Category: discipleship

iPod Theology: How to Get Closer Yet

I love gadgets.  Those veritable wonders of technology.  Typically overpriced with a short lifespan, but they still amaze me.  I saw something a few months ago that clicked with me; it was incredible. (But I can be a real geek sometimes.)

It was a platform, made to look like a classic varnished wood tray.  But what it was, was a charging station.  You laid all your iPods, cell phones, Blackberrys and Androids on this pad, and in the morning they would be charged and ready to use.  No need to plug them in, they were instead were juiced by lying on this special platform.

I’m not certain that this constitutes one of life’s necessities.  But a few days ago I began to think about the spiritual significance of this, and how we receive our strength. It’s not really often that this happens to me.

The Apostle John was one who was energized with his contact with Jesus.  He drew strength from being in close proximity with Him.  If there was ever a discipleship challenge it was John–one of the “sons of thunder”.  Full of energy, he could be vindictive, intolerant, self-righteous and very ambitious.  He was confronted by Jesus on more than one occasions for arrogance.  And yet, he was perhaps the man most transformed by being with Jesus.

John stood at the foot of the cross, holding and soothing Mary.  He went on to preach several notable sermons in the Book of Acts (with Peter).  He wrote much of the New Testament, including Revelation.  His books of 1, 2 and 3 John are known for the subject of Christian love.  Ten times he told early believers that they were to “love each other”, and that would be their mark of authenticity.

Something happened to John.  He was energized by love for Jesus, his Savior.  We see him at the Last Supper, leaning on his Lord.  It appears he just drew close, and rested his head on his friend.  He became known, as “the disciple that Jesus loved”. I believe that love very often begets love.

As a struggling and imperfect believer myself, I find that when I’m near Jesus, I become strong.  Psalms talks about “the nearness of God is my good.”  Christianity is different than other world religions in that it is built on a living (resurrected) Lord who we are to be in communication with, and to have an ongoing relationship with.  There should be a deliberate and planned intimacy between God and believers. 

Its a lot like that charging station I spoke about earlier.  I come to Him, and rest, just enjoying His presence.  Something happens.  I am encouraged and energized.  Leaning on Jesus I become strong.  Being in close proximity with Him gives my Christian life a vitality.  I get drained, and functioning isn’t possible (I try).  I get the urge (like John) to call down fire from heaven on my enemies, and then push myself into the limelight to be noticed.

Dear one, I beg of you to draw close to Him today.  Get into His presence, just be with Him; and all of hell will try to stop you.  But Jesus has promised that “He will never leave us, or forsake us.”

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“But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,That I may tell of all Your works.”

–Psalm 73:28

Thy Kingdom Come

“Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven.” Matthew 6:10, CEV

 

The Lord’s Prayer is like a skyscraper that has an inner skeleton of steel, very solid and very strong.  Jesus wants to teach His disciples to pray–to pray intelligently.  He is eager for them to learn what He knows.  This prayer cuts through the grime of religious gobble-de-gook, and is intended to make disciples out of believers with its assertions of what is real.

There is a need for people to pray–really pray.  Jesus shares what is of ultimate importance; the need of people to bring down heaven to earth.  Heaven on earth!  Think of it.  The spiritual climate of heaven, brought to earth for men to enjoy.  It’s like when it’s 100 F. and you come into an air-conditioned building.  What a relief! This phrase of the Lord’s Prayer indicates our license to pray for outrageous things to happen in the culture we are steeped in.

So far, we have seen little that would lead us to believe that praying like this would affect our world.  But that would diminish and even trivialize Jesus and His teaching.  The problem must lie with us then, and we are the reason that it hasn’t happened.

Praying for obedience, praying for the will of God to come and take over.  Our Churches are not merely a spot for A.A. to have their meetings, or the Food Pantry on Mondays, or a Men’s Breakfast on Saturdays.  We are the place of God’s presence, the territory and throne of the omniscient and omnipotent One. 

So let us pray this prayer.  Let us invite heaven to earth.  Let us look for the obedience that is being perfectly done in heaven, to come to this planet as well.  It says in Isaiah– “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.”  Its an astonishing concept of an ever-expanding kingdom, always pushing its boundaries, never defeated.  Can we keep up?

Photo: Embracing Uniqueness

Everyone of us is very different than anyone else.  Think “snowflakes” and you begin to get a grip on exactly how unique we really are.  The Book of Genesis tells us that we are created in the image of God.  And the Bible alludes to a complexity and creativity about human beings that is breathtaking in scope and substance.  We are each uniquely special, revealing the personality of an infinitely, creative God.

This photo helps connect me to an understanding of how we are different from each other.  Each color is important, and each needs to be esteemed.  We find that we need each other, and should regard each person as a special creative canvas of our Creator Father.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
       your works are wonderful,
       I know that full well. –Psalm 139:14, NIV

When You Lose [Faith]

…”calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Luke 7:19

 

Here we have John the Baptist locked away in Herod’s prison.  We read of his wavering, but that shouldn’t alarm us.  There has always been difficulties for those who follow without diluting their love for Jesus.  It’s very likely that John had preconceptions about Jesus’ ministry.  But that certainly doesn’t mean he was apostate or backslidden.  He still believed, as he looked out through the bars.

We walk in a greater light and have surer promises that John did.  And in that light we still have our difficult moments.  We can falter and shake and doubt.  And John only had a 100th of understanding that we have.  Often we are amazed by another’s confusion and struggles, it is so clear to us that they are falling short.  It is frustrating.  Moses once went ballistic, beat his rod on a rock and had some choice words.  His anger spilled all over him and made a mess.  We read of his provocation, and miss our own faults, sins and weaknesses. 

We need to understand the depth of our own depravity.  There are those who have proceeded us, who have had their moments of despondency and doubt.  We see them, as it were, from a distance and criticize and challenge what we see.  Noah’s drunkenness and Lot’s vacillation.  The flakiness of Samson, Peter’s denial and Mark’s timidity, and much more.

Today, let us resolve to be gentle with each other. “For we all stumble in many ways”, James 3:2.