The Promise Forty Four Years In The Keeping.5

"My doctrine is not my own, but his who has sent me. If you choose to do my Father's will, you will quickly discover whether or not my teaching comes from God."

-Jesus

To Do God's Will

It was a wintry January night sitting together in my car discussing the most important decision of our young lives. I'd been contemplating the future and come to an important place in my life: the only thing I really wanted to do in this life was whatever God wanted me to do. As I sat with the beautiful woman at my side I explained the promise I'd made to God to do whatever or go wherever He said. I told her that I really wanted her to go with me but warned her that God's will may take us to unusual and perhaps difficult places. I didn't tell her that:

• we'd move far away from her family
• she'd leave her beloved horses on the family farm for fifteen years
• we'd raise eight sons
• our adventures would allow us to meet many wonderful people...and some not so wonderful.
• we'd be challenged financially at times
• we'd home school those boys for many years
• we'd move into and out of many houses over those many years
• we'd be challenged by our parents on decisions we'd make
• there would be heartache and headache in abundance
• and joy

Honestly, I think she would have stopped me at the "eight sons" part!

But, of course, I didn't know all those things as a young man. But I knew the One who did...and, apparently, that was enough for her!

She said yes!

This October we will be celebrating our 44th anniversary of promising to be true and faithful to each other! 

Early on in our marriage she actually lost her wedding ring. I've never replaced it until now; I recently purchased a ring like the one pictured with eight diamonds representing the "fruit" of our love. 

Most wedding ceremonies describe the ring as a "token" of a love that is perfect and eternal.

But it isn't a "token" that makes a marriage successful. It is the promise.

• We, together, promised to love and serve God. 
• We promised each other our love and respect. 
• We promised to provide for, protect, direct and discipline the children God gave us. 
• We promised to be salt and light to a love-starved world. 
• We promised to go where He led us, serve who needed us, share what we had, teach what we learned, and be His hands, feet, ears, eyes and mouth.

The promise, the commitment of our wills, is what has shaped our lives these 44 years. You cannot think of Denise Lyon (affectionately known to us as the "Fun Grandma") without marveling at the wonder of her energy, the intensity of her work, her devotion to her kids, love of friends and family, horses of course, and her excellent spirit. 

All things that her promise opened up and developed in her!

For George MacDonald God's will is the essence of eternal life:

"For the will is the deepest, the strongest, the divinest thing in man; so, I presume, is it in God, for such we find it in Jesus Christ. ...by the obedience of a son, he receives into himself the very life of the Father. Obedience is the joining of the links of the eternal round. Obedience is but the other side of the creative will.  

Will is God's will,   

obedience is man's will;  

the two make one!

If we do the will of God, eternal life is ours...within His reach to fill with the abundant and endless out-goings of His love. Our souls shall be vessels ever growing and ever, as they grow, filled with the more and more life proceeding from the Father and the Son.

What the delight of the being, what the abundance of the life he came that we might have, we can never know until we have it!"

The promises that have shaped us over forty four years are just a taste of the glory waiting to be revealed when our eternal Promise Keeper makes all things new!

 

The Good Shepherd.1

"Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

-- Jesus

Much has been made lately about immigration. At the heart of the issue, whether immigration in the USA or in Europe or anywhere in the world where any people group is moving away from economic or political or religious

turmoil in their own country and seeking refuge in another, is this: are the immigrants willing to change their lifestyles -their language, values and habits- in order to assimilate into their new culture?

At the dairy farm where I formerly worked, I often engaged the Mexican workers in conversations about culture. On one occasion I tried to explain why it was important to Americans that people who come here should come through the legal process. The simple answer is because of a fundamental appreciation that we trust one another in our country. We believe in the ideals and principles of our founding; and that our laws, for the most part, are fair and that if we all try our best to live by the ideals and follow the rules we can trust each other. But if the very first thing you do in getting into our country is disregard the rules, it makes it very difficult to trust you. We don't want to live in a place where you can't trust your neighbor.

For those of us who live in the relative peace and comfort of the USA it is difficult to understand the fear associated with the uncertainty, hardship, instability and danger that so many live with everywhere else in the world today.

Fear may elicit compassion from the countrymen of the land you seek to enter, but it doesn't necessarily make you fit to become a productive member of that society. Fear can, however, drive you to desire the qualities that would help you assimilate and contribute to your new homeland.

The current administration in the USA is proposing new standards for those who want to come live here. They include:

"...a proposal that would grant green cards to immigrants who meet requirements related to education, age and English-speaking ability. The administration has previously proposed regulation that would deny immigrants entry to the U.S. or lawful permanent residence if they are likely to use Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) and other forms of public assistance."

This is in fact nothing new, for it has always been the intent of the people of this country that those people who want to come enjoy the fruit of the sacrifice of those who defend and protect this enterprise in freedom should understand and love the ideals upon which this nation exists. They should be willing to do their duty to live out and promote these ideals.

For Trust is very much related to Truth and Truth is tied to our behavior more than it is tied to our intentions.

We talk much about our "rights" here in the USA, for example, the "rights" every human being has been endowed with from the Creator:

• The right of self-government.
• The right to bear arms for self-defense.
• The right to own, develop, and dispose of property.
• The right to make personal choices.
• The right of free conscience.
• The right to choose a profession.
• The right to choose a mate.
• The right to beget one's kind.
• The right to assemble.
• The right to petition.
• The right to free speech.
• The right to enjoy the fruits of one's labors.
• The right to improve one's position through barter and sale.
• The right to contrive and invent.
• The right to explore the natural resources of the earth.
• The right to privacy.
• The right to provide personal security.
• The right to provide nature's necessities: air, food, water, clothing, and shelter.
• The right to a fair trial.
• The right free association.
• The right to contract.

(from The 5,000 Year Leap by Cleon Skousen)

Clearly these are rights we enjoy (and too often take for granted) as US citizens but we do not spend nearly enough time considering and teaching our "duties" as citizens to keep our Republic viable and attractive.

"These are some of the more important responsibilities which the Creator has imposed on every human being of normal mental capacity:

1. The Duty to honor the supremacy of the Creator and His laws.
2. The duty not to take the life of another except in self-defense.
3. The duty not to steal or destroy the property of another.
4. The duty to be honest in all transactions with others.
5. The duty of children to honor and obey their parents and elders.
6. The duty of parents and elders to protect, teach, feed, clothe, and provide shelter for children.
7. The duty to support law and order and keep the peace.
8. The duty not to contrive through a covetous heart to despoil another.
9. The duty to provide insofar as possible for the needs of the helpless -- the sick, the crippled, the injured, the poverty-stricken.
10. The duty to honor and perform contracts and covenants both with God and man.
11. The duty to be temperate.
12. The duty to become economically self-sufficient.
13. The duty not to trespass on the property or privacy of another.
14. The duty to maintain the integrity of the family structure.
15. The duty to perpetuate the race.
16. The duty not to promote or participate in the vices which destroy personal and community life.
17. The duty to perform civic responsibilities -- vote, assist public officials, serve in official capacities when called upon, stay informed on public issues, volunteer where needed.
18. The duty not to aid or abet those involved in criminal or anti-social activities.
19. The duty to support personal and public standards of common decency.
20. The duty to follow rules of moral rectitude.

(from The 5,000 Year Leap by Cleon Skousen)

There is much "fear" on the issue of immigration on both sides of the USA's southern border. 

• Political parties, fearing the fallout of voter's embracing the opposition, are waging a raging debate on whether or not there is a "crisis" of mass migration into the US. 
• Landowners along the border states are fearful of trespassers on their property, often armed and dangerous. 
• Taxpayers are fearful that reports of advertisements in central American countries inviting people to the USA for its "free social programs and work" are creating the stampede to our borders further burdening our strained social safety net, bringing low-skilled people and new diseases. 
• Central American citizens, fearing that stricter immigration policies and the "Wall" will make it even more difficult to flee their squalor, rush the border, endangering themselves and their children.

In the land of the free, the USA, in a shadowy way, illustrates important eternal truths:

• It is worth sacrificing all to be free
• There is a legitimate requirement to become fit for citizenship

Since none of us have internet access to Google the heavenly landscape, most likely Jesus was addressing the most common fear to man: fear of the unknown.

Old Testament prophets alluded to it; Jesus said He came from there; John the beloved had visions of the Kingdom's grandeur and Lazurus stayed mum about his brief encounter. So, really, the only first person account we have of God's dwelling place in the heavenlies is from Paul the Apostle and even he couldn't find the words to describe it!

Just as He has always done from the very beginning, God asks us to trust Him and understand that what makes Heaven Heaven is Him! Fearlessly we can choose and anticipate His divine good pleasure as our eternal home!

Eventually every human being will "migrate" from this war ravaged planet through the doorway of death into our eternal destiny.

Having established that our Creator, albeit at a painful cost, takes pleasure in giving us His kingdom, what is our part in preparing to participate in Kingdom life?

Is it too difficult an idea that God would want the people he invites to populate His eternal kingdom to be trustworthy and true? Of course not, but how do we become trustworthy and true?

Unlike desperate people eagerly entrusting themselves to "coyotes" to lead them into the US, God provided the Good Shepherd who not only leads

us into His Kingdom but prepares and fits us along the journey:

• teaching us the language of the Kingdom
• improving our perception of His ways
• using the consequences of our feeble attempts at obedience to His words to correct or confirm our character development
• delivering us from evil within and without
• Perfecting the currency of the Kingdom: Love!

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." Jude 24, 25

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

The New Doctrine.3

Once there were two men who went into the temple to pray.

One was a proud,

self-righteous man,

while the other was a miserable tax collector well known for his dishonesty.

The proud man prayed:

"Thank God I am not a sinner like other people,

especially that cheating tax collector

I see here today.

I never cheat,

nor do I commit adultery.

I fast twice a week,

and I give the temple a tenth of all that I earn."

The tax collector remained in the

back of the temple,

and dared not lift his eyes toward heaven.

He prayed sorrowfully:

"God, please be merciful to me. I am unworthy

and have fallen short of what you ask."

I tell you now, that the tax collector

who recognized his need

for God's mercy,

returned to his house

lighthearted,

free from anxiety, and

forgiven.

Those who,

in their pride,

exalt themselves

will be humbled,

while those who humble themselves

will rise above the cares of this world

to a place of blessing and honor."

--Jesus

As far back as Cain and Abel mankind has been divided into two camps:

Those who reject God's judgment

-vs-

Those who seek God's approval & blessing

The Self Righteous get humbled.

The humble find freedom.

Or as Jesus put it: justified - the legal and formal acquittal of guilt.

Hubris (excessive pride or self-confidence) is never justified.

The Self Righteous Man can never be justified because he:

• can't properly assess his own actions
• sets himself above the moral assessment of others, including God
• takes the place of God in judging and condemning others
• is not merciful 
• is inured to the conviction of sin by God's Spirit
• can never be truly reconciled to God or man

The first step in properly aligning ourselves with the

True Righteousness is to admit how far we fall short in being like our Creator.

The Tax Collector, as Jesus points out, was well known for cheating others.

Worse yet, he had a governmental position that may even have sanctioned this kind of cheat. He may very well have been insulated from the seething hatred of people, his own countrymen, by the fact that most every tax collector skimmed or inflated the tax owed.

I remember meeting a burly business man who owned a cement company. He told me he worked for the IRS for over twenty five years before starting his own company. He said he never understood why people hated him so much until he left the premier tax collecting agency in the world and started his own company!

It was an "Aha" moment when he could see what he'd been blind to for many years! The tax collector in Jesus' parable had that "aha" moment in coming to a point when he realized the terrible wrong -cheating people, and therefore God, out of what rightfully belonged to them- he'd been committing. So profound was his sense of loathing that he couldn't even lift his eyes upward. 

"When a man acknowledges the right he denied before; when he says to the wrong, 'I abjure, I loathe you; I see now what you are; I could not see it before because I would not; God forgive me; make me clean, or let me die!' then justice, that is God, has conquered--and not till then." George MacDonald, Justice.

By saying the man was "justified" Jesus is pointing out that justice had begun in his heart and would open the door to true atonement -- the righting of the wrongs he'd done to his neighbors. Perhaps Jesus had in mind the tax collector Zacchaeus who upon meeting Jesus while sitting in a tree trying to catch a glimpse of the Man, immediately repented and declared his commitment to making things right with those he'd wronged!

The only vengeance worth having on sin is to make the sinner himself its executioner! A man may be saved from sin by learning to loathe it, to hate it, to shrink from it with an eternal avoidance. Punishment is not the thing required of God, but the absolute destruction of sin. -MacDonald, ibid

Notice the attempt by the Self Righteous man to guilt shame the tax collector. Hubris does that. In fact, the more it is gotten away with the more widespread the disease becomes.

Consider today's "Cancel Culture" lead, primarily, by the "Credentialed", those with self important pedigrees from highly esteemed institutions or wealthy actors, athletes and business owners as well as governmental authorities and academics. Using the insulation of social media they are able to cast slurs on others who do not share their moral superiority and politically correct views. Or worse, destroy lives and careers by their hypocritical hubris.

Their attempts to do the work of God's spirit will never bring people closer together for there is no appeal to the "divinest" in one another, to the eternal brotherhood under one Father; an appeal based on grace, repentance, humility, a common understanding of our own fallen-ness and desire for true friendship and godly Oneness.

So follower of Jesus, remember that the great divide in the USA today is not between races or political parties, CNN and FOX, Trump haters and Trump supporters, men and women or urban and rural America, but the real divide is between humility and hubris. 

The New Doctrine.2

"But whoever hears my life-giving words,

and rejects them,

chooses to build on a foundation of sand.

The rains descend, and the floods rise.

Hurricane winds beat against the house,

and the foundation crumbles.

The house collapses,

and great is its fall."

-Jesus

After leaving the company of my friend and mentor, Paul Maxim, I took my newly developing carpentry skills* as well as a hearty supply of Maxim's Maxims! --"measure twice, cut once!"-- and used them to make money!

However, I found out that even though I wasn't "accountable" to my old boss for my work now, I was accountable to a new boss: building codes! More specifically, the people who enforce those codes! (I once had an over zealous electrical inspector threaten to "write me up" for unlicensed electrical work because he found me holding a wiring box I'd picked up off the floor and a pair of wire strippers in my tool belt!)

Most of the time Codes represent the processes, protocols and procedures for ensuring a safe, secure and enduring structure. But occasionally they are nothing more than attempts to generate revenue for government or the influence of business interests to protect their industry. Most of the time codes represent good science and good sense. Sometimes, not.

I've done enough remodeling work now to really come to appreciate best practices "codes" (and annoyed by questionable regulations.) Believe it or not, people try to do a lot of work on their own homes who really don't know how to properly safeguard their work or understand the potential danger they are "building" into their project.

Building codes recognize that there are always forces at work that have the potential to erode and/or destroy a structure whether instantaneously (like a fire) or over time (like water erosion of soil under a foundation.) They take into account a variety of conditions like geography - (structures in Florida are different than in Michigan to account for the possibility of hurricane force winds!); lifestyles - (the frenzied activity in urban areas vs quiet country living); property issues - (renting vs owning).

Jesus' words are the "best practices" for ensuring a solid, enduring life in a world filled with dangerous forces working to erode or destroy you! If you want a life in harmony with the Created Order, one free of dubious regulations or capricious influences, who better to know and teach these best practices then the One through Whom Life came into existence?!

There are hurricane force winds and flood waters of fear, technology and sexual deviancy that are working to destroy the foundation of our lives as individuals, families and communities today!

The current worldwide panic over the Coronavirus is a perfect example. Without internet technology, government officials would not have the ability to communicate directives for people to "shelter in place" on such a coordinated global scale (as a matter of fact, our governor here in Michigan issued a smartphone emergency alert when she ordered her "stay home, save lives" directive.)

But the truth of the matter is that since the introduction of graphic media in the early 1900's up until the inception of the smartphone at the turn of the century, our senses have been trained to accept emotion based appeal over reason. (Actually you could go back many centuries to document mankind's attempt to disconnect the truth of God revealed in nature from man's attempt to control nature.)

Case in point, most every state (in order to qualify for Federal Disaster money) took strict measures to "flatten the curve" of the spread of Covid19 to ensure hospitals would not be overwhelmed. These measures included shutting down schools and businesses, ordering healthy people to quarantine in their own homes to avoid social contact and possibly spread the virus. Some states, including my own Michigan, took what has come to be considered "draconian" steps by determining what is "essential" to any individual's well being, ordering big box stores to cordon off areas like paint and garden supplies to keep the public safe and save lives, encourage neighbors to turn violators in and issue fines for those who disobeyed. Rather than deal with the naturally occurring development and course of a virus (including the fact that a certain percentage of people will die from a viral outbreak), governments turned to technology: computer models, expert opinions and social science theory to determine public policy. Since it has been difficult to get consistent and reliable information which, historically, enables people to make good decisions for themselves, the general economic and cultural uncertainty enhanced by technology (social media is rife with "experts" contradicting one another) is in many ways more destructive to the social fabric than any virus could ever be.

To Jesus' warning. Rejecting the Nature of God's dealings with mankind; rejecting His attempts to bring all people into a love relationship with Him using whatever resources He can; rejecting His words which bring order to the chaos and destruction people are capable of generating; rejecting obedience as the outworking of our love and trust in Him can have catastrophic consequences! Think of it this way: Have you ever built a sand castle, then channeled water towards it? If you look closely, it is individual grains of sand that move with the current. Eventually, as enough grains are washed away, the entire structure collapses! In the same way, individuals are pulled away from faith, trust and obedience to the Lord of Truth and Life in today's world by addictively looking at smartphones hundreds of times a day and allowing, as Rod Dreher points out in The Benedict Option, "online technology by its very nature to scatter our attention like nothing else, radically compromising our ability to make sense of the world, physiologically rewiring our brains and rendering us increasingly helpless against our impulses." (page 219) Fear is the one great impulse being fostered by this unprecedented use of technology to control people's behavior!

Consider the great irony: as people put more of their trust into technology to provide relief and security from the chaos and uncertainty technology helped create, they will find themselves more isolated and fearful. As more individuals get swept away by fear, the more likely families, communities and nations will crash!

How can putting Jesus' words into practice provide protection and stability during difficult times?

Refuse to let fear dominate your thinking. Try unplugging from technology on a regular basis and just discipline your mind to focus on His commands and words, which are essentially His promises to help you achieve His right action in every situation. Trust in Him with all your heart. Don't lean on your own attempts to understand (believe it or not, you can't Google God's will!) before you put your heart into seeing what He is doing and join Him to be a blessing to a fear fractured world. When evil/fear increases, Jesus warned, the love of many grows cold. What a powerful opportunity to demonstrate the life of Christ by being kind, loving and carefree in world gripped by fear. By staying steadfast and true to the Word of Life you strengthen other's faith and help ensure your family, church, and community stays strong!

That's how you build an enduring life!

*(see previous post at https://8-greatmen.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-new-doctrine1.html)

The New Doctrine.1

"Whoever hears my words,
and acts upon them,
is wise,
and builds on a foundation made of stone.
The rains descend,
and the floods rise.
Hurricane winds beat against the house,
yet it stands strong:
for it is built on solid rock."

--Jesus

Oh how I remember my first building project: I was determined to build a bunk bed for my boys.

Sadly, no one ever actually slept in it! Why you may ask? It seems the concept of "level" (essential if you don't want to, you know, slide off the bed) didn't figure into my work!

Years later I went to work for one of my best friends, Paul Maxim, master carpenter! I quickly learned that there are tools for measuring these concepts: level...and true...and square...

The best thing I learned is if you want

to build something enduring, useful and strong, learn from the best! But the real question is when does learning occur; more specifically, when does understanding take hold? When you grasp it in your head or when you put it into practice?

One of the first jobs Paul gave me when I went to work for him was cutting off "rafter tails" on a house he was building. It was a simple enough task: using an electric saw to trim off excess board lengths...until he pointed out that they were on the second story of the house! I would have to stand on the roof, reach over the edge as far as I could while trying not to look down! It was a windy, damp and cold day and I came very close to handing in my tool belt and walking away from carpentry for good!

But I did it; I did what he told me to do! It changed me. At least it began the change in me. First I conquered a fear. Second I realized, through the experience, that I actually could do it! Third, it made the next task a little easier having that extra confidence in myself, confidence that comes from doing what is required and accomplishing it.

My Master, Paul, sizing up my capabilities (including my lack of experience and skill) gave me a job, challenging enough, he needed done and figured I could do. He did not give me something entirely beyond my abilities. He gave me the basic information and tools I needed to accomplish it. No classes, no detailed explanation of the characteristics of wood, no theories on the variety of ways to cut it. Just simple directions. I got just enough information to do it. The only thing left was will, choice, and action. The only hope of understanding ultimately comes in the doing!

And yet...think about our relationship to our Master, Jesus. Consider how much emphasis is put on understanding things about Him rather than simply putting His words into practice! How many seminaries and seminars, sermons and series, books and opinions on what others think He meant (and what they mean for us to think) are offered rather than the encouragement to just obey. As George McDonald says, "It is the one great heresy of the church that it is always offering anything other than obedience as faith in Christ!"

But what is the faith OF Jesus? The same as He requires of each of his followers: obedience! Obedience to the will of His Father.

Start with one of his commands. You could look them up yourself but I'll use a portion of a list compiled by the Institute In Basic Life Principles to help:

• Repent
• Follow Me
• Rejoice
• Let your light shine
• Honor God's Law
• Be reconciled with others
• Do not lust
• Keep your word
• Go the second mile
• Turn your cheek
• Give to those that ask
• Love God
• Love yourself
• Love your neighbors
• Love your enemies
• Be Perfect
• Fear Not
• Seek first God's Kingdom
• Lay up treasures
• Judge not
• Ask, seek, knock
• Do unto others

Let's say, in light of the world's preoccupation with viruses today, we put into practice this one:

"Fear not."

(its been said that this is the most frequent command in the Bible...interesting)

• Are you afraid of dying from an unknown disease?
• Are you afraid the healthcare system will break down?
• Are you afraid of not having enough toilet paper? (kidding...sort of)
• Are you afraid other people won't take the warnings as seriously as they should?
• Are you afraid for the elderly and vulnerable?
• Are you afraid the government is not doing enough? Doing too much?
• Are you afraid society might not recover from the economic sanctions?
• Are you afraid for your own financial security?
• Are you afraid your neighbors might turn you in for not being afraid?
• Are you afraid nothing will ever be the same?
• Are you afraid for the future?
• Are you not even sure of what you are afraid?

Those fears are associated with just one current life issue. Add to that the myriad of cares, past-present-future, you and I deal with daily! You can see how just a simple command like this can be difficult to put into practice! So can Jesus, our Master!

However, like my friend Paul, Jesus sizes up our experience and skill then gives us what we are able to handle to give us the experience and confidence we need, as we try, to keep on trying...and growing...and getting better! Honestly, it may take a lifetime to learn, really learn to the core of our being to Fear Not; i.e., learn that God is fully capable of shielding, protecting, providing, and proving Himself more than adequate for our trust! But what better way to learn than knowing we have a Master Builder in our life to watch over us, applaud our progress and lead us where we need to be and eventually realize there is no other place we'd want to be!

If you, as an individual, learn to not fear for yourself by trusting in the God of all Goodness to use the current situation to craft your character, it is surely the beginning of salvation for your family, community, country and the world!

The Good Shepherd.8

"I am the door to the sheepfold.

Those who attempt to enter this fold by any other way are thieves and robbers.

Many impostors have come before me, but the sheep did not recognize or follow them.

I am the door.

Enter by this door and you will be safe, free to go in and out, and find food."

--Jesus

There is a recent radio commercial based on the "Let's Make a Deal" door choosing game. However, in this version the contestant only has one door to choose from! When she points out that there is always more than one door to choose from, the announcer flatly states there is only one door and exuberantly proclaims "You've won a year's supply of dog food!" To which the contestant sullenly replies, "But I don't even own a dog!"

Admittedly, especially here in America, we are used to, and even expect, a menu of choices when deciding what we want.

But when it comes to deciding on the best possible outcome for life, maybe many

doors to choose from isn't such a great thing. Maybe limiting our options to simply trusting, obeying and loving Jesus is the greatest gift God gives us in focusing our wayward eyes and hearts back to Him.

Many impostors have come after Jesus and are constantly perpetrating a false Christ on the unsuspecting!

"How have we learned Christ?", asks George MacDonald.

"It ought to be a startling thought, that we may have learned Him wrong!

That must be far worse than not to have learned Him at all: His place is occupied by a false Christ, hard to exorcise!

The point we must contend with is whether we have learned Christ as He taught Himself, or as men have taught Him who thought they understood, but did not understand Him....

True Christ or False Christ, the real issue is this: is only our brain full of things concerning Him, or does He Himself dwell in our hearts, a learnt, and ever being learnt lesson, the power of our life?"

--George MacDonald, The Truth in Jesus, Unspoken Sermons II (emphasis and edits added)

Why is it so seductive to hold onto doctrines, systematic theology, statements of beliefs, or plans of salvation as the measure of faith in Christ and the hope of eternal life, rather than holding onto the Author of Life Himself?

The baptism of Jesus is a great example of that seduction: Matthew sets up the scene by including an impassioned sermon by John the Baptist on how the Messiah, whose shoes John "believes" he isn't even worthy to carry, will come in flaming glory, winnowing the unworthy and burning the unrepentant!

Then Jesus shows up, rather quietly, and requests a baptism by John. "Wait, What?! This isn't how its supposed to work, I'm the lowly one, You're the exalted one. We need to send the right message here Messiah!"

The first words Matthew records Jesus making on this planet (Luke records a moment in His youth that is yet similar in it's focus) is this: "The fitting path to righteousness is obedience to God's way, whether we understand it or it doesn't conform with our pre-determined concepts."

Netflix introduced a new tv series titled "Messiah" produced by Roma (Touched By An Angel) and Mark (Survivor) Barnett. I highly recommend it even though there is frequent uses of the "F-word" and a sex scene. But unlike most "Christian" films that tend to be sanitized, this depicts the gritty struggles of a corrupt world filled with sinful people invaded by a mystery man making challenging invitations to faith in God. The main characters include a country pastor whose family and ministry is falling apart, an American CIA agent and an Israeli intelligent officer bent on uncovering the truth of the "Messiah's" hidden political agenda (but end up having their own problematic pasts uncovered in the process); a variety of religious and political figures attempting to understand this mysterious phenomenon through the lens of their own preconceptions.

As an exercise in wrestling with issues of faith it is an interesting challenge to try to figure out how you and I might respond to a similar person making claims of speaking for God, demonstrating miraculous control over nature and shaking up the sensibilities of people the world over. The producers use a variety of scenes to keep you guessing whether they are trying to depict a false Christ or the real deal. Riots break out, religious fervor is enflamed, people leave homes and family to follow this man. A desperate mother, unbeknownst to her husband, takes her cancer stricken daughter to the "Messiah" seeking healing. The daughter seemingly doesn't get healed and the husband files for divorce!

The point, I suppose, is to realize how difficult it was even for people of Jesus time on earth to come to grips with His amazing claims and measure them against their own "beliefs"! But the real struggle for every human being is choosing whether to do what God says and trust Him for the outcome or choose our own way.

Who of us thinks that we'll get a pop quiz at the Pearly Gates confirming our suitability for Heaven? And if you're relying on a "statement of faith" (would it be an an 'open book' test?) which organization or religious affiliation to you go with? Or which version of your organization's SOF do you depend on for the "right" answers (they often get edited and updated)?

But what if the Mormon's got some theology right? How about the Jehovah Witnesses? Is there any element of truth in Islam, or any other major religion? What if someone from the Westboro Baptist church found out that a gay person actually did make it into heaven...would they decline the invitation?

A guy can spend a lot of his life wrestling with words! It seems to me a better use of one's life to focus on doing what Jesus' said and learning to listen as He corrects misunderstandings and teaches what He means by those words.

It is what is "fitting" to fulfill His righteousness and know with certainty He is the Door!