hear'. Don't stop your ears, don't look for false teachers to fill your ears with things you want to hear; listen to the truth of Jesus Christ, who you are, who He is and what He did for you. Repent, change your mind, Trust Him alone. Wont you hear what He has for you?

²⁴ So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." ²⁵ Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
John 10:24–26

http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/ ©Kevin Mahon

A House of Mirrors and a Dead Cat

2011-02-22T20:39:00.003-05:00

I almost killed a cat. It wasn't my fault. I was a guest and not sleeping too well in the assigned bedroom. About 3 A.M. my consciousness began to make its weary climb to reality—I opened my eyes to see a disembodied head floating over my chest. Its eyes were terrifying! I reacted to preserve my life, clenched my fist, and connected. The head went flying across the room and hit the wall. Reality became suddenly real—it was the family cat. It died a full week later so I cannot be blamed.

Fully awake, our perceptions also can be skewed and easily distorted. I was reminded of this when I heard recently, at a funeral, that we should all be 'true to ourselves" – apparently just like the recently deceased. What does that mean anyway? Be true to yourself! Does it mean to be false to others? Does it mean live for yourself at all costs? To do what's best for you? Does it mean love who you are and never admit there are some things about yourself that need to change? Does it mean pursue your wants and desires putting your passions and ambitions first at all times? Surely we have enough sense to be wary of a life slogan that has the word 'self' in it! Pity the poor spouse, kids, and relations of the one who takes such shallow selfishness as profundity.

The problem is our self-image, or view of ourselves, is so easily manipulated to our advantage. Like a carnival house of mirrors we choose what is convenient for the moment- a fat self, a thin self, a tall one or a short one, a drawn out self or a flat self—we gaze on our reflection with awe and admiration confident our perception of self is accurate. Each mirror has only room for one and the most important one stands before us. Being true to ourselves is to spend our life polishing what isn't real— it's to masquerade a false image that distorts and morphs depending on our current inclinations. These are mirrors that need breaking!

How different is Jesus Christ who came at the Father's will to do the Father's will; He who gave His life for our sins. How different is the Son of God who sacrificed Himself, who loved others, who 'made Himself of no reputation' (Phil. 2). How different is the call on followers of Christ who seek to esteem others higher than themselves; who seek to serve, to die to self and live for God. How different are the people who live to magnify God's glory in the world, rather than their own, no matter how imperfectly. Accept God's view of yourself as the accurate one; His view that you are a sinner who needs a Saviour. And the Saviour is Jesus Christ.

That family never invited me back. Maybe I should have told them their cat could fly. Maybe I should have told them what I thought was real was actually not. Maybe I should have told them to take their cat to the vet. I am thinking I might have then lived by the selfish motto 'be true to yourself'. Much better is the truth --even when it costs you.

Turn Off Your Targeting Computer

2010-11-04T22:39:00.003-04:00

I am not a Rebel. I don't mind looking the same as everyone else in White Plastic Armor. I don't mind carrying a mass produced blaster. At least I don't have to wear those orange flight suits and acorn helmets. I like to fit in, be one of the crowd, and I don't even mind being called a Clone from time to time. I like Empire; but I am under suspicion as a possible Rebel because I don't use PowerPoint when I preach- like everyone else.

Hey I like cool Tech and if I could get a Light-saber I would. But projecting my words as I speak them seems a little redundant, like something R2D2 might do. I have been told a picture is worth a thousand words, but I have never believed it. I look at a picture of a Wookie and all I think is 'haircut, shampoo and smelly'. I look at a painting of the Death Star and all I think is 'put a metal grate over that open shaft right about there."

For me Spoken Words matter most and it is through the ear, not the eye, that truth most typically travels. Most scientists agree people remember more of what they hear than what they see. I can hum the Star Wars theme and yet never saw a note or filled in a blank. Hearing is active while seeing is passive—and we know Faith comes by hearing. Spoken Words are pregnant with meaning, beautiful and rich with tone, timbre and texture. They run with cadence and shift their pace, ebbing and flowing like the Seas of Coruscant. To bind the Proclamation of the Word to a PowerPoint slideshow is like turning off your hyperdrive and running on impulse. It is like teaching rather than preaching. In time, citizens leave their bibles at home, believing truth is about guessing the missing words, like some Jedi trick, or an ancient Sesame Street archive.

I repeat—I am not a Rebel. I am not a Jedi. I like Empire. I just don't intend on preaching ever with PowerPoint. Call me crazy. Call me Luke, I mean Looney.

Romans 10:14–17 (ESV) ¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" ¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
A Spoken Word is pregnant with more words about to give birth. A Spoken Word is a dandelion gone to seed waiting for another breath to unload its meaning. A Spoken Word is a starburst firework only just lit. A Spoken Word is the IKEA furniture you bought in the box, now unpacked with 100 pieces lying on the floor and it is never going back in the box again. A Spoken Word is the dripping tap that soon collects a pool of meaning. http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com

Kevin Mahon ©

Can a Church Boss go to Heaven?

2010-10-30T14:50:00.003-04:00

One great reason for the biblical elder model of shared servant leadership is that it is difficult for 'church bosses' to exert their influence and control. A 'church boss' is someone who has never humbled themselves at the Cross but like attending church and having power. In their heart they believe they are the 'greatest' (Mark 9) and that the church couldn't survive without their wisdom and control. Over time they might begin to think they 'own' the church or that they 'run' the church. When the church is 'pastor-led' they either seek to influence or befriend him, in order to be the power behind the throne, or they make his life so miserable he moves on after a few years. Church bosses like to keep pastors moving on within the three year window so these pastors never have time to gain support or relationships that might threaten the bosses' standing or his agenda.

Yet, when a 'church boss' meets a united plural eldership, he or she gets confused and disoriented. How can you control leadership when it is shared by so many? How can you make your voice heard and obeyed when it is only one voice in the crowd? Typically a 'church boss', under these circumstances, will throw some sort of power play pushing every hot button issue they can find to unseat leadership and let the church know who is in charge. Church bosses dislike elder led churches and will try and revert to a pastor-led model which they can more easily influence and control.

Thankfully, wickedness seems to always over-reach; given enough rope it will do itself in. A 'church boss' who is losing control will fight for it, but in the fight they typically reveal their heart and methods-- disciples of Christ quickly begin to peel away. When his or her stratagems are seen for what they are, when their methods are laid bare, the 'church boss' will usually leave in a dramatic fashion, consigning all who remain to Dante's Inferno, or at least a slow, inevitable decline, absent the guiding hand of the 'greatest'. They will move on, ironically claiming the church is 'Too Authoritarian' for their liking. They will go join a church where one man leads so as to improve their chances, once again, of being the power behind the throne.

¹⁸And He(Christ) is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. Colossians 1:18 (ESV)

⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Romans 12:5 (ESV)

http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/
Kevin Mahon

Romans Still Rule

2010-09-23T23:37:00.002-04:00

Ritual can be dead ritual that long ago lost its content or reason. It is curious that we may do things, things that are important to us, without ever having any understanding of why! We do them because they always have been done, we do them because they are traditional, and we do them because it is expected.

When I entered our honeymoon cottage, I carried my new wife over the threshold. This ritual is quaint and many a new groom has lifted his love. Perhaps I thought it would prove my strength. I think I banged her head on the door frame. Today I read in Adrian Goldsworthy's book , Caesar, that the tradition goes back to about 900 BC when the first Romans had only been able to find wives by kidnapping the daughters of neighboring communities, and carrying them kicking and screaming into their new homes. The Romans eventually became civilized and had their servants carry their wives over the threshold.( Radzinsky) Nowadays, most of our servants are electric appliances, and so we men stoop to do it ourselves. Perhaps if more newly minted wives knew that the origin of this little quaint ritual lay in the wicked deed of rape, there would be more newly minted husbands with black eyes on their honeymoon?

The past has a lot of influence on the present and future. They say the Space Shuttle was designed to fit the size and width of the Solid Rocket Boosters attached to them for launch. Those Boosters were designed to fit through a railway tunnel from the factory to the launch site. The railway lines are 4 feet, 8 ½ inches because that's the way they built them in England and they built them like that in England because they used the same tools that built wagons that spaced their wheels at 4 feet, 8 ½ inches. They built their wagon axels that width because that was the width of the ruts in the roads all over Europe which were first built by Rome. Those ruts, spaced 4 feet, 8 ½ inches, were made by the Roman Chariots which were designed to fit behind the rear of two horses. This is all to say our modern transportation and space age technology has been determined by the width of two Roman horses' behinds.

I suppose it is a good thing to look into history to try and give some content and understanding to why we do things. But more important is to consider too, why we believe things. We might go to church because our parents did, or have a Bible in our home because our grandparents did. We might even say our faith is strong without ever having given it a second thought or having a clue what we actually believe. But never fear—look to the Romans—or more specifically, Paul's letter to the Roman Christians in the Bible. There you will read about the predicament of man, our sin and fallenness and how serious that is and deserving of punishment from a Just God. You will read about what God did in love to save you from punishment, at the same time preserving His justice! There in Romans you will read that the 'fine' of death was paid by God Himself. Romans tells us we have peace with God now because of Jesus. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) Read this history! There is much more there to give content to your faith, and meaning to your worship of God! It is the Roman Road to set your course in life and beyond.

Let the past influence your present and future. Read the book of Romans and trust only in the Rescuer! The Proverbs tell us that our lives will one day be a "tale to be told." That means you are going to be history too. Get right with God through Jesus His Son.

http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

Kevin Mahon

Postscript: In 1903 the Russian Czar noticed a sentry posted for no apparent reason on the Kremlin grounds. Upon inquiry, he discovered that in 1776 Catherine the Great found there the first flower of spring. "Post a sentry here," she commanded, "so that no one tramples that flower under foot!" (William Poteet) Some traditions lose their reason for being. (Czar is the Russian word for Caesar—the greatest Roman General!) They say all roads lead to Rome!

Justice Needs Two Good Eyes!

2010-09-15T22:07:00.003-04:00

We have been taught to believe there are two sides to every story. That is to say, both sides of a conflict share the blame or contribute to the problem. Sometimes this is the case, but not always.

There are times that conflict is entirely a one-sided affair. We encounter issues and situations where one person is a bully and the other is bullied, where one person is vicious and the other is a victim, where one person is abusive and the other person is abused. This is important to remember as we do like to pretend we are just and wise by parceling out some measure of blame to all concerned. It gives the impression we are even-handed and impartial; we don't want to be seen playing favorites when it comes to assigning fault! Better to pronounce everyone guilty than set one person free. Justice is blind when it can't tell the difference between the casualty and the car, the target and the arrow, or the prey and the hunter.

We do love to equalize the blame when it involves our own conflicts. "I did this BUT you did that. I wouldn't have said this IF you hadn't of said that!" The scales of justice seem more reasonable when we load their side to match our own. We are very even-handed. When we are left with no weight to our complaints, never mind, as we can load on statements that are impossible to refute: "You were too harsh; you didn't love enough; you didn't handle it right." How can anyone defend themselves from such abstractions? No matter our own transgressions, we are clever and can always share the blame. Justice is blind for it too often doesn't notice our finger on the scale or the hollowed out weights we choose for our own.

It is a good practice, when you hear of conflicts, be they friend or foe, to give a thought to Jesus Christ. Our Savior, who came to seek and to save the lost, was hounded and accused, beaten and crucified. Many false accusations were made against him, and in the end, truth was washed away. Jesus loved, but they killed him anyway. It is possible for the fault and blame to be entirely one-sided.

Justice needs two good eyes to compensate for a heart quick to avoid responsibility, a mind anxious to accuse others, and a shaky finger prone to point at everyone at the same time.

http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com
Kevin Mahon

The Conceit of Hope

2010-08-28T23:47:00.002-04:00

It has been said that 'you don't learn anything the second time you're kicked by a mule!' That is to say, there is no learning some people.

From time to time we encounter a person who seems remarkable by their character and personality—they are challenging, difficult, frustrating-- and sometimes shocking. We hope for the best, and as Christian leaders we are tempted to invest a great deal of time into them; we flatter ourselves that perhaps if we say something the right way, or if we use logic and appeal to common sense and what is good, or perhaps if we can apply our minds to understand them and unlock their complexities, we can somehow change them, convince them, or rescue them from themselves. It's nice to imagine we might have the key to unlock their psyche prison. This is our Conceit.

    But our key won't fit the lock. It's worn and dulled by many past attempts of well meaning, hopeful visitors. It never fits, never turns, and never frees that sorry specimen. It's rusted and chipped by the passing of years and yearning efforts—but it will not yield. He doesn't mind—he believes he is free and running the pastures and parks of his imagination convinced all others are in chains. He would bar the door if you did manage to open it—he would need to be dragged out kicking and screaming. But we bend and try again for we so want him to be free and come out of the dark and damp. This is our Hope.

    The Conceit of Hope is an affliction many of us carry. We imagine we are the answer to everyone's problems, the cure for everyone's strangeness. We are people pleasers and we do so much want to be liked, and we do so much want to help. If the phone rings we answer, if the person questions we respond, if the stick is thrown we fetch. We have been trained never to bark and never to say no. We have allowed ourselves to believe that we are supposed to listen to every person and try and help every soul that comes along. It is the Way it is and we are people of the Way.

    Except that Jesus was clear on the matter. There are some people he had no time for, some he was silent in front of, and some he warned against: "do not throw your pearls before swine."(Mt. 7:6) In other words, there is no learning some people. The book of Proverbs is full of sound advice on who to avoid and not waste your time on—" Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words." Pr. 23:9 "Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury." Prov. 9:7 There is advice to stay away from hypocrites, those given to excess, fools and false friends—it turns out our mom was right when she told us to stay away from certain people. Bad company corrupts good morals. (1 Cor. 15:33)

Two pals are sitting watching the eleven-o'clock news. A report comes on about a man threatening to jump from the 20^th floor of a downtown building. One friend turns to the other and says, "I'll bet you ten bucks the guy doesn't jump.""It's a bet," agrees his buddy. A few minutes later, the man on the ledge jumps, so the loser hands his pal a $10 bill. "I can't take your money," his friend admits. "I saw him jump earlier on the six-o'clock news." "Me, too," say the other buddy. "But I didn't think he'd do it again!" There is no learning some people.

The Conceit of Hope would teach us that we can change a leopards spots, teach an old dog new tricks, or that flogging a dead horse can get it moving again. But only God can change a heart—and unlock the prison of sin. The Lord gives us permission to pull the plug on some people—to move away, even run away. There is a point that we wisely discern the true character of a person and we cease allowing some people to consume us, burden us, or hurt us—we move on. What is so precious- truth, Gospel, God, wisdom, holiness-- is simply spurned, ridiculed, argued over and dismissed—"he will despise the good sense of your words". They will absorb your energies, your time, suck the life out of you— they become a project and then an obsession and it will end in failure. There are some people to avoid and leave to the Lord.

Procrastination

2010-05-11T22:04:00.007-04:00

I could post "No Birds Allowed" and yet she builds where others have and failed.

Wind and weather war against both egg and mother. Never has small mouth or wing seen light or graduation.

She almost stayed but now is gone, the cold, the wet, the nest is drowned-- I could have told her.

The egg, I think, is lone and bare, abandoned and in need of care. I will check on it tomorrow.

By Kevin Mahon
http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

Going Over Jordan

2010-04-19T10:16:00.003-04:00

I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger
A travel'n through this world of woe.
But there's no sickness, no toil nor trouble
In that fair land, to which I go.

Apparently this once popular song, rooted in the Negro Spirituals of the 18^th Century, is a 'stranger' to our times. His 'wandering wayfaring' has come to an end, done in by OHIP or Obamacare, welfare, entitlements, and a host of helps and aids to see us safely on to our day of death-- with as little trouble as possible. In this life, we are to be protected from sickness, from weary labour and from danger—even school yard playgrounds are suspect and I can't ride my bike down the street without a helmet. "That fair land" is to be this fair land even if we have to kill you to make it so. Well, maybe just our babies and old people.

Our world of woe is gone—we are free! Freed by government and taxes and legislation and by-laws and commissions and councils and taxes and rights and rules, and policies and transfers and entitlements and recycling and taxes and….—Free at Last!!

Well, free to muse that slavery comes in many forms. That slavery is slippery and subtle at times—and that in a 'free' society, slavery is not impossible, is sometimes acceptable, and even marketed as socially responsible.

Look, I don't want to seem ungrateful for all the benefits of our Cradle to the Grave safety nets—just that these safety nets can entangle and restrict and bind —and blind us to the oppression of our chains. We are a very distracted people, slaves to our biology, slaves to our rights, slaves to our pensions, slaves to our security, and slaves to our stuff. William Gairdner, in "The Book of Absolutes" writes: "Any thoughtful observer would surely agree that the Western Democracies in particular are wallowing in a swamp of physical self-indulgence from which they cannot seem to escape." Slaves indeed- in this fair land.

The cage is gilded. Our society, so obsessed with the externals, materials, and physicals, will keep us distracted enough that we need not notice our bondage-- we even welcome it. That Fair Land has little appeal—it is This Fair Land that has social security, Freedom 55 and Retirement Golf Courses to spend our remaining days. And yet… we are going over Jordan. No putting that off forever. No pretending.

We are not fools are we? The baubles and trinkets of our society, the Blockbusters and modern Gladiators, surely cannot distract us from our chains and desperate condition?

The greatest bondage is the bondage of sin and death-- a bondage which this world seeks to insulate us from, but which the Bible repeatedly communicates—and speaks truth to the blind. We are prisoners and slaves to what is unholy, according to God's standards. And while our culture distracts and draws attention to other things, like the Roman Circus' of old, yet the truth of our sin remains, our darkness within, our fallenness and chains.

Thank God for the Gospel- the Good News that a Savior died for our sins that we might be FREE eternally. In this Land and that Land! "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free
indeed." John 8:35-37

"because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8

Life will have its challenges, its trials and its troubles—no way around that. But if you have received Jesus Christ (John 1:12) keep singing:

I know dark clouds will gather 'round me,
I know my way is rough and steep;
But golden fields lay just before me,
Where God's redeemed no more shall weep.

http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

I am a Valuable Person

2010-04-02T22:55:00.010-04:00

...not because God made me, or God saved me, but because I get sick from time to time and keep the economy going. Apparently a huge percentage of our workforce and infrastructure, along with transfer payments and GDP is tied up in the state of my health. Estimates range from 1/6^th to ¼ of our economy is focused on health. Every time I take a Tylenol I am doing my part to keep the Western World healthy. Who Knew?

Now I know most sick people throughout history ended up dead very quickly. So I am very grateful for my medicine cabinet, my occasional #3, and the irregular surgeon looking into my irregularities. I am grateful to be alive! But I do hope I am more than the sum of my sickness; I aspire to offer more to my country than my aches and pains, my twitching eye, and my cramps. Oh Canada! I Stand on guard for You! Even, apparently when I am kneeling in front of the commode after some bad chicken.

Perhaps because we are so valuable as sick people we are encouraged to obsess about our health and staying healthy. We are encouraged to make our health the center of our lives—in our food choices, with our exercise at the club, take a Gatorade and wash it down with some vitamins. They get in our pockets either way- if I'm sick or if I work to stay not sick—they got us coming or going.

We have all met that person who can't talk about anything but their health. They speak in hushed tones as though their blood pressure numbers are state secrets, their sugar count is news and the color of their thyroid pill determines their social strata. We all have sat through their organ recitals and the uncomfortable feeling that we are not going to be given our turn to do them one better! Come On!!

Okay—we are all going to die. It will be your turn one day. Remember that the fellow who promoted a Kelp diet, as the answer to longevity, went to New York to give a speech and was hit by a bus. The Bible says 'death comes to every man". We are thankful for the advances of medicine and reap its benefits—but a caution is in order. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, not the fear of death. We should take care of our bodies and respect these temples—but not to the point of worship. Knowing we are mortal (teach us to number our days) should lead us to a wisdom that seeks after God, not an obsession to be healthy on the day you die.

The Bible is almost silent on the state of our physical health. You can hardly find a mention or even a prayer about what so consumes us today. Perhaps we have so little else to worry about we are able to indulge our flesh. But even so, idols come in all sorts of packages- even a red cross. Paul tells Timothy to preach and teach, to be fervent and careful and get busy for the glory of God—and in the midst of his exhortations he writes to Timothy these words: "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments". 1 Tim. 5:23. That's it- no prayer, no list of ailments—just an acknowledgment of his trials and then get back to what's really important—the work of God and the souls of men.

We are valuable because we were created by God and for God—He has placed eternity in our hearts and He calls us to relationship with Himself through the work of His Son on the cross. We are so Valuable Peter writes: "…Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." 1 Peter 1

That's how much your worth. Treasure indeed!

www.beforecaesar.blogspot.com

Suddenly Comes the Dark

2010-01-21T21:58:00.009-05:00

Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing,
Only a signal shown and a distant voice in the darkness;
So on the ocean of life we pass and speak one another,
Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silent.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tales of a Wayside Inn

I had my first encounter with a real live 'Emergent"—we emailed each other in the flesh. He was promoting what he called a 'Reverse Confessional". This is where they set up a box, invite strangers to go in and the man already inside confesses the sins of the Church of Christ. Surprise surprise! Seems a little strange but it is all the rage in Emergent circles—to confess to the pagans. I pointed out to him that it was presumptuous to claim to speak for the church of Christ; that it was hurtful to bash Christians, and it was irreverent to treat a sacred act of confession as a public relations exercise. Well, that was a very unsatisfying 'conversation'. My exhortation was a fog to him; his reply was a Fog Horn—get out of the way!

The Harbor of Fad is "crowded with masts and sails of vessels coming and going." (Wadsworth) How trendy it is these days to confess—not to God as the Bible teaches, and not even to confess personal sins to others—but instead to confess to the pagans the sins of Christian history long lost in the fog of time. To confess for people long dead, to confess for anything done by 'self -identified' Christians throughout the millennium no matter what they actually believed or why they did it—confession is the new cathartic therapy as we throw our fellow Christians of the past overboard like useless ballast to be sacrificed in a stormy sea. And then we make present Christians walk the plank—we are not loving enough, not caring enough, haven't respected the freedoms of the homosexuals enough—and the transgendered—enough!! Always Enough. 'Enough' is the sword poked into the buttocks of the present Church, to force us to leave the plank and drown a deserved death in Davey's Grip. The Ol' Heave Ho!

I am not too worried about the Emergent's. They are into questions without answers, conversations without assertive truth. They are opposed to structure, and organization, and relish beating up on Christians and Churches—ships don't sail well without a crew, they tend to flounder without officers, and they get lost without charts—they will drift along till that creaking ship runs out of supplies and is abandoned, beached or scuttled. In the meantime, like two ships in the night, we might flash a semaphore or two, but we are both going somewhere else and most likely will never pass again.

Thou art going away, across the sea, and I know not
When I shall see thee more; but if the Lord hath decreed it,
Thou wilt return again to seek me here and to find me."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tales of a Wayside Inn

www.beforecaesar.blogspot.com

Christmas Wars

2009-12-30T20:33:00.003-05:00

Have you enlisted in the "Christmas Wars?" I suppose I have. Every time I'm shopping and hear a 'Happy Holidays" I respond with "Merry Christmas". One soldier doing his part to stop the relentless slide into political correctness and secularism! I just wish I didn't feel so smug about it. I just wish my cart wasn't full of stuff when I fight the good fight with the cashier.

Certainly 'Christmas' as a word is on the outs. Stores don't want to offend people of other faiths, and yet they still want to rake in the sales— so-- they have decided that 'Happy Holidays' will do the trick. Sort of like having your fruitcake and eating it too. As a result, we have 'holiday trees', 'holiday decorations' and 'holiday sales'—everyone, from Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and atheists can get in on that!

Another front in this War is the Local Paper and the anonymous Editor who loves to tell us what the 'real meaning' of Christmas is. Unable or unwilling to name the Name of Christ, or even acknowledge that there could be significant religious and spiritual meaning behind this day, he trots out a series of made up sentimental platitudes like the 'spirit of Christmas' or the 'spirit of humanity'.

     Well, I will keep saying 'Merry Christmas' without expecting too much. And I will keep cancelling my newspaper once a year. Let no blood be shed in this War! Of greater concern than a slogan, and the secularization of our country, is the secularization of those who are Christian. A large proportion of the professing church doesn't even believe in the Incarnation themselves! It should not shock us unduly when the world too, doesn't believe—and is actively hostile to the truth.

     Just as the Lord's Prayer can truly and legitimately only be uttered by a Born Again child of God, so too can Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter only truly be celebrated in the mind and heart of the one who is His—and the Lord knows those who are His. Ye Must be Born Again! Let the world have their Happy Holidays, devoid of theological truth, and let the Editorialists struggle to write something meaningful every December, devoid of faith or Christ. Let us purpose to stay with Christ, for He has found us.

In our homes and around our hearths, we celebrate the Historical truth—that God became man and dwelt among us… and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The Church of Christ will not be built by insisting on the celebration of Christmas by a pagan world-- it will, as always be built upon this truth: "Thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God! John 16

http://www.beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

I Pledge Allegiance

2009-12-23T22:51:00.010-05:00

9 Pray then like this:

"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name. [1]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done, [2]
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread, [3]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. [4] (ESV Matt. 6))

Once upon a time there was only One Will in the Universe, seen and unseen. And then there were two. Unrighteousness was found in Lucifer who suddenly sought to act independently of God-- He said in his heart, "I will.. I will… I will…I will… I will make myself like the Most High." (Ezk. 28, Isa. 14). A second will was introduced into the created order—in defiance it was raised and in rebellion it was born and in judgment it was cast down to the earth. And there, on the earth, all was dark until the Most High spoke: "Let there be Light". Man was created, a threat to Lucifer, now Satan, and so he has sought to pull man away from the will of God. Donald Barnhouse says, "He wished to detach man from God, but he also wished to attach man to himself."

Our race fell and abandoned our Devotion and Dependence on God—we departed from His will and so aligned ourselves with that malignant design. We are dead in trespasses and sins pursing we believe our own will—which seems right to a man—but it leads to death, chaos, evil, and darkness. Satan is our Father—it is he we hear from and it is his works we do. Our will is to do his desires. (John 8)

And yet once again the Light shines in the darkness- the Light of the glory of God, the Light of the world, the Light of Life. Jesus says, "I am the Light of the World". This Jesus Christ, who before coming into the world said, "LO, I come to do your will O God." (Hebrews 10) This Savior who said, "Whatever the Father does, these things the Son does in like manner." (John 5) This Messiah who says, "I do not seek my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. " (John 5)

Satan tried to get Jesus to exercise an independent will from the Father God. "Turn this stone to bread" he said, and "throw yourself down from these heights"—"No", said Jesus, "Man lives by every Word that comes from the mouth of God". "No", said Jesus, "It is written- do not put the Lord God to the test." Satan persisted calling for Jesus to transfer His devotion: "If you worship me…". Jesus decisively answered, "It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only". (Luke 4:5-8) Jesus lived in every way Devotion and Dependence on God. He submitted to One Will alone, and so, in the Garden before His crucifixion He prayed, "Not my Will, but Yours, be done"
We who have bent our knee to Jesus Christ-- He who is One with the Father, sent by the Father, and Who has returned to the Father—we have submitted willingly our will to the Most High. We know there is a will in the universe which would have us abandon God, which would have us worship idols, the creature, or the way that seems right to a man. There is a will in the universe that calls us to sin in all its forms, to rebel in all our pride. There is a will which calls us to independence from God and a disregard for His Name. But we too—now—say NO! We are a Chosen Race, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, a People for God's own possession and we will proclaim the Excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous Light! (1 Peter 2)

The Will we will follow is the will of the Lord God most High. El Elyon—and we say to Heaven and Earth that in Christ we live and move and have our being! We declare the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory are not Satan's but God's alone and that this Usurper will not have our allegiance!

Our pledge is the very prayer our Lord gave us—read it again. As you read, stress the pronouns. You are declaring it is God alone who is Holy, not Satan. That it is the Kingdom of God you embrace, not Satan's kingdom. And that it is the Will of God you are devoted to not Satan's will. Your pledge leaves nothing uncertain—you stand with God in Devotion and look to God in Dependence—' give us this day our daily bread…" . Devotion to God and Dependence in God.

For Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory forever and ever. Amen.

www.beforecaesar.blogspot.com

Bellows in the Barnyard

2009-12-19T20:58:00.004-05:00

We have all been in barnyards and we know it can be a rather messy and noisy place. In the Barnyard we hear the stamp of hoofs, the braying of animals, the chatter of fowl and birds. Add the contributions of a mother in labor, and an anxious father, and we have the makings of quite a racket. And so Christ was born.

          Yet our beloved Christmas Hymns suggest to us the Barnyard became quiet! 'Ox, Ass Before Him Bow, the Shepherds watch are keeping-- Come adore on bended knee!' Indeed all creation is silent and hushed: 'Silent night, Holy night, all is calm, all is bright', and the 'Silent Stars go by'. Even the Babe Himself, wrapped in the manger is 'laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping'. There is only one indiscretion- at some point barnyard animals make noise and startle the Babe from his sleep: 'the cattle are lowing the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus no crying He makes'. Yet, by and large, we are in agreement- all was quiet, all was silent, the only voice to be heard was a voice lifted in praise and adoration.

    Let all mortal flesh keep silence, And with fear and trembling stand; Ponder nothing earthly minded—For with blessing in His hand    Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.

                        (Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence)

Now it strains credulity to believe such a silence and hush was attained in the Barnyard. Wherever there are creatures there is clamor, to some extent, and we can safely assume that there were more indiscretions than the wayward cattle. But our popular Christmas Hymns speak to our sensibilities-- our sentient awareness that Someone different has come into our world and experience, an Other Transcendent, something Foreign, and Outside the fabric of life has occurred. A Presence has arrived, an Event like no other in all human history. Our hymns reflect our sensitivity to the Holy, to the Majesty, and to the Glory. The Holy One has come, and though He has entered the realm of man, we understand He is not just man. We sense we are in the presence of Holiness—utter purity. Tozer says of God, "He is the absolute quintessence of moral excellence, infinitely perfect in righteousness, purity, rectitude, and incomprehensible holiness". And so, in such a Presence, our hearts commune and agree the appropriate response must be a hushed and quiet countenance, a reserved and restrained demeanor, where lips are kept for praise, movement for adoration, and feet for coming, standing, watching.

We gather in the Barnyard to this day. We are called from our fields and palaces to come and worship- 'O come let us adore Him!' Every Sunday we hear the call and 'All Ye Faithful' come to behold, adore and praise! We are in the Presence of the Holy and our response will flow from that awareness. If He is just a man, then the babble of the barnyard may proceed unchecked. Chatter, and lowing, braying and the stamp of hoofs, the din of the tractor and the procession in and out of the Barnyard door may well continue without shame, without appeasement and with no other charge laid to us but of rudeness to our fellow man. If He is but man only-- then indulge your fancy and loose your moderation. But if you know He is also God, then take care. For then our Barnyard is visited by the Holy One and we must not be familiar to the point of disrespect; we must not be careless with Deity. He is the High and Lofty One, and before such purity and fire of righteousness we find our voice becomes silent but for praise, our minds become quiet but for awe, our feet still but for kneeling. O to be sure there will be some indiscretion- a cattle will 'low', a creature will make his presence felt and known—for such is the habit of humanity.

But before such Holiness as yours, dear Lord, let it not be me.

http://www.beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

It’s Not Easy to Worship

2009-11-30T19:25:00.004-05:00

Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Psalm103:1

It is interesting that the psalmist speaks to his own soul, reminding it to worship God. The Psalms, the Book of Worship, is full of exhortations to be careful to worship God.

It might seem that it is easy to worship God: we largely relate our worship lives to music and today, turn on the radio and you can hear Christian music, or put on a tape, listen to a CD or go to a Christian Gospel concert. Lots of options it seems for worship today. But as I meditate on the above verse, I find myself, more often than not, turning off Christian radio, throwing out the tape or CD, and feeling decidedly uncomfortable at the Gospel Concert.

Is the barrage of Christian music and performance today uniformly conducive to worshipping God? Does it help me bow in reverence and humility before a Holy God? I know they might have Christian words or even a Christian testimony but why, so often, do I feel like I have just heard a sensual song sung by a breathless lover? Why do I feel like I have just been manipulated by a mass marketing machine tapping into our drive to be entertained? Why do I get a sense that behind closed doors, there are rich moneychangers laughing at our gullibility and mocking our Savior? Why do I so often feel defiled in my spirit? Why do I sense that self has been elevated, and Christ diminished?

Consider that the fallen human heart is not a heart to which worship comes easily. When Jesus said, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers (John 4:23),
He opened our understanding to the reality of false worship—worship based on externals and falsehoods. It is a worship based on self; a worship that pursues a different agenda than God's, dressed up to fool the unwary. The natural man will pursue his own tastes and preferences and will demand what he likes, with only a causal or convenient nod to God. Yet worship is not about us feeling good, or us liking the music, or about what our world finds appealing and attractive—it is about a heart that bows to God and submits to His Word in devotion, submission and obedience.

Worship is not a human-centered, self esteem, musical entertainment exercise dressed up with spiritual sounding words to minimize our disquiet and unease at our worldly pursuit of self-gratification and pleasure. Worship is not intended to be a vehicle for self. We do well to remember that just because it has a 'Christian label', a few 'Christian words', or is sung by a 'Christian artist' it is not necessarily Christian worship.

There is some evidence that many are awakening and listening more carefully—that many are longing for worship which is God-centered and Christ-focused rather than a thinly disguised personal therapy session. There is a growing sense of the need to swim upstream against the deluge of mass marketed secular copies and boy-band clones with self-indulgent lyrics. There is an increasing sensitivity in God's young people, causing some to weed out the openly malicious fraud, the well-intentioned heretic, and the sultry sirens with their shallow, self-absorbed meanderings. There are encouraging signs of a growing unrest in young Christian hearts and a movement towards embracing what is righteous, true, reverent, and humble.

Our souls may easily be distracted towards music and worship which gratifies our spirit, but which God turns from with abhorrence. And so we ought to be found speaking to ourselves on frequent occasions, to remind ourselves about true worship:

Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Psalm 103:1

Pastor Martha Martha or, A Tale of Two Pastors

2009-10-22T23:43:00.004-04:00

"It was the best of times it was the worst of times…"

Pastor Martha had so much to do to bless Jesus! He had to vision cast, and lead, he had to energize and maximize, he had to re-imagine and re-invent all the while dreaming Big for God!

He was like a woman in the kitchen preparing a full course meal for Jesus! Pastor Martha, a trained Chef who could pull a banquet together for Jesus complete with hor d'oeuvres, soup, salad, main course, dessert and after dinner mint! Pastor Martha is so impressive, gifted and motivated. He has much to say and so gets booked for many pastors conferences and seminars to tell others how to cook for Jesus. Oh, sometimes he gets weary and worn and a bit ticked off that others aren't doing what he is doing—and sometimes he wonders if the Lord appreciates enough all the fine dining. Lord do you not care??

Poor Pastor Martha Martha. He is distracted with many things. One dish would have been enough but no—he had to put on a full meal deal. Or so he thought.

And there is Pastor Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus!

The Lord said to his pastors, "Feed my Flock". Which Pastor would you dine with?

----------------

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,….

Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
English novelist (1812 - 1870)

Jumping Jehosaphat!

2009-10-10T21:46:00.006-04:00

I LIKE this Jehosaphat guy. A powerful King and warrior, battle tried and tested—faced with more war he set himself to seek the Lord! In front of EVERYONE he prays saying, "We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." 2 Chron. 20:1-12

Now that's a leader I will follow. No five year plan, no team meeting or brainstorming session, no values or vision statements, no leadership conferences or seminars—just dependence on God. If he was around today he would have a hard time getting a kingdom to lead, let alone a church to pastor! We want guys who have the answers or can lead a team to accomplish the mission— quality leaders with a cell phone, a Blackberry, a laptop and a Projector all on their Utility belt-- there is little room today, especially in the church, for leaders to say, "I have no power, I have no clue—let's look to God".

The Lord says, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the Lord.

Jehosaphat learned to stand still—like Moses; to "stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today… the Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace." (Exodus 14) Listen to what else Jehosaphat said, "Believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." Man I LIKE this guy!

As a pastor, what a relief and pleasure to understand that it is the Lord's church, not mine. That I don't need to be a leader with the plan and the power, the energy and the education, the skills and the solutions. I can be dumb and weak and still be right where God wants me. I can be stupid and feeble and see His Gospel and Kingdom advance. Jumping Jehosaphat! I can stop jumping and be still!

Read what happened in 2 Chron. 20. I will only say that Jehosaphat and his people sang, "Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever!"
http://www.beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

The Green Giant

2009-10-05T22:35:00.009-04:00

Corn Mazes are the rage these days- great fun to get lost and have 10 lbs of wet earth stick to your shoes. The farmer got an axe and knocked it off. Charlene, my wife, then had to do laundry for a whole day and I had to vacuum out the van. All this family time for $25.00!

The world is a bit like a Corn Maze. And I am told that as a Christian Leader I am supposed to see above it all—I am supposed to see the path God wants us to be on, to see through the maze with Vision and Values as our map and guide. As a Christian Leader I am a Corn Giant who thunders "Ho Ho Ho," — towering above it all, pointing in the direction God's people are supposed to go—for I can see and 'where there is no Vision the people perish". "Vision is everything" says John Maxwell; 'vision' is to see a path where others don't, to see possibilities and dream BIG!

Churches are looking for visionary leaders: "Wanted, pastor, a man with vision, a man who can dream big dreams for God, a man who can see the possibilities and knows what he wants to do and can do it. A man of visionary thinking and leadership." Clearly they are not interested in little Sprouts. They want the Giant.

There is a problem though, since the New Testament Church hadn't studied under John Maxwell. The passage we are pointed to about 'vision' in Proverbs 29:18 is constructed in synthetic parallelism. This means the equivalent of 'vision' is torah- or law. The Hebrew word "chazown' speaks of 'revelation or oracle'—and is repeatedly used in the sense of speaking forth the revelation of God. Biblical Vision is to proclaim what God has revealed, for where the Word of God is not proclaimed the people perish.

God is not looking or someone to dream big dreams; he is looking for someone to preach His Word faithfully. God is not looking for someone who proclaims possibilities, but for someone who will feed His flock. God is not looking for visionary thinkers, but for theological preachers.

I suppose that Jehosophat, Solomon, Jeremiah and Paul were just little 'sprouts' for they said, "we have no might against this great company that comes against us; neither do we know what to do: but our eyes are on Thee. Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God".

In the Bible giants tend to be bad. And I don't care if this one is jolly. He can 'Ho Ho Ho' all he wants, I am not buying! If we put our trust in Corn Giants the crop will be laid waste: "Behold the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will send a famines on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord (Amos 8:11).
As an elder and preacher, and a little sprout, I am content to be in the midst of the corn maze- I can't see ahead, over or beyond, and my feet are often weighed down, and I can feel lost in the midst of the bends, turns and intersections of life and ministry—and even run into a few dead ends. But this is the place of dependence, of abiding, of listening and waiting on the Lord—Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxW1AZ_klVQ

http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

Pandora’s Box

2009-09-28T21:32:00.005-04:00

Shakespeare penned the platitude, "to thine own self be true" (Act I, scene iii of Hamlet). But it doesn't seem that Shakespeare thought much of this counsel himself—he puts it in the mouth of Polonius considered to be a windbag, a habitual spy and an ambitious social climber. It looks like Shakespeare was actually mocking self-absorbed meandering. But the phrase caught on and many a contemporary courtier spouts this nonsense as deep, penetrating wisdom. Never mind that Polonius would be murdered, and the son who received his 'wisdom' would become a revengeful murderer himself.

Perhaps our narcissistic culture has done Polonius one better. Now the phrase we hear relentlessly from our TV dramas to our Astronauts is the nonsensical, "Believe in yourself". Our children are told through their cartoon characters, that if they 'believe in themselves' they can do anything. Our teens are told through their heroes that if they "believe in themselves" they can reach any goal. Our young adults are told through their bosses that if they 'believe in themselves' they can climb any ladder. But after the age of 40 the joke is over--no one believes in "believe in yourself" anymore. After the age of 40, we just spout this sentimental nonsense to the next generation, pretending to be profound, to try and motivate their lazy bones and get them off the couch. Let's face it-- only one person gets to be President at a time, only 6 people fit on the Space Shuttle and only 3 people get on the Olympic podium in any given sport. Realistically, 'Believe in Yourself' leaves a lot of failures behind, and is a pretty lame philosophy—perfect for a culture that won't believe in anything beyond itself.

We Evangelicals sense the mockery in "to thine own self be true" and we get the sentimental absurdity of "believe in yourself." Yet self is attractive and it's really too bad the Bible is so hard on self—self denial, putting self to death and all that. And so we go to the pre-biblical Greek Sages for their timeless tenet: "know thyself". We evangelical leaders are supposed to 'know ourselves' to be good leaders. We are plastered with personality profiles, attitudinal diagnostic charts, stylistic leadership fundamentals and DISC questionnaires. We do our 'colours' and explore whether we are Sanguine's, Melancholies, Cholerics or Phlegmatics—any combination of these sounds like you belong in a sanatorium. We dutifully do our assessments and try and figure out the complexities of our intriguing self—we stare longingly into the pool of self-identity straining to gaze through the murky ripples and see the treasure below. All in the name of a good cause of course. To be a better leader I think. Or maybe to choose better leaders to be around me. Or maybe to make sure there is no one to compete with my own excellence. I forget. But it is all very important.

Do you sense with me that our gaze needs to be turned from inward, to outward and upward? As Jehoshaphat said, "My eyes are upon you"(2 Chron.). He meant God—not 'you'. In our day we need to qualify that! The modern obsession to look within and 'know thyself' seems foreign to the Bible and to the New Testament Church. Our Ancients were concerned to know God and understood the gaze within was inherently dangerous—treacherous waters indeed. Perhaps this is partly why the NT elder/leader was defined not by his 'colours' or his 'style of leadership'—but was defined by his character and his steadfastness and determination to hold to the truths of God. (Titus 1:7-9, 2 Tim. 2)

Perhaps this is why the Psalmist would ask God to search him, and try him and see if there be any wicked way in him… The look within is dangerous. It is addicting and open to manipulation and deceit. It is distracting and consuming. The look into 'self' will teach us to rely on self—and leave God out. Better to leave that look inward in the hands of our Good God who we can trust to show us what needs to be repented of rather than admired. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139

http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

God is so Gone

2009-09-21T21:59:00.004-04:00

"Where is Waldo?" He is somewhere, but you have to look awfully hard to find him. And so it is with the Lord in an increasing number of Evangelical Churches and Evangelical Offices. Where is God?

God is being pushed out of the picture or obscured in our well intentioned Evangelical Bazaar! We have Values and Vision instead of Statements of Faith; we have Transference and Organizational Transformation instead of discipleship and the Body of Christ. We have Leadership instead of Shepherds filled and dependant on the Holy Spirit. We really don't need the Lord anymore it seems. I recently heard again this mythology: "everything rises and falls on Leadership." Be certain they are not talking about the Lord's Leadership when they say that. Again, where is God?

Today, I heard about a Philosophy of Leadership—and God was just a little harder to find. There are many understandings of what philosophy means but inherent in all definitions is 'mans love and search for wisdom". Philosophy by nature begins with the mind and heart of man reaching out—sometimes in conceit and vanity—for that which he is unwilling to find. Instead of a Philosophy of leadership, or a Philosophy of ministry—how about a Theology of Philosophy? The scriptures are not silent on Philosophy:

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." (Col. 2:8)

How about a Theology of Ministry, or a Theology of Leadership? Theology begins with God. As believers in God and His Son, we need to desperately bring God back into the picture whenever and wherever we can. We need to have Him front and center, and ourselves well behind. He must increase, we must decrease. He will lead, we will follow. We need to be relentless and obsessive about this. Words matter and God is getting harder to find in our words and in our churches.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Col 2:7)

It is easier to find Waldo than God. God is so Gone in much of Evangelicalism.

http://beforecaesar.blogspot.com/

Oh For a Giant in the Land

2009-09-18T20:56:00.002-04:00

How well do you know your history? Remember The Friendly Giant? He had a way with words. "Look up", he said, "Look waaaayyy up". And so we did.

But we evangelicals are failing history these days. The Emergent's are telling us 'yesterday' means nothing- only today matters. They seem to despise everything that used to be, believing they have stumbled upon what really matters. The Contemplatives on the other hand, like history, as long as it is mystical history. Contemplatives love to mine the worship of sincere unbelievers and practice their ways—no matter how unorthodox. Ancient-future is code for 12^th Century Catholic mysticism—that's about as ancient as they want to go.

But as a redeemed, sanctified people, our desire used to be to become a New Testament Church. That is, to seek to emulate the practices of the Body of Christ in the first Century as found in the Scriptures. We believed that their History, so ancient as to actually record the Church's beginning at Pentecost, was the safest pattern to practice, and their worship and teaching was the purest form to follow.

But no more it seems. Ronald Gleason recounts how D.H William's, in his book "Retrieving the Tradition and Renewing Evangelicalism" laments we have "an acute problem of continuity…analogous to a case of amnesia where the patient forgets not only who his friends and relatives are, but no longer knows who he is."

Some of us look with disdain on the dust of a few years believing old is irrelevant and boring. We grasp ever for the 'new' and put our confidence in the trendy and the immediacy of the present moment. Others look for the old, but stop well short of the prize. Like antique hunters who scour the shop only to settle for some old forgery, missing the truly ancient treasure in the corner, so they stop 1000 years too soon on their spiritual quest.

If you know your history you know The Friendly Giant was cancelled and can only be found in re-runs. I imagine he took it well being so friendly. I wonder if he has a brother though—it is well past time for an Exasperated Giant to call us evangelicals to "Look back…Look waaaaayyy back." And so we must; all the way back to the New Testament Church.

Loose Nails

2009-09-12T00:08:00.002-04:00

You have heard of the Carpenter who, when sliding off the roof, cried out—"Lord Help me!" But then he saw a nail sticking out and managed to grip it and all was well—"Never mind Lord! I have the nail now!"

Indeed! But loose nails are prone to pull out easily.

The Christian church, many believe, is in a state of decline beset by cultural compromise, mysticism, relativism and pride. David Wells writes, "Christian faith itself is departing". The rate of descent is debatable but what is not debatable is the number of loose nails rearing their heads to offer some sense of security, some refuge from the slide, some hope of gaining a footing to crawl back up to the ridge.

Leadership is a loose nail which has a great many clinging to it—seminars, conferences, workshops and books abound. If a leader could just improve his leadership skills, all will be well-- we are told. Better administration or better organizational structures with flowcharts and diagrams will rescue us. Or perhaps Vision statements, Value statements, 5 year plans, or training to 'grow your influence" will be what the church of Christ needs. Even as I write, I received from a Christian Leadership Ministry an offer to help build my "authentic self-confidence from knowing who I am and what I want and how to get it." They are willing, for a fee, to be my 'life-coach" to advance my career, finances and relations by identifying my confidence quotient and identify my fears…. This from a "Christian ministry?" Another offers me a conference: "that aims to help you take the seeds of change that you possess - dissatisfaction with the norm - and grow them into the tangible initiative that our world needs". I will pass on their offering.
Loose nails are prone to pull out easily.

We are exhorted to buy into Christian franchises like Purpose Driven methodologies or Seeker-Sensitive paradigms, Missional or Life coach fads, essentially becoming marketers offering products and services designed by potential religious consumers. In the name of 'outreach' any accommodation or compromise is seen as worthy and acceptable. We are likewise exhorted to turn our backs on Biblical worldviews and organized assemblies and instead embrace post-modernism and the 'experience of God'. These experiences tend toward the mystic, new-ageism of the middle ages complete with incense, candles, labyrinths, thoughtlessness and the divine within. Loose nails which prove unworthy of our trust. "We rest our confidence on our Know-how, our worldly-wise, humanely driven, business savvy… the major casualty is biblical truth."(Wells)

There is something about fallen man which seems driven to work out things for himself— we know this is true for those who would rely on their good works to make them acceptable to God—but it seems a danger too for those who are the Children of God. The temptation to rely on self, to rely on methodologies, marketing strategies, philosophies or personalities seems persistent and powerful. The flesh seems to hunger for the next new fad to feed it.

Galatians 3:3
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

I suspect that the Christian brotherhood suffers not from a lack of self-confidence, but from a lack of confidence in the Word of God to accomplish God's intended purpose, a lack of confidence in the Spirit of God who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and a lack of interest in holiness—holiness that pleases God, identifies us with Christ, and separates us from our culture. The Word of God is Powerful, the Spirit of God is Active, and the Life of Christ in us is Attractive!

And yet, there are many Horses and Chariots to ride (and loose nails to grasp)—and princes and gold to trust in— and Egypt's call is heard each day to take us into her confidence. (Jeremiah 17:5; Ps. 118:9; Psalm 52:7):

Isaiah 31:1

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,

who rely on horses,

who trust in the multitude of their chariots

and in the great strength of their horsemen,

but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,

or seek help from the Lord.

Psalm 20:7

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

At times it seems the precipice is close for the Church of Christ, the eaves are nearing, and the gutter is waiting. But we know it is Christ's church and the very gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt. 16) and when we listen to Him and follow Him instead of ourselves—:

"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. Matthew 7:25

Under the Big Top

2009-09-05T22:26:00.005-04:00

My first time under the Big Tent, I saw clowns, elephants, trapeze artists and even a dog act that was hilarious! One Big Tent, Three Rings-- there was always somewhere to look and something to watch. Big Tents can hold just about anything and anyone!

Some Christian Denominations, Fellowships, or Associations want to be Big Tent People. They want to draw a crowd and offer an eclectic mix of variously styled churches who do things different—but hey, "we are all under the same Big Tent", they say! They want everyone to feel welcome, everyone to have a place to go or a place to look, depending on your preferences, your tastes and your demographic. Sit near the Ring your comfortable with and never mind the clowns over there or the pony show over here—there is a Ring for everyone and anything!

What stands in the way of the Big Tenters is the Statement of Faith. These tend to be quite detailed and quite specific, full of Biblical convictions and Biblical distinctives. This is why Statements of Faith are under constant revision in many Christian groups. The Big Tenters want to pare it down to the 'essentials' they say, to make sure no one feels excluded. They want it easy, no doctrinal language, and they want it short. One gets a feeling that Big Tenters would do away with Statements of Faith all together, if they could—and instead, call us to embrace their Vision and Values which they have worked so hard on, even putting them on PowerPoint.

Could I suggest?

Statements of Faith ought to be difficult to change so they are not pliable to the leadership of the day. If Statements of Faith are always in flux, there value diminishes.
Statements of Faith pared down to 'essentials' tend to reflect the 'essentials' favored by the leadership of the day. Thus they become not a list of 'essentials' but a vehicle to promote the agenda of the moment.
Biblical Convictions and Biblical Distinctives are what unify us. Vision and Values cannot hold our loyalty and turn denominations into pragmatic enterprises rather than communities of conviction. Belonging becomes a matter of convenience rather than conviction, a matter of pragmatism rather than the pulpit, and a matter of benefits rather than belief. By dismantling our Statements of Faith, unity and fellowship are, in the end, sacrificed by those who call for it.

In the Association in which I belong, I have found I cannot recommend sister churches without doing a lot of research. Oh, I am not looking for cookie cutter churches or for everyone to be like my home church—but I am desiring that our churches at least be of the same Family. Maybe not a sibling, but at least related—a cousin perhaps. The more we 'essentialize' our Statement of Faith letting our Biblical convictions and distinctives go, the more we celebrate diversity and different ways of doing things, the more we applaud the cutting edge fads and fancies of the moment giving them a platform and voice in our midst, the more I wonder if we are, any longer, a people of "common faith, teaching, and behavior' as our Statement says. When it comes to some churches in my Association, I don't want to have to say, "Well, we all trace our roots back to Adam and Eve"—I would hope for a closer degree of communion than that.

What is wrong with a Family tent? Big Tops are for circuses.

The Damocles Sword

2009-08-30T21:32:00.003-04:00

Cicero recounts the Greek history of Dionysius, King of Syracuse, in the 4^th century B.C. He was a rich King with a large body of attendants-- one whose name was Damocles. Damocles liked to flatter the King and would go 'on and on' about all the power and happiness associated with the throne. Tiring of his unending words, Dionysius threw a banquet in Damocles honor—no expense was spared as Damocles was finally to feel what it was like to be a King! Damocles feasted and enjoyed the pampering as he sat in the King's seat, but then he looked up. Suspended over his head by a single horsehair, was a sword! Damocles quickly left the seat of power, and reclaimed his usual chair, far from the place of Honor. And so to this day, "The Sword of Damocles" is a phrase meant to communicate a sense of anxiety or impending doom.

We have so many blessings as the Church of Christ—the blessings and gifts of God to His children: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

We sit in a place of honor and privilege and responsibility—and at the same time, it seems to me, "the Sword of Damocles" dangles above us. There is much afoot today, which might serve well to sever the hair and bring it all crashing down. From the peril of relationships, to theological ignorance, sins and worldliness, embracing of man-made methodologies and fads, and the growing neo-pagan movement within Christian circles-- the sword seems heavy and the hair very thin.

Many see the sword. Peter Jones in his book, Pagans in the Pews' says, "There is great darkness in the church today. She disregards the scriptures, she drags the name of God the Father in the mud, she mocks and spurns the gracious redemptive work of the eternal Son and makes sin the principle of life." Douglas Wilson in "Mother Kirk" writes,
"Having lost our ability to see the glory of the gospel in the proclamation of the risen Christ, we have done what men have always done in this situation—we have turned to baubles and trinkets, programs and gimmicks….are evangelicals to remain Christian?"

Indeed –"…, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" -- Luke 18:8 God makes no promises to the local believing church concerning our earthly survival— instead, he offers many warnings to 'beware, and take care': "savage wolves will come in among you and not spare the flock." (Acts 20:29) There are many challenges, threats, and dangers. God has not promised that your local church will survive till His coming. None of the churches in the New Testament appear to have continued—we must take great care. We must always pursue the reconciliation of conflicts in the Body, sound biblical theology, dependence on God, holiness, the active avoidance of passing fads and methodologies, and a clear faith, based on the Word of God.

The Sword of Damocles hangs over our head. But we will not leave this seat of honor, privilege and responsibility. We Belong to God, We Believe God, and We Serve God (Acts 27)! If we are careless and faithless, it may indeed fall. If we are negligent or wanderers or wicked—let it fall-- that we do no harm. We strive to be a Biblical community of believers with the knowledge of our dependence on God, and of our existence under the Sword. And we thank God that while there is no promise of survival for the local church, yet the Universal church of Christ will continue:

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18

Pop, Chips, and Family

2009-08-20T21:04:00.004-04:00

Growing up, Family Time was every supper, Friday nights and the Sunday drive to Easy Street. On Friday's, our family watched the 'Friday Night Movie' and then 'Hawaii Five-O'; I loved when Jack Lord would spin around on the balcony during the opening scene. Sometimes we stayed up for 'The FBI'. Also on Friday nights we had pop and chips. It was a special time for family. Our trip to Easy Street on Sundays was because there was a variety store there and dad would give us 25 cents to buy whatever we wanted—and what I wanted was pop and chips. Yes, 25 cents would do it.

I would not be taking too big a risk to posit that everyone understands the importance of a family time, and all the benefits that flow from these intentional, intimate moments. Why is it then that modern Evangelicals seem so embarrassed about the need for Family Time in our congregations? We are the Family of God, with a Father, a Brother and many siblings—what is wrong with some Family Time?

Perhaps this embarrassment crystallized with the seeker sensitive movement where, taken to its logical conclusion, unbelievers were, in effect, designing our services and deciding how and what went on in our worship. All sorts of accommodations were made to make the lost feel comfortable; all sorts of concessions were made to give the damned what we felt they wanted. The result was the loss of Family Time and instead, the perpetual tyranny of the guest. At my home, our friends ate at the table all the time- they were welcome. But they didn't dictate what was on the menu. Mom would have laughed if they asked for pop and chips. We carried on as a family just like normal, and if there was a guest they better eat what was served, or go hungry. If the guest is going to only stay if he gets what he orders—well, he best go home and eat there. Someone who is truly seeking is not looking for more of the culture, more of the world-- they are looking for truth, conviction and 'other-worldly people'. That is what we offer. Mom's cooking is fantastic-- have some confidence that what we serve in our Family Time is powerful to the hearts of all who fall within the sound of the dinner Bell!

Now, the "Missional' movement is the newest fad for those evangelicals tossed to and fro. Instead of them coming to our table, we are supposed to go to theirs. We are told to "Be the church in the community". Doesn't sound too bad until you hear and read where this 'Missional' thing is going. Some are saying we should close our buildings and sell them, give ourselves to good works, go into the midst of the community and live our lives shoulder to shoulder with the lost. In other words, eat at their table, as their guest-- every meal. Eat what they serve. The exclusive Christ will not often be on that menu for sure. Really, it sounds like a call to disband the family, disperse the family, and distance the family of God. I heard a pastor last year, at a conference, telling us how he was now 'Missional'—he was taking ½ of his people out of their building to "be the church" in the community. He made it sound like the other ½ of the family who were staying were unspiritual. I guess the ones staying are the Kooky family you only want to see once a year at the reunion. This pastor used to be seeker sensitive but had seen the light and now was the opposite. He is of the Military Evangelical Wing- Left, Right, Left, Right, Left Right… always with a squad to follow him.

Look- ever hear of overstaying your welcome? In the early church, if you stayed longer than three days, at another Christian's home, you were considered to be a great sinner. To eat always at the 'table of the world' is not a loving thing, but a violation of what is right and proper.

Everyone needs Family Time. No need to be embarrassed about it, no need to apologize for it, no need to let visitors dictate your family time, no need to disband your family out of some misplaced guilt or energy. There are certain things that the Lord would have us do, that can only be done within the intimacy and bosom of the family. We worship Him as His children, we observe the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Table, we are edified as we hear from the Shepherd—His sheep hear His voice and follow Him—and we love one another within this family. There is always room for visitors and friends and guests and we might even, at rare times, serve some pop and chips—but they will flow within the routines of our family; if they are a guest that the Spirit has brought, they will not complain.

Careless Christian Word Challenge

2009-08-17T23:22:00.009-04:00

In the Spirit of my previous Post (505 Words exactly) I call for help to generate a list of

Careless Christian Words

to expunge from our vocabulary. I will update this list and keep a running tally on the sidebar! If you want to ask why a word is benched, the comment line is open!

Leadership (too generic- use Elders, pastors, deacons, stewards…)
Worship Team (Everything is worship in the service)
Pastor's Office (we are not CEOs- use Pastor's Study)
Story (sounds like a fable—use History)
Christian Bookstore (Hmmm…)
Outreach (don't discard our Evangel)
Energized (leaves out the Spirit)
Vision and Values (How about Biblical Convictions which don't change!)
Relevant (The Gospel is always relevant-- we dont make it so)
Authentic (In a New Testament sense? Not likely.)
Missional (New Fad word reacting to attractive model failure. Focusing on good works not proclamation. Embarrassed about Family of God time: edification of believers, worship and ordinances and the need for a building to meet in-- cycdaily suggest the word "Witness" Acts 1:8 -- this implies proclamation and the voice of the Shepherd.)

Keep them coming! Words Matter!

505 Words Exactly

2009-08-17T23:00:00.004-04:00

I have never believed the myth that a "picture is worth a thousand words". When I look at a picture, I rarely think at all, let alone generate an essay. A picture might generate a few emotions, but not a lot of syllables. Well, maybe a few—standing before some examples of what is called 'art' today generates words like "Is the artist crazy?", or "Is the guy who bought this crazy?" But that is only a few—more often we are simply left speechless. I would posit that the real truth is this: A single word is worth a thousand words.

This is to say that Words Matter! A single word conveys paragraphs of meaning and communicates paragraphs of unspoken intentions, allusions and implications…! Think of it: the label 'conservative' or 'liberal' tells you enough about a person to write a novel, 'male' or 'female' gives you enough to pen a bestseller and say 'four' in golf, when you got a 'five'— and I will have a speech to tell my wife when I get home!

A Word is pregnant with more words, A Word is a dandelion gone to seed waiting for a simple breath to unload its meaning. A Word is a starburst firework waiting to be lit. A Word is the IKEA furniture you bought in the box, but when it is unpacked you find it has 100 pieces and it is never going back in the box again. A Word is the dripping tap that collects a pool of meaning.

Pastors are playing around with words today. Instead of church they say 'gathering', instead of Christian it is 'Christ follower', instead of unbeliever it is 'pre-Christians', instead of elder or pastor it is 'emerging leaders,' instead of preaching it is 'sharing', instead of the Power of the Gospel it is 'relevant', instead of Spirit filled it is 'energized', instead of evangelism it is 'outreach'… perhaps you could add to this list? When objections are offered we are told, "it's just a word and words don't matter! What you call it doesn't matter!" When we point out, if they believe it doesn't matter, why not leave the words alone, we uncover their confusion or hypocrisy and make our point well—they are changing the words because of an agenda. Words Matter Very Much and they know it or they wouldn't be changing them.

As a pastor I prefer to continue to use words that draw from our Christian Text, our Christian legacy and our Christian theology. I am convinced we should take care to ensure we don't divorce ourselves from Revelation, from those who came before us, and from sound doctrine. Careless words will unhinge us from our authority, will tie us down with unwanted baggage, and will present us as trendy and cool, but not serious. The words we are seeing used today have long-term consequences that will move us away from historic orthodox Christianity—not towards it. Modern evangelicals, ever ready for a new fad, love the newest words.

Ban the Buzz

2009-08-14T23:27:00.002-04:00

I wonder how long it will be before Seminary's and Bible schools begin offering degrees in Business Management and Corporate Leadership? Some churches aren't really looking for theologians or Bible teachers first; they are looking for "change agents, highly energized dynamic problem solvers, effective decision makers, and people managers able to develop leadership abilities in others." I suppose that Seminary course in Greek would have been better spent on "casting and communicating vision and core values" or, " leveraging technology & social media to reach people".

Pastors today are being buzzed by these buzz words: 'leadership, dynamic, energized, values, vision, develop… '. I didn't know that as a Pastor I was preparing to run Enron, or some other multi-national corporation! I didn't know the Lord was calling me to the Stateroom, the Boardroom, and the Greenroom. It makes me feel like I need to go to the 'coatroom' and check out, with a stop along the way at the 'washroom'.

Well, when I hear a buzz, I run, scream and flail about with my arms. The sound of a 'buzz' means danger, and the possibility of significant pain. Buzz words are no different- swat them down, gas them or spray them with Raid. Don't let them find shelter in the nooks and crannies of your ministry. Stick with 1Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Don't worry about being a dynamic leader, just be a disciple. Don't worry about vision and values-- just hold to Biblical Convictions instead. Don't worry about being energized-- be filled with the Spirit.

Ban the Buzz and not the Bible!

Found In a Field

2009-08-12T22:31:00.005-04:00

There are many moments of great import in our lives—the exam we have studied for, the wedding we waited for and the job we longed for. Great moments pass through our lives like bookmarks in a novel, helping us find our place in our own personal history. Babies come, first steps, graduations and grandchildren—these big moments of significance are photo friendly and fill our albums with similar chapters.

It's the little moments that interest me lately; those little moments of chance meeting, of small decision, of casual happening. The power of these little moments to shape and direct our lives are formidable, yet easily overlooked. Little footnotes along our journey, folded earmarks hardly noticed-- they are easily forgotten as the 'bookmarks' draw our full attention.

For example, what if that 'certain man' had not found Joseph wandering in the field? (Gen. 37:15) Such a little thing and yet Joseph's entire future hung on that moment. This divine appointment would affect the course of his life! Perhaps there was a moment years later, when Joseph in prison in Egypt might have wondered: 'if only I hadn't met that man, if only that man hadn't told me where my brothers were, if only he had passed me by…-- that Man!'.

When the English Parliamentarian William Wilberforce was converted to Jesus, he wondered if he should leave politics and become a minister—he met for an hour with John Newton who advised him to stay in parliament. John Piper rightly comments on this all important hour of counsel—"When one thinks what hung in the balance in that moment of counsel, one marvels at the magnitude of some small occasions…"

These small occasions litter our lives, hardly seen at the moment, and rarely remembered later but to wonder:

What if I hadn't been delayed by that flat tire—it could have been me in that accident
What if I hadn't gotten sick— we never would have known I had something more serious
What if I hadn't lost that job—I never would have gotten this job
What if he had never counseled me to go to Bible School…

The Scriptures tell us we " do not know what 'our' life will be like tomorrow" ( James 4:14) and "Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1) And we don't know, as we go about our days, what is really going on and even who we are really meeting—the car break down might have saved our life, the chance meeting might have changed the course of our life! It is comforting to know our steps are ordered by God, (The steps of a man are established by the Lord; And He delights in his way. Psalm 37:23) and to accept that we will never fully understand God's purposes for our lives (Man's steps are ordained by the Lord, How then can man understand his way? Proverbs 20:24)

Little things— this reflection helps me to be less irritated at the traffic jams, the unexpected, the chance encounters, and the challenges of life that come upon all of us each day—you never know what is really going on. Leave room for God in the little things, those boring paragraphs of life we might skip through to get to the important parts. In these paragraphs, so easily dismissed, are mystery and intrigue and plot advancement! On these pages are written the history of our Divine Appointments when God intersects our life to change its course!

Little events in the history of our life—if you have reserved your bookmarks for more traditional BIG occasions, why not reflect, and use a highlighter on your more mundane days, to mark the faithfulness of God in all your history.

"Now a certain man found him, and there he was wandering in the field…." (Gen. 37:15)

The Great Psychologist

2009-08-06T23:17:00.003-04:00

On holidays a pastor loves to check out other churches – I do worship, but I also check out the bulletin, the greeters, the décor, the sound, the worship team, what the speaker is wearing, all the while scanning for spelling mistakes on the Power-Point. Maybe that is why I am rarely greeted— analytical sensory overload causes my cheek to twitch, my jaw to clench, and my eyes to go bug-eyed! I probably am an agenda item at their Tuesday morning staff meetings.

So far this summer I have been exhorted to watch what I see, consider my legacy, and to have hope in the hard moments of life. To tell you the truth, I think I have been in counseling rather than church. On Sunday my wife leaned over and told me the pastor was offering "cognitive behavioral therapy complete with cognitive distortions, defense mechanisms, and attitudinal and perceptual deviancy from the norm". Well, he pasted on some scripture verses, mined the life of Joseph and tipped his hat to Job, but basically it was about meeting hard times with hope. I have learned a lot about myself this summer, but little about God. When people ask me, "how were your holidays", I will be tempted to say, "I spent the summer in personal therapy."

We would expect such things from our therapeutic culture. After the 911 attacks publications were full of therapy advice on how to deal with stress—and one of the stress-busters most mentioned was prayer! Here are a few samples:

"Is your child having trouble getting to sleep…always use stories, songs, or prayers."
"As an individual, we can 'solve the problem' by being strong and working together. Whatever each of us elects to do- give blood, contribute money, say a prayer, hug a child- it will go a long way to resolve the conflict, both collective and individual we feel."
"A small prayer releases our tension in times of emotional stress.."
"prayer, meditation, contemplation, and ritual provide wonderful antidotes for the kinds of stress we experience in modern life."

This bizarre and strange affirmation of prayer was a powerful illustration of our narcissistic culture—our therapeutic, self-absorbed, culture. Here, the quasi- spirituality of our times can take one of the highest privileges of man- that of prayer to a Holy and Present God-- and turn this prayer into simply another self-help strategy. Rather than prayer being communication with the Almighty, praise and petition to the Creator and Father, it is simply reduced to a self-serving enterprise that will take care of our 'bad feelings'. Ultimately, prayer becomes just another step in an authors "10 steps to a Better You" book.

And Christians are clamoring for room on this self-help couch. Some Christian services and Christian media seem to provide nothing more than therapy for stress filled Christians, worship to bathe the wounds of insecurities, praise to calm the fears of turmoil and stress, and preaching to bolster our wounded psyches. My wife reports to me that the word "stress" was not even a word until the 1950's—and like the telephone it was invented by a Canadian-- Hans Seyle! But certainly stress has caught on in a big way with God's people. As some praise songs say:

He heard my cry and came to heal me He took my pain and he relieved me He filled my life and comforted me, And His name will shine, shine eternally.

("His Name will Shine" Maranantha, Jan Groth and Tore Aas)

"You're the answer to all of my problems and you solve them"

("Hallowed be Thy Name" Maranantha)

"Let your Holy Spirit come and take control of every situation that has troubled my mind."

("Let you Living Water Flow")

" I need you to Hold me like my Daddy never could, And I need you to show me How resting in your arms can be so good. I need you to walk with me, hand in hand well run and play, I need you to talk to me, Tell me again you'll stay.

(Worship Songs of the Vineyard")

Brethren, Jesus didn't die so we could feel good about ourselves. He didn't die to relieve our negative feelings, to ease our jangled nerves and neuroses, reassure our doubts and uncertainties, and resolve all our past issues and relational messes. Christ who is the image of the Invisible God, He who is Before all things and all things have been created by Him and for Him, In Him all things hold together, He who is the Head of the Church, who is the beginning and the First Born from the dead who has first place in everything—we are prone to see him as our Psychologist: a Good Psychologist who died that I might feel better about myself and find inward release from my pain; a Great Psychologist who rose from the dead that I might be self-actualized; the Chief Psychologist who is coming again to restore my potential, and my sense of wholeness.

Need I say it? Jesus died to save us from our sins. And while our life in Christ has many blessings and flows into every part of our being (I get that), yet we are not, and never will be, evaluated by Christ on the basis of our personal healing. The Word is clear that we are judged, not on the basis of His life in us, but His life through us—our fruit and our works. It is difficult to be a good and faithful servant when one is clamped to the therapists couch.

Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, there is spirituality abroad today that imitates and mimics our culture and draws from it for meaning. It is a spirituality that echoes modern life, and seeks to reform our fallenness, rather than put it to death. It is a spirituality that attempts to find healing for our fragmented, corrupted, nature, rather than doing away with it. It is a spirituality that works to develop, craft and coddle the Old Man, rather than developing Christ in us. It seeks to bring God into our self, rather than crucify self with Christ. It is a spirituality that asks God to enter our experience, rather than asking God to draw us into His. Like a parasite it attaches to the Truths of God and seeks to leech out what might benefit me.

May the Lord give us discerning minds and hearts today- may we understand that Christ died for the ungodly to bring us to God. May we know His Holiness, our fallenness, and the joy of forgiveness. May we embrace salvation and service beyond self. May we cease from mimicking the lost—may we get off the therapy couch of self-obsession and get on our knees in praise before the Good Shepherd, prostrate ourselves before the Great Shepherd, and pray before the Chief Shepherd—the Saviour of our souls.

Did Dr. Shakespeare Ever Parachute?

2009-08-03T19:35:00.002-04:00

Ever think in your youthful conceit that you would go parachuting one day? That you would be a Doctor and at some point read the Complete Works of Shakespeare? All it would take would be a decision plus time and voil! But here you are and you never did. And then the day comes when your bones ache, your belly grows, and your bed calls, and you don't want to parachute anymore. You make your peace with Shakespeare and you pray a loved one will become a doctor so they can get you in.

What happened? Some will offer the secular 'you didn't believe in yourself' nonsense. Others will argue it was procrastination keeping you from what you could have done. Some might say, "Ambition should be made of sterner stuff" or "I wasted time, and now doth time waste me". But in the end we find a potent mix conspiring to keep us on the ground: opportunity, resources, priorities, capabilities and motivation. What a witches brew to poison the most youthful conceit! "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble." Is there a doctor in the house?

Youth easily succumbs to the siren song of unlimited potential. Youth has energy and time and falsely senses that time and effort are all that are needed to overcome the challenges of life. Youth is susceptible to the longing to be significant—to matter. But maturity comes, and reality, and then a myriad of decisions, one of which is more perilous and life changing than jumping out of a plane: "Will I spend my life on myself, or on others?". There it is—that is the real question. This question might well ground you for the rest of your life.

William Wilberforce, the great English parliamentarian, once wrote "Where is it, that in such a world as this, health, and leisure, and affluence may not find some ignorance to instruct, some wrong to redress, some want to supply, some misery to alleviate?" Jesus said we are the salt of the earth, preserving it from corruption, and we are a light that shines before men that they might see our good deeds and give Glory to God! (Matthew 5)

This is all to say, we matter to the world as Christians in a Big Way, but not in the way youth might suppose, or our society might value.

I imagine if Shakespeare ever had had the opportunity to jump out of a plane, with a parachute, he might have said, "Like as the waves make towards the pebbl'd shore, so do our minutes, hasten to their end."(Sonnet LX) Or, "He that dies pays all debts". (The Tempest). Or even,

"I have touch'd the highest point of all my greatness;
And, from that full meridian of my glory,
I haste now to my setting: I shall fall
Like a bright exhalation in the evening,
And no man see me more. (Henry VIII)

And surely,

"By medicine life may be prolonged, yet death will seize the doctor too". (Cymbeline)

Relevance Smelevance

2009-07-24T22:38:00.003-04:00

In Grade Three I wore platform shoes. Three inch heels came with a caution from my parents not to sprain my ankle. I looked pretty snazzy though—together with my two tone stretchy pants and my bolo. I fit right in. My heels told all my peers that I mattered. I towered over the lesser heeled. I guess in Grade Three I was contemporary, I was current, and I was cool. Never mind the calluses and corns.

Doesn't it feel like many evangelical churches are still in Grade School? I saw a church add that said, "Relevant Messages" and I realized we hear that a lot. 'Relevant' sermons, 'relevant' messages and we name our churches with 'relevance' in mind. We sing 'relevant' songs and dress to be 'relevant' and some throw in some swear words from the pulpit to show they are 'relevant'. It's enough to sprain your heart.

'Relevance' as a word lacks definition and content- it is subjective and so pliable and malleable. It offers convenient cover to do and say whatever comes to mind. It is a 'feel good' word to help us feel significant, in a day when many fear we are seen as the weak nerd standing alone in the school yard. Somehow, be 'relevant' and we feel we matter. We can join with the cool kids, the 'with it' crowd, and maybe get to sit at the lunchroom table with the partiers!

It is quite a spectacle going on in some of our more 'relevant' churches. The world yawns, points and laughs. They know we will never really fit in and they are amused at our Wannabe Themabe. They know Nerdity when they see it.

Really, it is not the world we are trying to convince of our relevance—it is ourselves. Evangelicals have so lost confidence in the Word of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit that we climb up on any platform shoes to bolster our courage and declare our significance—to tower and say we fit in and we matter!

Brothers and sisters lets grow up. The blisters on our soul are not worth it. We don't need to make the Word or ourselves relevant—we simply are: God has given us "everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him…" (2 Peter 1:2-3) and we "are not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation…" Romans 1:16

When I grew up my platform shoes stayed at the back of the closet until some kid at the Goodwill store got them. The older I get the more 'mattering' doesn't matter. Now my daughter tells me not to wear socks with my sandals. I take my socks off and my wife tells me to cut my toe-nails. I guess I don't care. I am not going back to three inch heels—but I do really miss that bolo.

The Thinker is Naked

2009-07-20T20:56:00.002-04:00

A young man was about to go on his first date and asked his father for advice. "Son," said the father, "there are three subjects that always work- food, family and philosophy."

Well the he picked up his date and they sat on a park bench and there was a great deal of silence. The young man remembered his father's advice and asked, "Do you like potato pancakes?"

"No," she replied.

After a few minutes he continued with his fathers advice, "Do you have a brother?"

"No," she replied.

The young man was not yet finished . After a few minutes of silence he asked, "If you had a brother, do you think he would like potato pancakes?"

We live in a time where a great many people fancy themselves to be 'philosophers'. If we define 'philosophy' as the "use of reason and argument in seeking truth and the knowledge of reality", then we could safely assert that there are a lot of philosophers in the land. Who doesn't know someone who likes to wrestle with abstract knowledge and speculative ideas?

Yet there is a glaring flaw in our contemporary contemplatives. While our 'philosopher friends' say they are seekers of truth, they never seem to commit to truth in the end— we have good reason to suppose that it is the 'seeking' they enjoy, not the finding. Many a Philosopher King is all but paralyzed in their thought constructs and semantics. If you say White, they say Black and stare into the distance to punctuate their profundity. If you say Black, they will say White, and reach for their chin like The Thinker! But Rodin's Thinker never seemed to understand he was naked- so much for philosophy! The Bible describes this nakedness as "empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." (Col. 2: 8) Those who will never commit to truth are those who are "always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (2 Tim. 3:7)

Have you ever noticed that our philosopher friends who pursue truth and reality never seem to get there? In fact, they tend to end up not believing very much about anything. Their love of the argument, and the abstract, and the formulation of thought and opinion, predisposes them to avoid truth, or reject it, because then they would have to give up the hunt. It is Self in all its glory-- but the Gospel can penetrate the heart of a Philosopher too! In Athens, Paul encountered a group of Philosophers who "spent their time in nothing else but either to tell, or to hear something new." (Acts. 17:21) Paul revealed the truth of the Almighty God, our total dependence on Him, and His call to repent of sin. In vs. 30, God calls the philosophers 'ignorant'. We see in vs. 30-34 that some mocked the truth, some wanted to discuss it more (forever) but some 'clave unto him.' Praise the Lord for this last bunch!

The philosopher seeking truth rarely accepts that 'truth' might actually exist. Or if truth does exist- it doesn't matter. Like Pilate, they wash their hands of it saying, "What is Truth?" This absurdity is the Achilles' heel of philosophy and demonstrates it is not so noble after all. It is ironic for people to present themselves in their arguments and opinions as though they were on some noble quest for truth—when in fact they are desperately contriving intellectual constructs to avoid it. Truth is inconvenient to many of our friends—they prefer to play with words and opinions and sound very wise about potato pancakes which is to say, nothing very much at all. The truth of God is inconvenient to our 'fallenness' and so, "For even though they knew God, they did not honour Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise they became fools…." Vs. 21f

Consider then: The pursuit of truth is not much use without the finding. It is the finding and the embracing of truth which changes everything. If the pursuit becomes an addicting idol itself, what good is it but vanity?

Slap That Hand

2009-07-16T23:12:00.003-04:00

I suppose my Mother taught me not to 'reach out' for the ketchup at the dinner table—ouch! I was taught to speak instead- "Pass the Ketchup", and lo and behold the ketchup would make its way to me! Words are powerful things indeed!

But 'reaching out' is popular today in our churches—we call it Outreach. The church that puts the float in the parade does so under the banner of 'outreach'. The youth group that does random acts of kindness scores one for 'outreach'. The car wash is for outreach, the children's balloon and obstacle course in the park is outreach, and cancelling the service to go on the Terry Fox run is outreach. Outreach is a broad word and apparently covers a multitude of sins. Or I should say, many of the sins of modern evangelicals are done under the cover of 'Outreach".

Outreach typically has two defining elements. The first is a general embarrassment, or hostility to clear Gospel proclamation. Gospel words are seen to be a problem. Good deeds, a good time and good friends seem more welcome than Good News. Perhaps this is the logical endgame for what was called 'Lifestyle Evangelism'—this was the idea that if you just live a Christian life, loving your neighbours, eventually they would ask you why are you such a wonderful person and then you can tell them about Jesus. The old canard, "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care' was swallowed by a generation of Christians. But if I go to a doctor, lawyer or professor, he better know what he is talking about—caring about me is just the bonus. Lifestyle Evangelism never worked well, partly because you don't see Jesus telling his disciples to go into the world earning the right to be heard, and partly because God's primary path for the salvation of souls is not through their eyes, but through their ears: "

¹⁴How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"^[g]

The quote falsely attributed to Francis of Assisi that says, "Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary" is simply false and an affront to God's chosen, typical means by which the Gospel message reaches the heart of fallen men and woman. Lifestyle Evangelism simply became the way Christians avoided speaking the Gospel to their friends and neighbours while still feeling good about themselves—still feeling very spiritual. Talk about having your ketchup and eating it too! There is a lost generation who were loved to death. Today we have even dropped the word 'evangelism' from our efforts—oh, we might throw in a tract or two but generally, 'Outreach' is not about the Message on our lips, but about the Deeds in our hands.

The second defining element of Outreach is that it has the air of "bait and switch 'about it. Maybe more like "bait, trade and switch" Give them a circus (bait) and they might think we are regular people (trade) and learn to like us and then we can switch to the message- eventually. Maybe next year. Give them a balloon and a can of pop (bait) and they will see we are kind (trade) and maybe come to church (switch). It just seems to more than a little suspect the way we are doing it. But we feel great about doing it—and very noble!

In any case, we can justify any outrageous activity, heresy, or excess under the Label of Outreach. What can be wrong with Outreach?—with wanting to see people saved? Well, as it turns out—a whole lot can be wrong. The end does not justify the means, especially when the end is so vague and obscure. Embarrassment over the proclamation of Gospel Words and clear evangelism (without a carrot or a dog and pony show), is not working with the Spirit of God who ministers the Word, but against Him. Without our Evangel, the church is ghettoized into another service club no different from the Lions or Kiwanis, or even the local golf club.

Your mother was right. Don't reach out— instead, speak the Gospel, and you will find that Words are powerful indeed! Let's get back to Evangelism and see Outreach as simply bad manners.

A Confidence Complaint

2009-07-15T10:58:00.004-04:00

“Why won’t he give me an answer?” Such was the complaint of a visitor who expressed his frustration at not being able ever to get a bible answer from a pastor friend. ”I just want information, I want to know his opinion, but all he says are things like, ‘what do you think’, or ‘here is a book to help you along with that thought’.” “I have already thought about It”, he said, “I will think about it some more, but I want to know what he thinks…”

Such conversations seem more common at a time when many pastors believe that clear, authoritative answers are no longer what our culture will accept. Declarative statements of dogmatic truth are seen as outmoded holdovers from the Enlightenment and not welcome in a post-modern age. Pastors are reluctant to speak truth to an age that says like Pilate, “What is Truth?” And so we are treated to questions without answers, conversations without clear assertions, and journeys without a destination. Some see themselves, not as proclaimers of the Truth of God, but as life coaches helping people to find their own answers along their life journey.

Physician heal thyself. The problem is not our culture, but the heart of the evangelical teacher who for some time has struggled with a profound loss of confidence in the authority of the Word of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit to take the Word and seal it to men’s hearts. This loss of confidence manifests itself in numerous ways—from church sign sloganeering, to the principalization of preaching, to sharing rather than proclaiming, and the primacy of the worship team over the pulpit. The list is extensive.

Our confidence has been shaken and we are more than ready to go down to Egypt for help.

Monkery Madness

2009-07-10T23:32:00.003-04:00

Monkery Madness

I suspect we all, at some point in our Christian experience, have thought about becoming a Monk. The very word ‘Monk’ means ‘solitary’ and solitude is very appealing at times. Monks got to withdraw from the troubles of the world, and the worldly nature of the church; they got to spend a lot of time in contemplation free from the necessity of maintaining relationships in good order. Think of it—removed from the world so no worldly temptations, free from all conflict as there is no one to have conflict with, and free to grow spiritually, unhindered by Christian fads or fancies. Shall we all, “Get thee to a monastery?”

Unfortunately, the first Monks were disastrous to the Church of Christ. Their desire to avoid temptation, the watering down of holiness, to overcome Satan and worldliness, was all very honorable. But their flight into the deserts to live as hermits came at a time when the church was flooded with converts wanting to be baptized and discipled. Godly men abandoned the church and its people, for their solitary pursuit of godliness.

And while you might run from people, you cannot run from yourself. One monk would lament that the ‘noise of the dancing women grew louder in the desert.’ You take your fallenness wherever you go. It was not long before bands of Monks formed fellowships in the deserts in order to survive, and these bands of Monks went into competition to see who was the holiest. They equated holiness with who could fast and pray the longest, who could stand on a pillar the longest, or who could survive walled up in a tiny cell- it was very ascetic and their austerity bordered, at times, on madness.

Basil the Great (330-379 AD) brought sense back to the solitude of these Monk hermits. He was very concerned over what he saw- that Monks were egoists, carnal, full of spiritual pride, in competition with each other. He concluded it was dangerous to live alone. He began to encourage monasteries to set up on the fringes of towns and cities saying, “how can you grow in humility if there is no one to serve?” He discouraged the excesses of spiritual pride and redirected their focus to ministering to the sick and poor—the Monastery became a centre for godly life and ministry. In time most churches became affiliated or led by the monasteries, which became a source of stability and strength through the Dark Ages. Basil’s own monastery had a hospital, a hospice, special care for lepers, a school, and social helps. Rather than point to bizarre Monks in the desert as models of Christian life, Basil pointed to Acts 2 as the model. And so the Monks who left the churches to go into the desert, returned from the desert to the churches—and to the communal mission of the church.

We are called to be in the world but not of the world. We are called to community, to fellowship, to love each other, to sir each other up to love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…(Hebrews 10). Yes there will be conflict (see the Order of St. Benedict below)—but conflict does not require a bad outcome. Repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation and all the grace at our disposal flows into relationships, if we are walking in the Spirit. We are not solitary creatures, and since Creation, it is not good that a man should be alone. We need each other—to encourage, rebuke, exhort to holiness in a world that is so unholy. We are the Body of Christ gathered in churches. We intend to grow together in the apostles doctrine, praising and praying to God, working on our relationships and conflicts with the grace tools at our disposal, ministering the Gospel and blessing the needy. We will leave the deserts to the old bones that lie there.

From the rule of St. Benedict, Sixth Century A.D. (to regulate Monks)

If any pilgrim monk come from distant parts, with wish as a guest to dwell in the monastery, and will be content with the customs which he finds in the place, and do not perchance by his lavishness disturb the monastery, but is simply content with what he finds, he shall be received, for as long a time as he desires. If, indeed, he find fault with anything, or expose it, reasonably, and with the humility of charity, the Abbot shall discuss it prudently, lest perchance God has sent him for this very thing. But if he have been found gossipy and contumacious in the time of his sojourn as guest, not only ought he not to be joined to the body of the monastery, but also it shall be said to him, honestly, that he must depart. If he does not go, let two stout monks, in the name of God, explain the matter to him.

The Leadership Obsession

2009-07-06T20:45:00.001-04:00

I am wary of the word 'Leadership' or 'Leader' as it seems to have become the fad since the late 90’s. It seems to be a word that is all about vision, process, influence, character, goals, and sometimes slogans, but it is a word that is silent on godliness, truth, and faith. Leadership, as used by Christians, is a word that assumes too much. It assumes what is critical (issues of faith and doctrine) and instead focuses on process and pithy sayings. Maybe this is why John Maxwell has been able to build a career teaching the same leadership principles in both secular and Christian settings.

I would prefer a word or label that carries with it a stronger expectation of Biblical fidelity and faith in Christ—or a phrase that grounds the person in the body of believers-- maybe ‘making disciples’ or ‘disciples’ or ‘shepherds’ or ‘especially elders’? (1 Tim. 5:17)…

Leadership seems to be the evangelical obsession. Since the 90’s it is impossible to get away from—it fills the books we read, it packs the agendas of our workshops and conferences, and it consumes our discussions and meetings. I am confident though that Jesus said to ‘make disciples’, not leaders.

When a Christian Ministry mails me an offer to help build my “authentic self confidence from knowing who I am what I want and how to get it”, I am pretty sure we have lost our way. When I am told “ the church rises and falls on leadership”, I know well they are not talking about Christ’s leadership but mine . (Matt. 16:18; Col. 2) When I am exhorted concerning the 21 Laws of Leadership, or the Ten Absolutes, or the 15 Non-Negotiables of Leadership, or the 20 Principles of People, or the 5 Laws of the Leader—I think I am up to 215 apparently Irrefutable Leadership Laws—not from the Bible but from Maxwell et al, I know well they are not leading me to Christ but to myself. (2 Peter 1:3)

Is this what we signed up for? To wander the wilderness as an MBA 'wannabe' condemned to memorize 215 bumper sticker slogans like:

• My Attitude determines my altitude
• Helping other succeed helps me succeed
• The hardest Change is change in the beginning

I start feeling like a Walking Readers Digest or a Traveling Talmud. Do we not have some cause to feel like the Temple has been taken over by buyers and sellers of a different sort-- marketers and motivators, sloganeers and profiteers, legions of Leadership Lecturers bartering and trading their visions and values-- all to tell me what I need to be, become, and do to? Did we sign on to approach the Bible as a series of leadership training exercises and a springboard to 9 principles to a better you? Are we teaching as Doctrines the precepts of men? Are we raising up values and diminishing Biblical convictions? Are we going down to Egypt for help? Does Paul to Timothy or Titus say anything about Leadership ( as promoted today) being a necessary qualification?

5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; 6and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; 7and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter

Yes there are things to learn about Leadership-- but within the context of Discipleship. Discipleship is so much bigger than Leadership. It involves sound teaching—theology—a love for the Word, prayer, pastoral theology, revival and a love for the Church of Christ and a growing dependence on Him rather than self. Discipleship grounds us in Christianity, in the Body of Christ, and in Biblical fidelity and conviction. I would call our leaders and pastors back to full-bodied 'Disciple making' that demonstrates a profound confidence in the Authority of the Word, the Power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and an abiding determination to live Holy lives.
Words matter—and words like ‘vision, values, emergent, and leadership’ are words devoid of Christian content and association. While we seem to put our efforts into making Great Leaders, evangelicalism is questioning the Atonement, is embracing abhorrent theologies, is going to the unregenerate to teach us how to worship, and is producing young men more familiar with the Lectio Divina than the Gospel and more able to walk a Labyrinth than walk in the Spirit!

Acts 4:12-14
13Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

I wonder if Evangelicalism current obsession with Leadership is not just another example of a profound loss of confidence in the Word of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit?

Preach or Share?

2009-07-06T20:30:00.000-04:00

I am convinced that preaching the Word is the primary path for the edification of His Body (Eph. 4) and the calling out of the world, sinners to be saved: "for how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10) Through the oral proclamation of God's Word, our Shepherd still speaks, and His people hear His voice and they follow Him.

In these toubled days when the professionalization of ministry has moved many good men away from the Bible towards the marketplace, away from theology towards leadership training, and away from their study to the serving of tables, God has not changed, and even yet the call goes forth: Preach the Word!