“Hard Questions”

28 Wednesday Feb 2018

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cross, crucifixion, Death, Discipleship, Lent, Lenten Season, Practical Discipleship, Suffering, Way of the Cross

Temptations2 The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word.

Be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear….

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (II Timothy 4: 1-5 NIV).

Seven Questions for Elders

By now you must realize that when the Bible talks of ministry, it includes you. Perhaps you aren’t the Pastor or a teacher of the Word, but you are involved in ministry. Through your life, through your spiritual conversations, through your spiritual gifts, you have a ministry. A Life Ministry. Your discipleship is practical. And so it should be. You are already a leader, influencing others for Christ.

And it is likely that at some point your efforts will be recognized as useful in the role of an elder or deacon in the church. You are already a leader but your sphere of influence may be limited or may be outward focused. If you are being called to serve in the role of an elder or deacon in the church, it is a specific calling. We call it church leadership but that is a misnomer.

It’s true, of course, on a church-wide basis but it is also true that there are many spheres of influence and leadership both within and without the church. We do not want to fall into the trap of thinking that there is only church-wide leadership and the rest of us are simply not leaders, only disciples. That would be unbiblical thinking.

In the NT, we are all prophets, priests and kings and we must act like it. But some people are called to a church-wide leadership position because they have been recognized as spiritually mature and functioning within their limited sphere of influence as leaders already. Yes, they could have some creational leadership skills in business and the like but it is spiritual leadership that matters most here.

So, before you embark on that journey, I have a few questions for you.

Beyond the general maturity in Christ expected from all leaders, a few more questions might reveal the beliefs and values you hold on to when the going gets rough. Many other questions could be added, but these get to the essence of whether or not you are ready for spiritual warfare and have some idea of what the strategic and tactical plan of God is in the context of the church.

Spiritual Focus

What is the purpose of leadership in the church? Is the idea to simply support the Pastor in whatever he wants to do (a leader with a thousand helpers) or to help prepare the people to do the ministry? Is the role of an elder, deacon or Board member a spiritual role or an administrative one? Can administration (stewardship) be done in a spiritual manner? If so, how? What is the focus of your ministry as a leader? Is it different from your life ministry? If so, how? What makes the church special in terms of it’s role in the kingdom of God? What is the focus and purpose of the ministry of the church that you can’t find anywhere eles? Do you know how to have a spiritual conversation? Do you know what the goal of the conversation is and how to get there? How fundamental is prayer to that goal? What is your prayer life like?

Spiritual Maturity

2. Is it possible for a leader of the church, one who truly loves God and has good intentions, to make fundamental and dangerous mistakes in morality, life and spiritual management of the church and be blind to it? Which things are essential for every Christian (and even more so for a leader) to protect them from the ignorance, blindness and willfulness of the flesh?

the conviction and ministry of the Holy Spirit within,
the knowledge and ongoing application of the Word of God,
the fellowship (and accountability) of a group of mature and wise believers,
all of the above.

Spiritual Warfare

3. Do you believe that there is a spiritual battle going on for the hearts and minds of every believer (including your own) and for the church as a whole with a particular focus on the leadership? If so, what will you do about it? How do you know when you are being religious and when you are being spiritual? How do you know when you are being political and not being relational? How do you know when to enforce the rules and when to allow more freedom? Do you know what the Devil’s schemes are and what the dynamics of the spiritual battle are and what to do about them?

Spiritual Gifts

4. Do you believe that a leader of the church, including the Pastor, has the right to prohibit the use of a believer´s gifts in ministry within the church? Do you believe that God is building the church and that every person present is there for a reason and has gifts that are essential for building the kingdom of God? If so, what is the role of the leadership when God brings those gifted people into the church?

Spiritual Discipline

5. What is the purpose of church discipline? Is it to deal with difficult people by asking them to leave? Does treating someone “as a Gentile,” as Paul said, mean to evangelize them (reconcile them to God) or to shun them and throw them out of the church? Would you call the police to remove a homeless or poor man from the premises because he is bothering the people and asking for money? Do you believe that a leader of the church, including the Pastor, has the right to prohibit the presence of a believer (or non-believer) in the church for any reason or any sin whatsoever (other than temporarily because of an immediate physical threat of danger to themselves or others)?

Spiritual Armour

6. When do you think it is appropriate to spiritually and publicly confront a leader, if ever? How should a leader act when he is confronted in that way? When is a rebuke spiritual and when is it an expression of the flesh? Do you know what the seven deadly sins are for spiritual leadership? Are you aware of the existence of corporate sin that you participate in actively or passively as part of the leadership of the church? Do you know what to do about it?

Spiritual Fruit

7. What (and who) are you willing to fight for? You can either have the status quo or the abundant life, but you can´t have both (until you arrive in heaven). What do you believe is the bottom line for the church? When will you stand up and be counted? When is being loyal to the Pastor not being loyal to Christ? When is doing the will of the Board not doing the will of the Father? How will you know the difference? Would you sacrifice the needs of the one for the sake of the many? Or would you meet the needs of the one and ignore the opinion of the many?

Finally, the overall quesion is whether it is the job of the leaders to defend the church or to defend the gospel? And no, those are not the same thing. They are supposed to be, but they´re not. Sadly. If we defend the gospel, we defend the church. If we defend the church, (most often from unsavory characters such as prophets or the least, the last, the lost and the losers) we may, in fact, be hindering the gospel. How will you know the difference?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions (or at least some of them), then why are you accepting the assignment as a leader of the church? Don’t you know that teachers (and leaders) are doubly judged – first for their own lives and secondly for the influence they have had on other people’s lives?

Send me a comment with the answers you would give. Privacy assured unless permission is given. Pray. Think. Share.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. Let’s talk to Jesus….

Lord, I’m not sure that I want to be a leader. It’s a scary deal. But I know that all disciples are expected to grow in maturity and that positions of leadership are merely positions of ministry. I’m not sure that I know all of the answers to these questions but I am going to find out. Lead me. Guide me. Protect me from my own flesh and the flesh of others. Reveal my sin so that I can confess it. Reveal the sin of the church so that we can overcome it together. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

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Seeking Jerusalem – Day 16 “Spiritual Conversations”

27 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in 2. Radical Discipleship, Seeking Jerusalem

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cross, crucifixion, Death, Discipleship, Lent, Lenten, Lenten Season, Spiritual Conversations, Suffering, Way of the Cross

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4: 5, 6 NIV).

Discipleship and Spiritual Conversations – Purpose (4)

I love spiritual conversations. I don’t get enough of them.

I love to talk about the Lord and hear what He is doing in the lives of the people around me. I want to hear about reality. Sin transformed into life. Losers finding the humility to go to the cross. Pride junkies (like me) who are brought low and are extremely thankful for that severe mercy.

Yes, I love spiritual conversations. It is one of the most important ministries in the church. Teach your leaders how to have them. Make sure to have spiritual conversations regularly with your leaders.

It is part of my Life Ministry….an expression of who I am in Christ. It is one of the ways that I please God and give glory to Him or, better said, reveal His glory in me.

Having spiritual conversations is a ministry to both those inside and outside the church. Use your own life and testimony as a powerful witness and tool to bring glory to God. Show the reality of your sin transformed by grace. Justice fulfilled by love. Here are a few suggestions…

1. Your spiritual conversations should always be in the context of the full surrender of your life to God.

When you walk in the Spirit by His grace, He can use your conversation with others powerfully. A warning. God can, and probably will, use your spiritual conversations whether you are fully surrendered to Him or not. He can use the dog next door if he was so inclined ….to borrow a phrase from singer/songwriter Don Francisco (wow, that’s really dating myself)…..but you don’t get the benefit. One of the scariest truths of the Bible is when Jesus said that God can use us to do miracles, cast out demons and the like but he still does not know us…..Lord, Lord….we will say……and He will say……I don’t know you…….yes, we can do ministry in the flesh…..we can even do ministry and not be saved…..such is the deceitful heart of man……our only salvation is in Christ with a heart fully surrendered to Him…..in other words, our own intimate walk with God is even more important than any kind of ministry that we do and our walk in the Spirit is the source of power for the words that we speak. Make sure you keep first things first.

2. Your spiritual conversations should always be in the context of spiritual unity and full reconciliation with the one that you are talking with……all sin confessed and repented of…..all forgiveness given…..full reconciliation present……then your conversation can have spiritual power.

3. Your spiritual conversations should always be focused on the cross and on Christ. Paul said that he preached Christ and him crucified….we should do the same. There is no point in going over all of the details of the sin or the circumstance or giving coaching advice (as good as it may be on a creational level). God went to all that trouble to get that person’s attention and to set up the opportunity for you to speak with them about the cross. This is not the time to give them creation-based advice on how to deal with a particular situation. It is the time to ask them how their walk with God is going…..or to find out if they even have a new relationship with God through the cross empowered by the Holy Spirit. Focus on the cross both for salvation as well as sanctification. The way of the cross includes confession, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. This brings spiritual unity to every situation. The cross is always the solution, no matter what the problem is. Practical, everyday advice can be given once their lives have been fully surrendered to Christ and they are walking in the Spirit.

4. Your spiritual conversations should always be focused on God. Talk to Him. Do not allow the conversation to end without talking directly to God, together. End in prayer. It is the entire point of the conversation you are having….to bring that person before the throne of God, in the name of Christ and in the power of the Spirit.

I remember one of my first churches where I preached for a whole summer as a student preacher in Canada. My last sermon was called…..Never say Goodbye…..it was a little long, but heartfelt. I was not going to see these people again this side of heaven and I wanted to make the point that we don’t have to say goodbye as if it was forever. Of course, after the sermon I was quite busy saying goodbye to everyone. Lots of shaking of hands at the door.

I noticed this young man with a pockmarked face standing in line and when I shook his hand, I said something about not having to say goodbye. He spoke a bit harshly and said, “I won’t be seeing you in heaven” or something to that effect. It took me by surprise. I didn’t know what to do. He was new to the church. It was his first Sunday. I had never seen him before. It was a small church and I knew everybody.

Twenty minutes later, I was in the back of the church having coffee and talking with a few people and saying my goodbyes. He stood there beside me and as I mentioned to someone again that we didn’t really have to say goodbye, he said something like….I won’t be seeing you in Heaven, so you may as well say goodbye to me now…..He didn’t sound sarcastic. I had the distinct impression that God was using a 2 x 4, hitting me on the back of the head, trying to get my attention.

Frankly, I didn’t know what to do. I knew a lot about the Bible but I didn’t have a lot of experience with counseling or even evangelism. But everyone was looking at me, so I turned around and faced him and asked, “Would you like to go somewhere and talk about it?” Hoping, just a little bit, that he would say no and leave….but he didn’t and five minutes later we were seated in a dingy basement Sunday School room together.

I was leaving the next day. I had no idea what God expected me to do. I already preached the Gospel in the sermon. What was left? I looked at him and blurted out, “Let’s talk to God…” Smartest move I ever made. It took the pressure off of me and put the problem squarely where it belonged….in God’s lap.

It was what I later called a “Moses move.” Moses often went to God with the complaints of the people and said things like….these are your people…..this is your problem……what are you going to do about it? Well, I wasn’t really thinking it all through at the time. It just sort of came out. I still think to this day that it was the Holy Spirit leading the conversation. He just needed me to act as His conduit…..

So we started praying and I said something like…..God, this is…..and I stopped to ask his name, which he gave me…..and I continued praying…..God, this is Charlie and he needs to talk to you. I’m not sure what the problem is but he needs to talk to you about it……so here he is. And I shut up.

It was quiet for almost a minute and a minute is a long time to be quiet in a situation like that. I was just starting to think that I needed to start praying again when Charlie burst out with a long string of curse words directed towards God……I didn’t know if I should move out of the way of the lightning bolt that was sure to come….or not. Then he began to sob and cry…..I kept my head down and prayed for him as fervently as I knew how…..and he finally stopped crying and started talking to God and finally surrendered and gave his life to God….or recommitted his life to God….whatever it was….it doesn’t matter…..and we stood up and hugged and, of course, I asked him whether or not I would see him again, or should I just say goodbye now…….and you know what answer he gave me. It was a good moment.

God did all the work which is what He wants to do. I learned to get out of the way and keep my mouth shut (usually I talk to much) and I learned that the goal of any spiritual get together was to meet with God….that all of the preaching and all of the teaching was meant to bring us to the foot of the cross and to deal with our sin and receive salvation or fully surrender our lives once again to His care and leave that encounter walking once again in the power of the Spirit.

Three years later, I visited that small town again on my way to Calgary, Alberta. They had put on a corn roast for me and this young man came up to me with clear eyes, a smile on his face and a lovely woman on his arm. He had moved back from the big city and made a new life for himself in that small town. He was walking with the Lord. That is the power of a spiritual conversation.

And now, a final word about prayer.

If you haven’t figured it out yet…..all of the most important things in life, like the transformation of the human heart, is way out of our league…..we are powerless to make it happen. The wind blows where it wills and the Spirit of God decides who and when and where He will touch a life. If we have the opportunity to have a spiritual conversation with someone, it means that the Spirit is at work. Get with the program. Pray. Pray. Pray. He is willing but we must pray.

True prayer is rooted in the humility of our powerlessness to do the one thing in life that matters most….the transformation of the human heart. But it is also rooted in our desire to be part of the process, to find our holy significance in life in this interdependent work of transformation where God uses our real world testimony and words and conversations together with his power to break through the pride of the human heart and bring it, in humility and shame to the cross, and then transform it through love into new life, loyalty and joy in the Spirit.

And yes, we also share in that joy of being used by God (our significance) and of being a child of God (our identity) and of having a purpose in Christ (our life ministry) …..all three (identity, purpose and significance) make up our meaning in life. And prayer is at the heart of it all.

A conversation with God can change your life. Our job is to help others have that same holy conversation. It is a key aspect of our life as disciples as Christ. If our path is the way of the cross, then our conversations will also be about the cross. And that kind of conversation can change someone’s life.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. Let’s talk to the Lord….

Lord, I talk about a lot of things. Most of them unimportant. Often I am a bit embarrassed to talk about you or what you have done in my life. I’m sorry. Give me the boldness of love to find ways to bring the conversation around to you both with believers and unbelievers alike. Teach me what to say. Give me the right words. Help me to be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is within me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

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Seeking Jerusalem – Day 15 “Maturity in Christ”

26 Monday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in 2. Radical Discipleship, Seeking Jerusalem

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cross, crucifixion, Death, Discipleship, Lent, Lenten Season, Maturity, maturity in Christ, Suffering, Way of the Cross

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured” (Colossians 4:12 NIV).

“It was he who gave (leaders)…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4: 11-13 NIV).

Discipleship as Maturity in Christ – Progress (3)

Here is a truth that we don’t like to talk about. It is something that affects every church, every body of believers. We are either cursed or blessed by the leaders we have chosen.

The solution is simple: Rather than choose leaders, learn to recognize the leaders that God has chosen. Here are some thoughts on how to recognize maturity in Christ.

Maturity in Christ is necessary for recognizing maturity in Christ.

Maturity in Christ is not only about consistent moral and social behavior. Even more importantly, since we will most certainly sin, it is about the humble ability to deal with our sin at the foot of the cross. It is about confession and repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation, despite the embarrassment, despite the judgment, despite the loss of social status. Simply because the cross, and our relationship with God is more important to us than anything else. Period.

Understanding God´s goal of reconciliation in Christ through our holiness and ministry is an essential ingredient in recognizing spiritual maturity in Christ.

Maturity in Christ is not always wise, not always safe, and, certainly, not always appreciated, even, and often especially, within the church.

Maturity in Christ is a thorn in the flesh to leaders who value peace and the status quo above the ministry of reconciliation and spiritual unity of the church which can be messy and difficult and forces us to pray fervently for one another.

Maturity in Christ is often seen as immaturity to the worldly minded because it is vulnerable, transparent and, even, confrontative by it´s very nature, as it should be.

Without maturity in Christ, a leader is, at best, a wise and able manager, at worst, a barrier to spiritual growth for themselves and others.

Maturity in Christ is about the centrality of the cross in a life of humility and grace with a focus on pleasing God above all.

Maturity in Christ engages in spiritual warfare with humility and grace even when others claim that there is no humility and grace in our spiritual warfare.

Maturity in Christ is prophetic because it challenges the status quo in pursuit of the abundant life of true reconciliation with God and man in spiritual unity.

Maturity in Christ is priestly because it labors in prayer for the very ones it challenges prophetically, including itself.

Maturity in Christ is kingly because it shows the path to abundant living in its own example of holiness, grace and life ministry regardless of popular opinion.

Maturity in Christ is about the humble confession of sin to God and one another. It is not merely apology, but rather admitting that we were in rebellion against God, or in ignorance or blindness, but still missing His mark, in our behavior towards others.

Maturity in Christ is about a lifestyle of repentance in the context of the fellowship and spiritual unity of believers, the only true marks of the presence of the Holy Spirit individually and corporately.

Maturity in Christ is about forgiveness, even when the other person doesn´t ask for it, or confess and repent of it, not because the sin doesn´t matter, not just because we should love one another, but because the payment for that sin was the cross and we accept it as sufficient for ourselves and others.

Maturity in Christ is about reconciliation and spiritual unity in prayer, worship and kingdom work, a true unity of the heart where we determine to see, value and treat the other in the Spirit and not in the flesh, even if they continue to live in the flesh. To see them as God sees them, in Christ, as their true selves, blameless and without spot or blemish before the throne of God.

Maturity in Christ is about the value and centrality of the cross which will always be opposed fiercely by the enemy with whatever strategy he can devise, within and without the church, even, and especially, through those Christians and leaders who have fallen into the trap of placing politics and power and their own personal pride and “rightness,” (often without realizing it), as more important than the life of repentance and the goal of reconciliation, which are the only true marks of spiritual maturity.

Maturity in Christ comes as we walk in the way of the cross. It is a natural result of our following. If we are not moving forward into relational maturity, the rest of our lives will not fall in line. This Lenten Season let us dedicate ourselves anew to becoming mature in our discipleship for the sake of our families and our church.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. Let’s talk to God…

Lord, I have to admit that I am not very mature. Even in the world, we recognize that maturity is relational rather than merely moral. Help me to become mature in Christ. Help me to recognize others who are on the way to becoming mature in Christ, not because they don’t make any mistakes but because they are dedicated to confessing their mistakes, getting help to repent, forgiving freely and deeply concerned about reconciliation. May it be so in my life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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“Revealing the Glory”

25 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in Uncategorized

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cross, crucifixion, Death, Discipleship, glory, Lent, Lenten Season, Resurrection, Revealing the Glory, Suffering

Temptations2 The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts” (II Corinthians 3: 9-11 NIV).

Revealing the Glory

John Eldredge, in his book Waking the Dead, talks about three eternal truths that we must “see” with the eyes of our heart.

1. Things are not what they seem.

2. This is a world at war.

3. Each of us has a crucial role to play.

He goes on to talk about the “glory” that each of us has, and that it is essential to God´s plans that we reveal that glory, live in that glory and share that glory with others. I would add that the “glory” is not only our creational gifts and abilities, but, first of all, our redemptive glory in Christ. The creational integrated into and providing the real world context for the redemptive. The redemptive empowering and focusing the creational.

The key concept that Mr. Eldredge uses to convey these ideas is the famous phrase from St. Irenaeus. “The glory of God is man fully alive.” I would add, for clarification, “in Christ.”

The glory of God is man fully alive in Christ.

Man was made in the image of God. That is our creational glory which is muted and tarnished by our rebellion so that it is but a mere glimmer of it´s former glory.

An essential part of that glory, lost through rebellion and sin, was the intimate relational glory of man´s conscious, loving connection with his Father and Creator. Man was created in his very nature to be fully alive only in an ongoing, intimate relationship with his Maker.

The moral life is dependent on the relational.

Since morality expresses itself in relationships, it must find its power in the love and safety of the primal relationship with our Creator, as our Provider and Protector, because no other relationship is strong enough to survive in this dangerous world. How could it be otherwise in a world infused with and totally dependant on the ongoing presence and favor of it´s Maker? He has not left us to our own purposes. He has intervened and confronted and transformed our evil into a new relationship with Him.

This in-between place, this abnormal existence, deludes us into thinking that independence from an intimate relationship with God is an option, that God´s justice will somehow be controlled by His love rather than be fulfilled by the cross, calling us to a new lifestyle of dependence and obedience to our Maker, whether we like it or not. And we don´t. At least, not at first.

Man re-created in the image of God through Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, restoring the relationship between man and his Father and Creator is our redemptive glory. Created in the image of God, fallen, rebellious, evil but re-created in the image of Christ. From beginning to end, life is relational.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18 (NIV)

Therefore, the glory of God, the nature and character of God, is revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ in us. Our new bodies, our adoption as sons, our hope of glory is the result of something that is already within us, namely, the Holy Spirit of God, which is our guarantee of resurrection to new life now and when Christ returns.

The glory of God is the cross of Christ.

The cross of Christ, the nature and person and work of Jesus Christ, is the most valuable thing in the entire universe to God. It is because of the value of Jesus Christ, God Himself, that his suffering and death can substitute for and be sufficient for all of the sins of the world, even though it is only efficient for some.

To the degree that we also live in the glory of the cross and resurrection of Christ, to that degree the glory of God is revealed in us now and will be fully revealed in us creationally (through a new, powerful, resurrected body in a new heavens and a new earth) and redemptively (through final, and complete freedom from the corrupting influence of sin within us and the full liberation of the Holy Spirit´s influence in us, without barriers, without limit), the true hope and focus of the resurrection.

To the degree that we pursue and live out the value and centrality of the cross in our lives, to that degree, we reveal the glory of God in us.

To the degree that we walk in step with the Spirit in abundant life, as part of a fellowship of believers, to that degree we reveal the glory of God in us.

To the degree that we seek to please God above all and pursue Him with all of our hearts, casting down every idol, every pretension that sets itself up in our lives as a barrier between us and God, to the degree that we are willing to live out the miracle of wanting to sacrifice anything and everything to please the God who truly likes us, and loves us, enough to endure hell for us, to that degree we reveal the glory of God in us.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs
– heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in his sufferings
in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:17 (NIV)

To the degree that we are willing to be trained, to grow, to become the kind of people that God sees when He looks at us, and to do so out of gratitude and love rather than necessity and fear, to that degree we reveal the glory of God in us.

Finally, to the degree that we live a life of loving obedience to his priorities, goals, purposes and plans, using every gift, every ability, every treasure, talent, time and thought, living with a redemptive focus in a creational context, to that degree we reveal the glory of God in us.

Perhaps it will not be so clear now, but certainly before the throne of God where everything will come to light, this revealation of the glory of God in our lives, this miracle of grace to which we responded in our weakness and frailty, this glory which is ours only in Christ, and only to the degree that we live out of our true selves in Christ, this redemptive new creation glory will be made known and we will share in the joy of our Master, casting our crowns before Him in humble and true recognition that none of it was possible without His intervention of grace.

We are significant to the purposes of God since it is only the miracle of His glory in us that can change the heart of man. It cannot be about propositional truths only, as important as they are. The power of evangelism is a transformed heart fully alive to God in Christ.

It has to do with the real transformation of the heart of man by the ongoing glory of the cross in salvation and sanctification. Redeemed by the cross but also living out the glory of the cross in our daily lives by crucifying our old nature and flesh through confession and repentance and carrying that cross with us as we follow him. It is a lifestyle-yoke which is easy and light because it is the enslaving, will-limiting yoke of love, requiring us to live in the freedom of forgiveness for ourselves and others (even our enemies) with the goal of reconciliation and spiritual unity.

Love is what makes this world bearable and Divine love rooted in the cross is the only power that can transform evil into good. That is the glory of God. The cross shows Him as He truly is in His justice and in His love. Love does not forgive by dismissing justice but by fulfilling it. The message of sin and despair and hell is essential to the glory of God. Our situation is much worse than we can imagine. We are arrogant when we should be ashamed of ourselves before God as we try to live out our lives as if He doesn´t exist, His will doesn´t matter, as if we are gods unto ourselves.

That arrogance will be revealed in us to our judgment in this life and before the throne of God on the Day of Judgment. Either our arrogance, that is, or God´s glory will be revealed in us through a cross rooted lifestyle of confession, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation with the goal of spiritual unity in our joint purpose in Christ. Either our arrogance will be revealed to our judgment or God´s glory will be revealed in us to our salvation and joy. It is not cheap grace after all but, rather, the most expensive grace possible, a price we could never pay, which is why it´s free. The power of evangelism is the glory of God lived out in the daily lives of God´s people.

It has to do with the radical nature of the resurrection-empowered presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer demonstrated….

when we live out a lifestyle of repentance and forgiveness with the goal of reconciliation and spiritual unity in the fellowship of believers,
when we love our enemies (and our frienemies) even if they remain our enemies (or frienemies),
when we give grace to those who deserve nothing but our anger and contempt,
when we impoverish ourselves for the sake of the gospel (Word) and the needy (Deed), even if their ongoing enmity toward Christ, or their poverty and need is their own fault,
when we treat one another as we are in Christ rather than as we are in the flesh (even when we continue to be in the flesh),
when we prioritize the poor and powerless in society and in the church and identify ourselves with them (whether they are Christians or not) and
when we live in humble awareness of our ongoing sinful tendencies and constant need for His intervening and confrontative grace and respond wholeheartedly (imperfectly, inconsistently, partially though it may be).

This is the radical nature of the normal Christian life, uncommon as it is.

It is a miracle of His grace, after all, given to those who seek Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength by keeping the value and centrality of the cross first and foremost in their lives. The abundant life is not automatic. It is a relationship after all. It requires comittment, loyalty, faith, hope and love. Just like any relationship but even more with God. The abundant life is a product of walking in the Spirit. It has the conditions and requirements that all relationships have. Our eternal life, the timeless relationship itself may be secure but living it out is a process, a journey, a transformation over time. There is a process of going deeper in and further back. Just like all relationships. It is not enough to be married, we must also be, and stay, in love for this relationship to bear fruit – not for salvation, not to avoid divorce, but, rather, to find the joy, the power and the purpose of the relationship.

The abundant life is a miracle of God´s grace. It is interactive. We must respond, but He empowers us to respond. He creates the desire, we develop that desire into obedience in the context of the desert (just like all the creational gifts He gives us). He gives us the gift of grace, and faith and the miracle of wanting to please Him, just because we can. But we must respond. We must make every effort. We must work, fight, whatever metaphor you want, but we must value the relationship and show it (at the expense of our pride). That is the abundant life which is full of the presence and power of the joy of the Lord. It is the pearl of great price.

And we,
who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord´s glory,
are being transformed into his likeness
with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord,
who is the Spirit.
I Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

We are significant to God because, by the glory of the cross, we now have the ability to please Him or grieve Him, as a child can please or grieve his natural father, with our behavior, intentions and motivations.

We are significant to God because we are channels of His grace, broken, earthen pots, that reveal the glory of a man or woman fully alive in Christ.

Why do you think the Devil spends so much time and energy, in our lives and in the life of the church, distracting us from the essential, strategic importance of the cross, not only in preaching but in the daily reality of how we relate to one another in the body of Christ? Often the preaching of the cross does not translate to living out the value of the cross in the fellowship of the believers. There is a blindness, a deception, an ignorance and even willful disobedience, excuses, justifications, rationalizations, anything to avoid the transparency of confession, the vulnerability, difficulties and effort of a lifestyle of repentance. Anything to avoid the humility (and shame) of forgiveness (both giving and asking) and the inter-dependent priority and value of reconciliation (spiritual unity, value and prioritization of those we normally would prefer not to associate with – the least, the last, the lost, the loser).

The church is the battleground for the glory of God. The glory of God revealed in us through Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, rooted in the cross, demonstrates itself in confession, repentance, forgiveness and, above all, reconciliation and spiritual unity.

Christ in us, the hope of glory
Colossians 1:27b (NIV)

It is not only about salvation, but about our sanctification, our maturity in Christ, our walk in the Spirit, our revealing of the glory of God redemptively and creationally by living a lifestyle of repentance with the goal of reconciliation. That is the source of power in the Christian life and it will bring the transforming anointing of the presence and pleasure of God into our lives personally, and, even more importantly, corporately, as a body of believers.

Spiritual unity in the body of Christ is a miracle of the intervening grace of God as we live out the value and centrality of the cross in our personal and body life.

Therefore, there is one more change that must be made to the famous saying of St. Ireneaus. It isn´t only about individuals but about the body in Christ. The body is made up of individuals who reveal the glory of God personally in their daily lives, no doubt, but we must not shy away from the goal of bringing the fellowship, as a group, as a body, into the glory of God rooted in the cross.

The glory of God is a body of believers fully alive in Christ
in spiritual unity with God and others.

The key to that kind of spiritual unity as an expression of ongoing reconciliation within the church between each other and God, is the leadership. If true fellowship is not practiced there, fiercely and with determination, then the consequences for the rest of the church will be severe.

The thing to remember is that we will be opposed. Opposed by the flesh (even and especially our own), the world, and, especially, the Devil. It is important to be aware of the Devil´s schemes, our weaknesses, and the world´s distractions.

If you can “see” with a heart that truly wants to understand and follow the ways of the Lord, you will recognize the validity of these three eternal truths that Mr. Eldredge shares with us. Things are not what they seem. This is a world (and a church and a marriage and a life) at war. Each of us has a crucial role to play.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. It’s time to talk with God…

Lord, I want to see your glory and I want your glory to be revealed in me. I know that things are not what they seem. The Devil has blinded our eyes to his involvement in our human affairs and we give him permission to do so every day. Forgive us, Lord. We are at war and we have a crucial role to play in this drama of redemption. Teach me to learn the ways of the cross and to get involved in your great rescue operation to save my friends and family members. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

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Seeking Jerusalem – Day 14 “Desert Warriors”

24 Saturday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in 2. Radical Discipleship, Seeking Jerusalem

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Tags

cross, crucifixion, Death, Desert Warrior, Discipleship, Lent, Lenten Season, Pain, Prayer Warrior, Suffering, Weight of Glory

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry” (Luke 4: 1, 2 NIV).

Discipleship as a Desert Warrior – Preparing (1)

We are going to spend a little bit of time talking further about the Transfiguration of Jesus (and us). The Transfiguration is a major theme in the latter half of the ministry of Jesus.

It is all about hidden glory being revealed. It’s about getting a glimpse of the glory of Jesus as seen from the Father’s perspective, even if just for a moment, so that you can learn to recognize his glory even when it appears to be hidden from our eyes. It really is about having eyes to see and ears to hear. We are blind to the glory of God all around us, much less in Jesus and in his ministry. We are often blind also to the glory of Christ in others, in the church, and in the quality and nature of the relationships we have with the people all around us. Hidden Glory Revealed. Transfiguration.

In order to understand the Transfiguration and the hidden glory of Christ in his ministry we need to start in the Desert. Jesus Christ is the true Desert Warrior. It started with the temptations in the desert but ended in the Garden of Gethsemane. In both situations, he was the victor. That is where his glory is revealed. But what about me?

Am I a Desert Warrior?

I´m not sure I can answer that question yet. Perhaps a better question is whether I even want to be one.

The answer to that question surprises me.

For years I avoided getting too deeply committed to anything, especially to the fight that was going on in my own heart. I was a Christian but I feared the emotional effort of battle. I was a coward, I guess. I simply had no power, no spine, no faith that I could even get close to winning, so why bother. Yet, today, I want to learn to be a Desert Warrior. I am looking forward to the training even though I know it will be hard work. Something happened to me and it makes all the difference in the world.

The Desert Warrior is known by many names – a spiritual warrior, a mature disciple, a hero of the faith. We may not be comfortable with those titles and, at this point, that is probably a good thing. But, our Father intends for us to become a Desert Warrior and we made a vow to Him that we would enter upon that training when we accepted His salvation and promised to follow Him.

He has saved us out of Egypt and the slavery of our former life. He has led us through the Red Sea of our baptism and destroyed the power of Pharoah, our old slave master, over our life once and for all.

And now, the Pillar of Fire is going deeper into the desert away from the safe trade routes and He expects us to follow. He will teach us to worship at His mountain and to study and obey His commandments, to learn holiness, sacrifice and prayer and to live and work together with our brothers and sisters as a fighting unit to do battle against His enemies and to accomplish His purposes.

These are the spiritual disciplines of a Desert Warrior.

That doesn´t mean that we don´t have a choice – we most certainly do. We have to want to be a Desert Warrior before we can take the training. The offer is open to all but not all will take up the offer.

We may think that there is safety in staying with the mass of God´s people and not stand out and be noticed but there is no safety in the crowd. We may end up as part of Korah´s rebellion and be destroyed. We may simply lack the faith to take God at His word and enter the Promised Land. We may end up wandering in the desert and dying there without ever having seen or experienced the abundant life. Or we may become like Joshua and Caleb and become leaders of God´s people, dedicated to becoming Desert Warriors whatever the cost.

The desert is a place of scarcity, the Promised Land a place of plenty. But it is in the desert that one discovers the power to live in the Promised Land. Or not, as the case may be.

Many discover their weakness and simply give up and die. Others discover God´s power and live the abundant life even while they are in the desert. They discover that the Promised Land, the kingdom of God, is not just a destination at the end of the journey but rather they discover that the kingdom of God is within us.

A Desert Warrior desires God above all and therefore has already entered the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey, and can lead God´s people to that same place. As Moses found out, God, Himself, is our Promised Land (Exodus 33).

But I don´t want to be a leader, you might say.

Can I be a Desert Warrior and not be a leader? No. God´s intention for you is leadership, plain and simple. No matter who you are. Leadership and mature discipleship go hand in hand. Leadership development may include more than discipleship training but it does not include less. It isn’t about roles and positions. It isn’t about personality or career choices. It’s about who you are in Christ and whether or not you are moving from “glory to glory,” becoming more mature in your relationship with God through Christ.

Leadership is about who you are, first of all. What you do and how you do it is also worthy of study, training and godly effort, but it is rooted in your relationship with God first and foremost.

Jeremiah shares with us the desire of God´s heart for our leadership ministry. God is speaking through Jeremiah and he says,

Their leader will be one of their own;
their ruler will arise from among them.
I will bring him near and he will come close to me,
for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?”
declares the LORD.
“So you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
Jeremiah 30:21 (NIV)

This is a great leadership passage. It is a prophetic promise by God through Jeremiah to the people in exile about restoring their fortunes as a people. Perhaps the reference is to Zerubbabel, who was a descendent of David and led the return from exile and became the governor of Israel and helped rebuild the altar and the temple. Perhaps the passage has a Messianic flavour and refers to the coming of Jesus Christ as the true leader of God´s people. Or is this a passage that we can more broadly apply to all godly leadership? Probably, all of the above, but with an important distinction.

I believe the message of the New Testament is that we are all called to be leaders (as part of, and the application of, our discipleship) and that all leadership is rooted “in Christ”.

There is no more distinction between those that lead and those that follow. Peter, in his sermon at Pentecost, quoted the prophet Joel who foretold that “in the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people” (Acts 2:17 NIV). Not just Samson and David and Elijah but everyone. Leadership is not about roles but about gifts. Paul says that “it was he (Jesus) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God´s people for works of service…” (Eph. 4:11, 12a)

But if everyone is called to be a leader, who will follow? Everyone. We are all followers and leaders – that is the discipleship model that Jesus gave us. We all “disciple” and we are “all discipled,” we simply do it in different ways according to our gifts.

Leadership is nothing more (and nothing less) than exerting influence over someone else as an individual or in a group. We do that all the time anyway, for good or evil.

C.S. Lewis, in his book The Weight of Glory, tells us that “the weight of glory” is not merely our own glory, but the glory of those around us, the glory of those we influence every day towards one destiny or another. The weight of glory is our responsibility for the eternal glory (or horror) of those we come into contact with on a daily basis, our family, our friends, our church, our co-workers.

Perhaps leadership starts with the recognition of the impact of our lives (and our walk with God or lack thereof) on the people we love (or hate) and know (or who know us) and taking responsibility for it.

We all follow Jesus as his disciples first and foremost. But we are also influenced by the example and exhortations of other people whom we recognize as followers of Christ. There is a general leadership influence on our lives from those we recognize as spiritual leaders. We are also discipled by specific people who have spiritual authority in our lives to hold us accountable (hopefully). But the spirituality (or lack thereof) in the lives of ordinary Christians has the greatest influence of all on preparing the human heart to receive the gospel. We can become a stumbling block to someone or an inspiration for them to look closer at the gospel.

Leadership is influence. Discipleship is training in the ways of the Lord with the purpose of influencing others to take Christ seriously with our words and actions.

God is seeking leaders from among His people that He will use to further His kingdom in the hearts of men. God starts by bringing you near and we respond by coming closer.

I will bring him near and he will come close to me.

Leadership is about being close to God. It isn´t about what you do first of all, but who you are. It is an overflow of your walk with God. All of the theories and strategies and wisdom about leadership take a distant second place to this truth. Are leaders born or made? Godly leaders are born again as well as made and developed into leaders by God Himself in the intimacy of their daily walk.

I will bring him near.

Certain natural gifts and even personality traits can lend themselves to the role of leadership and even those gifts are from God. But without a close fellowship with God, their leadership will not influence others towards God and the things of God. Likewise, God can use people without natural gifts or inclinations toward leadership who simply desire Him above all and make their walk with Him their highest priority. These people are leaders whether they occupy roles of leadership or not. They are the backbone of God´s influence in the lives of His people.

I will bring him near and he will come close to me.

This isn´t just a causal relationship where God acts and man can do nothing other than to respond. It is deeper than that. This is the mystery of God´s stirring up and man´s response. Although we are entirely dependent on God bringing us near to him, we must respond to that divine initiative and draw near to Him. Paul exhorts us to “draw near to God and he will draw near to you”. That is a promise that we can pray for in faith and boldness.

For who is he who will devote himself to be close to me? declares the Lord.

As if to drive the point home even further, God asks a question. “Who will devote himself to be close to me?” It isn´t first of all about being a leader but about living close to God. It isn´t about using your walk with God as a means to become a leader but rather about God elevating you to a ministry of leadership through prayer, example and exhortation because your highest desire is to be close to Him.

You “devote” yourself to be close to Him.

It takes time and energy, and certainly sacrifice, to know God and enjoy Him forever. This is the chief end of man according to the Westminster Catechism. Take note of those words “enjoy Him forever.” This is not meant to be a drudgery (even though it may be hard work) but rather a joy. Your deepest joy will come from a closer walk with Him.

The invitation is in your hand. God´s eternal question for his people is before you. “Who will devote himself to be close to me?” If you respond, you will begin a journey of effective ministry and you will find the true desire of your soul and, whether you like it or not, you will become God´s leader among His people to show them the way.

So you will be my people and I will be your God.

This is the great covenant statement of the Old Testament. It comes to us over and over again at every turn to describe the heart of the covenant and God´s intention to have a relationship with His people. Let´s not miss the connection with our passage. This is the purpose of the covenant, the miracles, the redemptive work of God in the Old and New Testament. “So (in this way) you will be my people and I will be your God.” This is God´s intention. This is God´s purpose for us. By choosing to devote ourselves to be close to Him, we act like His people, we act like the children we are, and He can, therefore, draw near to us and be our God and be our abundant life.

The Way of the Desert Warrior is mapped out for us. It’s about following Jesus on the road to Jerusalem. Seeking Jerusalem. Seeking that closeness with God, not just as an individual but as a church.

We have been saved from a life of slavery and we have been baptized in the Red Sea. Now the pillar of fire is moving deeper into the desert. God wants to draw you closer. Now He wants to ask you a question. “What do you want? Will you devote yourself to be close to me?” If the answer is yes, welcome to the desert – the training ground for God´s Desert Warriors as they walk the Way of the Cross.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. Let’s talk to God about becoming Desert Warriors like Jesus Christ.

Lord, I want to be a Desert Warrior, just like you. In the moment of temptation, you stayed firm and saved the world. I believe that being your follower means that I must go into training and that the best training is in the desert. Teach me to endure hardship and to share in your suffering for the gospel, for the salvation of others. I think of my children, my family, my spouse, the people I love and I realize that they need me to be a Desert Warrior, a Prayer Warrior, a true Disciple, a Seeker after God. That is my heart’s desire. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

It wasn’t the thievery itself that was so important but the weakness that it showed, that could be exploited. He would give this opportunity some serious thought. The question was how to use it to their best advantage.

Tundrac was not so naive as not to realize who Jesus was. The whole demonic world knew the truth, and it scared them. But they didn’t know what He was up to, and that uncertainty made it difficult to know whether to plunge into a direct, all out battle or to find subtler ways of dealing with the crisis. Their authority on earth, in the hearts of men had been recognized by heaven for centuries. They could not, would not doubt that it would continue. But what was Jesus up to? (Read more….)

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Seeking Jerusalem – Day 10 “Transfiguration”

23 Friday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in 1. The Transfiguration, Seeking Jerusalem

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Tags

confession of faith, cross, Death, Discipleship, Lent, Lenten Season, Transfiguration, Transformation

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus” (Mark 9: 2-4 NIV).

The Transfiguration

I´m looking forward to my transfiguration, aren’t you? It will be great! What you see here today is not the real me. Yes, I have been changed and I am a new creation since I now have the Holy Spirit in me and that has fundamentally changed my nature. But I still have a transfiguration coming, don’t you? Jesus certainly did and it scared the disciples half to death.

A note has been circulating the internet recently (in Spanish). It’s the eulogy of Emilio Miró Paniello who died at the age of 77 in Barcelona on the 8th of February, 2018.

“Son of Pilar and Emilio. He has left this world without leaving anything behind of interest. He was a believer in a God he hopes exists. His cousins and the rest of his family would like his friends and acquaintances to remember him in their prayers. The funeral service will be help tomorrow morning, the 9th of February, 2018 at 3:30pm.”

Tanatori Sancho de Ávila

Why did this simple note go viral around the internet? Apparently because of the words “he has left this world without leaving anything behind of interest.” That’s enough to depress anyone. Then to add insult to injury, it says that “he was a believer in a God he hopes exists.” I don’t think that makes him a Christian but perhaps a churchgoer at the very least. How disappointing. And it seems to have struck a chord with a lot of people who found it to be a bit too honest an eulogy, too blunt a summary of someone’s life.

What will people say about you, once you are gone? Will they put a classified ad in the paper to let everyone know that you have passed on? What will their summary of your life say about you? Will you leave anything behind of interest? Children? Family? Houses, businesses, assets? Books? Paintings? Art? Will the people that you have lived with, influenced with your life (one way or the other), come away with the impression that you “hope” that God exists?

It’s a good practice to write out your own eulogy before you die as a way of getting a bird’s eye view of what your life is all about and whether or not you are having an impact for the gospel. Here, let me try my hand at it. Perhaps this is more a combination of a tombstone (the first couple of lines) together with a eulogy (all the rest):

Here lies Bert Alexander Amsing

1959-2035

Husband, Father, Child of God

Created For His Pleasure

“My grace is sufficient for you…”

His one desire in life was to please God.

He failed miserably.

His efforts were feeble and half-hearted.

He was unable to bear the weight of glory.

His greatest successes in this life were an utter failure.

He had nothing to show for his life of any worth, except Christ.

And he knew it.

Thank God.

But in full surrender, in faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit

his greatest failures in this life

confessed, repented, forgiven and reconciled

brought a smile to the face of God

That was the gift of significance that love bestows

bearing the weight of glory together

And he knew it.

Thank God.

The Desert Warrior

Did you notice that the sum of my life is really all about my relationship with God. My wife and kids would have no problem with that. They know that they are the love of my life but they also know who my first love is. And the same is true for them. It also isn’t about my accomplishments, even as a Christian, in this life. That is also not the point. It is the quality of our relationship together, God and I, as we walked this dark vale we call life, “bearing the weight of glory together.”

Another day we will talk about what that means: “the weight of glory,” but for now, the question is whether or not your life was significant to God and useful for his purpose of bringing the gospel to everyone you meet, influencing them toward Christ and the power of the cross or tripping them up, becoming a reason for them to never consider God if it means becoming anything like you. Write your own eulogy and see what you come up with. Even more interesting is to ask your wife or husband (or your Pastor or small group leader) to write an eulogy and to be honest about it (or find a way to make it anonymous). Your eyes may be opened in a surprising way.

The transfiguration of Jesus is a bit like an eulogy as well. It is a statement about Jesus. Who he is and what his life is really all about. Remember this comes only a few days after Peter gave his confession of faith that Jesus was not only the Messiah but also the Son of the Living God. Jesus claimed that it was a direct revelation from God and that this confession was what he would build his church on, not Peter himself, but rather his confession of faith is the foundation of the church.

So what’s going on at this transfiguration? What exactly is a “transfiguration” anyway? The easiest way to explain it is to say that it is a “glimpse of glory.” Another way to say it is to say that it is a “glimpse into heaven,” or, better yet, seeing someone as they will be (or are) from God’s point of view. Jesus is transfigured and his true nature as the Son of the Living God is revealed in a physical way through a “brightness” that is only a small indication of his glory and that, therefore, he is something more than merely human. Let’s break it down a bit more.

Peter, James and John are invited by Jesus to go up on a high mountain alone to pray (Luke 9:28). These three are the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples, the leaders to whom more is given and more is expected. Peter has just given his confession of faith and now, apparently, Jesus wants to confirm that confession by giving them a “glimpse of his glory” as the Son of the Living God. Remember that there is confusion among the people about who Jesus is. Is he Moses? Is he Jeremiah? Is he Elijah? Is he John the Baptist? Peter made the claim that he is different from all of those people. He is the Messiah but he is also Divine.

Now Jesus intends to confirm that confession of faith by giving his three key leaders a glimpse of who he really is. His clothes begin to shine brightly (which is strange enough in a culture without electricity) but then two other people appear out of nowhere one on each side of Jesus. Somehow they know that they are looking at Moses and Elijah. Moses representing the law and Elijah, the prophets. Jewish teaching held that Elijah would appear before the coming of the Messiah (based on Malachi 4:5-6). Moses foretold of a prophet like himself that would be raised up by God “from among your own brothers” (Deuteronomy 18:18 NIV) and that they should listen to him. He would be “like Moses” in the sense of inaugurating a new era in their relationship with God. This prophecy was always interpreted as talking about the Messiah.

The message is clear. Jesus is neither Moses nor Elijah, but the very fact that those two are there means that Jesus must be the Messiah, the one “like Moses” who would be heralded by Elijah. But that is only half the message. Jesus is not only the Messiah, he is something more. Many of the followers who later fell away, believed that he was the Messiah (just not the kind of Messiah that they wanted). So far, only half of the confession of Peter has been confirmed. The second half is even more important. God, the Father, the Almighty El-Shaddai, the Yahweh of the Old Testament shows up and gives His seal of approval as well.

“Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (vs. 7). Just in case you had any doubt, God makes it clear. This is my Son. Not “these are my sons,” in the way you would expect if God was only talking about his children who were part of Israel. In the OT, the nation of Israel and especially the leaders, the kings, the prophets, the priests were called the sons of God. But that is not the sense here. This is singular. Moses and Elijah of all people represented the nation of Israel. If God had meant his human sons (and daughters) of the nation of Israel, he would have used the plural. No. There is no doubt, but just in case some doubt lingers, God adds the words “whom I love.” There is a special relationship here. This is God’s beloved Son, his only begotten son. There is no question that God is declaring Jesus’ divinity as the Son of the Living God (as strange as it may seem to a Jewish ear). Then comes a command. “Listen to him!” In other words, he speaks on my behalf. He speaks truth. He has my authority to command and you must obey him.. Not Moses. Not Elijah. The Son of the Living God.

Yes, something similar was spoken over Jesus at his baptism. This was not the first time but it is a reaffirmation of what God spoke in public and now speaks in private to only three of the disciples. Peter, James and John. To top it all off, Jesus warns them afterward not to reveal any of this until after he had risen from the dead. Not that they understood what he was talking about at that point but they got the warning clear enough. Keep this confirmation of your confession quiet for now. It will come out when it needs to. Don’t forget that the High Priest at Jesus trial before the Sanhedrin asked him this very same question, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One” (Mark 14: 61b NIV). When Jesus admitted the truth, he was accused of blasphemy and his trial was all but over at that point. He was guilty. The rest was paperwork.

Here God confirms the identity of Jesus in a spectacular, but private, way so that the three key disciples would know who Jesus really was. Yes, they still had questions. If you are the Messiah, then where is Elijah? That wouldn’t have been my question. I would have asked, if you are the Son of the Living God, how in the world can you let these idiots in Jerusalem crucify you? Of course they didn’t have our post-resurrection perspective (and the writings of Paul to help us make sense of the spiritual realities behind what happened to Jesus on Calvary).

Jesus answers the question about Elijah indirectly but, in another place, he makes it clear that John the Baptist fulfilled the role of Elijah is heralding the coming of the king (Matthew 11:14). And he makes it clear that “in the same way” that John the Baptist was not recognized for who he truly was (in the role of Elijah) and was killed, so Jesus would also not be recognized for who he truly is (i.e. the transfiguration) and he would also be rejected and killed. John the Baptist heralded Jesus not only with his life but with the manner of his death.

So, there you have it. Jesus is transfigured. The disciples get a glimpse of his glory as the Son of the Living God. He is confirmed as the Messiah by the presence of Moses and Elijah. God speaks and makes it clear. Listen to him. He speaks for me. Given the drama of what was coming, Jesus no doubt thought it was necessary to confirm for his key disciples what God has already revealed to them. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

So, are you ready for your transfiguration? What?? We also get to be transfigured? Of course. This old, withered body that needs glasses and is increasingly tired and sore is not the real me. Didn’t you know? I will be changed. Yes, yes. I am already changed within and that is the important one but I will also be physically changed. I will be clothed with glory and my old self will fall away completely and I will be changed in “a twinkling of an eye” (I Corinthians 15:52 NIV). Paul says it like this: “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed…..then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory,” (I Corinthians 15: 51-54 NIV).

The Desert Warrior

P.S. Tell God how much you are looking forward to your Transfiguration…

Lord, thank you for confirming that you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. You remind me, too, that no matter what suffering, or pain, or even death that I must face, it is temporary and not even remotely to be compared to the glory, the transfiguration, the transformation that is coming. You will heal every disease, straighten every limb, take away every bruise, every cut, every imperfection and you will reveal the true me in all my glory. Still human but now perfect physically as well as made perfect spiritually. You will reveal me as I would have been created in the Garden of Eden, without sin, without blemish, without mistakes. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for starting my transfiguration now by giving me the Holy Spirit. In your name I pray. Amen.

This authority over demons and sickness was temporary, external, specific to a certain task, like much of the work of the Holy Presence in the ancient world before now. But Jesus desired to give them the fullness of the Spirit, Gabriel knew, so that their authority would be permanent, so that the Holy Presence would live within them, so that they could do even greater things than Jesus, himself, had done. (Read more….)

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Seeking Jerusalem – Day 9 “The Heavy Cost of Discipleship”

22 Thursday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in 1. The Transfiguration, Seeking Jerusalem

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cross, crucifixion, Death, Discipleship, jerusalem, Lent, Lenten Season, Suffering, The Cost of Discipleship, Way of the Cross

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.”

“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

“Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14: 23-27, 33-35 NIV).

The “Heavy” Cost of Discipleship

Do you have ears to hear? I hope so. This is important. Discipleship is serious business. Many churchgoers will simply not make it to glory because they did not take discipleship seriously. Yes, it is an expression of your walk with God and not a pre-requisite for salvation, but it is still pretty serious stuff since the expression of your life is evidence of what is within. If the quality of your walk with God does not look something like what Jesus expects, then shouldn’t you ask yourself whether or not your weak-kneed, half-hearted attempts at church work is more an expression of a religious spirit than true discipleship? This is the “heavy” stuff and Jesus is pretty blunt about what he expects from us if we want to follow him. Otherwise just go home.

This is where most of us get hung up. On the idea that there are still expectations in our relationship with God (and Christ). There may be “no condemnation” but that doesn’t mean that there are “no expectations.”

Think about it for a moment. My wife is the same way. She loves me. She married me. She knows me. She does not condemn me in the least. She is my best friend. She is full of grace toward me and forgives me when I need forgiving. We both focus on making sure we are fully reconciled with God and with each other as much as possible. But that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have any expectations from our relationship.

Normally we don’t talk about those expectations too much. We are supposed to know them already. The important ones have to do with love. She expects that I want to be home with her as much as possible, not filling up all my time with work and friends in the bar. She expects me to help around the house. We have a rough idea of who normally does what, but if the dishes need to be done, I do them. If the bed needs to be made and she is right there, she does it. There is also an expectation of going above and beyond the normal. When she is tired, I am more attentive. When I am working in my office, she doesn’t intrude with small things that can easily wait. Even how we talk to each other has expectations. We aren’t rude or condescending to each other. We like to talk about things that are important to us, like our children, our jobs, the church, education, our projects and so on. I’m interested in what she thinks and she is interested in my thoughts on things. Of course. That’s what love is.

With God, things are a bit more complicated. The best way to explain it is to continue our marriage metaphor. What happens when a “player,” who is used to “playing the field” when it comes to women, who is rather selfish and narcisistic, gets married. Perhaps his life experiences as a child and young person was devoid of the social conditioning that teaches you the expectations and wonders of love between a man and a woman. Attachment theory tells us that if there were no strong attachments when a child is young, their ability to love as an adult is severely limited. But whatever the reason, sometimes (or many times) you get the situation where a young couple simply doesn’t know how to love one another. Their expectations are not realistic or they take the normal “give and take” of a relationship as an obligation and they end up fighting about everything. It takes a bit of experience to learn to live with someone else. Usually “love covers over a multitude of sins” (I Peter 4:8 NIV) but sometimes those sins just boil over into a multitude of problems.

In other words, we don’t always know how to love each other very well. And it is even worse when it comes to God (and Christ). Throughout the Bible, God calls us “adulterers” because we are often unfaithful. He calls us “prostitutes” because we often run after other gods, other love interests. These are strong words but quite accurate when it comes to our relationship with God (as individuals but also as a church). We all know what love is in general, but not necessarily what it is in our relationship with God.

It is not optional but rather exclusive. To be holy means to be set apart for sacred purposes, to be set apart for a sacred relationship. We have been made holy by the blood of Christ who died for us. We do not belong to ourselves any longer but to him who has saved us by his grace. The problem is that we still want to be “single” and sometimes even to “play the field,” obeying when we feel like it, distracted when we are bored, flirting with our favorite other love interests, and generally not all that emotionally involved at home with God.

So, the expectations are high even though there is no condemnation. And yes, if we truly loved God, it would be automatic and simple (like it will be in Heaven). Jesus had that attitude toward his Father. It was his food and drink to do His will. It was worth his life to please his Father. Many people think that Jesus died on the cross because he loved us. And it’s true. But even more true is the fact that Jesus died on the cross when he really, really didn’t want to (remember the anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane) but did it anyway out of obedience to his Father. He chose obedience over fellowship as the best expression of love and trust in his Father’s will for him. And we must follow that same example.

So, yes, the expectations are high. And, yes, the expectations are a bit unusual, a bit serious, a bit intense, a bit scary for the level of love we are used to. But the situation demands such expectations. Just as in marriage, when there is cancer or a car accident or some sort of danger or tragedy, there are higher expectations that naturally come in those situations whether that be for a spouse, or a child or a relative or a friend……or even a brother or sister in Christ. Or even God.

God must be first before all other love interests. And this cannot be only words, it must be found in your actions (just like marriage), in how you spend your money (just like marriage) and in how you spend your time and talent (just like marriage). Why are we surprised that God expects love from us, and defines that love in terms of exclusivity and priority. He is God after all.

Not to say that there aren’t a lot of benefits to learning to love God this way, this intensely, this seriously (just like marriage). There are wonderful blessings, great joy and satisfaction, peace beyond understanding, purpose enough for any life and significance in joint ministry. Our meaning in life is caught up with our identity, purpose and significance in our relationships with others. How much more, then, will we gain true meaning in life when we follow God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength.

Don’t you know that all the best thing in life are difficult?

If you knew what difficulties there were in marriage beforehand, you probably wouldn’t get married (and you would lose all of the wonderful benefits as well). If you knew what problems, pain and suffering awaited you in having children (for women and for men), you probably wouldn’t bother (and many don’t). But you would also lose out on some of the greatest joys and blessings that life can offer. Yes, they can reject you. Yes, they can get sick and die. Yes, the pain can be unbearable. That’s the way love is in this dark and dangerous world full of sin and rebellion, of hatred and stupidity, of temptations and evil. Love can hurt deeply. But love can also bring joy. They can love you to pieces. They can get married and gift you with wonderful grandchildren. They can be baptized and follow the Lord with honest enthusiasm. But there are no guarantees. Much depends on whether you, yourself, follow the Lord with honest enthusiasm. When you love someone, you give them the power to hurt you as well as bless you.

God will not hurt you. He wants to bless you. You are the child, often rebellious, wanting your own way, not sure of the path and not wanting to follow anyone but yourself. You are loved and so you hold the power to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 4:30 NIV) or to please Him. That is the risk he is taking, that every Father (and Mother) takes. Are you surprised?

Now read the passage again. “You cannot be my disciples,” Jesus says three times, unless you take it seriously. How? First, you must make me the most important person in your life (the word “hate” is just hyperbole). Second, you must let me lead. You are the follower. You need to do things my way (the way of the cross). And third, it’s not just about people but about things. You must be willing to give up everything to follow me. Everything in your life (including you, your family, your reputation) belongs to me. Everything (your home, your talents, your money, your time) needs to be used for the gospel and building the kingdom of God not in building your own kingdom.

My wife says the same thing (almost). She doesn’t even have to say it. I already know it.

First, she must be more important to me than any other woman. I must even forsake my family and become one with her (Genesis 2:24), start a new life with her, a new family, a new home. Of course.

Second, there is a new way of doing things. Between her and me it isn’t so much about who is leading and who is following. It depends on our gifts and interests more than gender or roles. But that is just us. The point is that there is a new way of doing things that is appropriate to the relationship. With God, he must lead and we must follow. He has a specific way of doing things based on the work of Christ on the cross. My wife’s dreams and projects have become my own. And my dreams and projects and purpose in life, she shares with me. It’s the same with God. Once again, you would say “of course.”

Third, my wife gets half of everything that I own. Just kidding. That only happens when you get divorced. When you are married, she gets everything. And you are happy to give it to her. Sure, she shares it back with you. You might buy the food, but she cooks it and you get to enjoy it as well. In marriage, she also gives everything to you and you both give everything to the kids. There is nothing that I have that she cannot use, in fact, I don’t even like saying the words “that I have.” It’s not true. It’s always about what “we have together.” The same with God. Everything that I have belongs to him and it all needs to find a purpose in the Kingdom of God.

I give up everything to Him every Sunday morning in church and he gives me back 80 to 90 percent for my use in my ministry in and from my home. If my home and family are a key part of my ministry (not just to each other but together focused outward) then I also need resources to cover the expenses of that ministry. That is my stewardship.

Why should God be any different in his expectations of what love is? Jesus does not want a naïve, religious or half-hearted commitment that expects only the benefits but does not want to enter into the difficulties and challenges of the ministry. I am uncomfortable with Pastors who preach a prosperity gospel. My focus is on the desert. I want to learn to be a desert warrior of faith. Not that there aren’t blessings in the desert, there are. Many. All of the best stuff happened to the people of God in the desert.

You can see it as “heavy,” or intense or serious, but life is often that way. Lives are at stake. A great rescue operation is underway. A serious un-natural disaster (called suffering and death) has invaded the Garden of Eden (at our invitation) and God is trying to save as many as He can. Will we heed the call to follow Him and join in the ministry of salvation, the ministry of reconciliation? That is the Cost of Discipleship. Love. Letting God be God in our lives. Whatever the cost.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. Let’s talk to God and tell Him how much we love Him…

Lord, I love you. I’m not very good at it but I understand the basics. I’m still learning to love my spouse and kids (and in-laws) so it doesn’t surprise me that I have a lot to learn about loving you. I will let you lead. I will let you be God and I will be your child. Even if you lead me into the desert, I know it is because you are taking me out of slavery and into the freedom of being a true son of God. Thank you, Lord. I will follow. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

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Seeking Jerusalem – Day 8 “The Light Cost of Discipleship”

21 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in 1. The Transfiguration, Seeking Jerusalem

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Cost of discipleship, cross, crucifixion, Death, Death of Sin, Discipleship, Lent, Lenten Season, Ministry of Reconciliation

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9: 57-62 NIV).

The “Light” Cost of Discipleship

There are two further passages in the gospels which deal with the cost of discipleship, both of them found in the Gospel of Luke. The first one (above) is considered the “light” sayings of Jesus on the cost of discipleship and the second one (which we will deal with tomorrow) is considered the “heavy” one. Both are instructive and well worth taking a closer look at. After all, Jesus said at one point, you need to know what you’re getting into (Luke 14:28-32).

I’m not sure that the disciples knew what they were getting into when Jesus first called them to come and follow him. At first it was pleasant walks along the road, listening to his teaching, watching him rile up the Pharisees and get the Scribes all hot and bothered. Good fun for a bunch of fisherman and bar fighters (James and John had the nickname “the sons of thunder.” I’ll be there’s a story behind that name). Later, there would be more intense times of ministry, miracles and mysteries. Never a dull moment. And then they get involved in the ministry themselves and Jesus gives them authority over demons and the ability to heal sicknesses when he sends out the 72 to the towns and villages of Israel to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God in power.

But then, at the pinnacle of his popularity, comes the revolt. They come to make him King and he refuses. They try to convince him over and over again, but he just tells them that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood if they want anything to do with him. Most of the disciples and the crowds desert him and even his closest disciples were asked if they would desert him as well. Peter gives his confession of faith. Jesus announces that he would go to Jerusalem and suffer and be killed. Peter rebukes him and Jesus rebukes him right back and calls him “Satanic” in his mindset. Things are not going well and the disciples are faced with a decision. Will they follow Jesus to Jerusalem and face the very real possibility of sharing his fate? Or will they also fall away?

The “light” sayings of Jesus about the cost of discipleship seem to apply more to the first half of the ministry and the “heavy” sayings to the second half of Jesus’ ministry. Let’s take a look at the “light” sayings. I’m not personally convinced that they are so “light” after all.

In the first one, a man approaches Jesus to swear his loyalty and express his desire to follow Jesus. Many people were in this position. They were not specifically chosen by Jesus but rather took the initiative themselves to follow him. No problem. Jesus merely remarks that his situation is precarious. Even foxes and birds have a place to call home, but the Son of Man “has no place to lay his head.” They were itinerant preachers traveling all over the countryside. They did not know from one day to the next where they would sleep, whether or not they would have a meal, or when they would be able to wash up and relax a bit. The work of ministry was hard. Jesus was often tired and the disciples a bit cranky, the crowds were often demanding with their needs and desire to be healed and often wanted to press in and be a part of every teaching and miracle that Jesus performed.

That’s the way ministry is. I remember one old pastor telling me that people should not pray so fervently for revival unless they were ready to do the work. And it was a lot of work. To follow Jesus means a lot of long nights and even longer days. It means tired eyes and even more tired minds. And just when you need to sleep, the phone rings and someone else is in need of your ministry. To follow Jesus is more than merely believing that he is the Messiah and the Son of the Living God. It is to join him on the way of the cross, in the ministry of the gospel (which is the application of the power of the cross to the lives and relationships of the people through the ministry of reconciliation).

In the second case, Jesus actually said to someone, “Follow me.” He chose this man specifically and wanted him to be part of his band of followers. How I would love to be invited by Jesus to come and follow him. To be wanted. To be chosen. To be invited into the greatest adventure the world has ever seen. To have my hunger and thirst for the things of God filled at the side of Jesus. What glory that would be. I would give up anything to be part of that band of disciples.

And yet, this man has other priorities. He is willing but he needs to get his life in order. He has things he needs to take care of – important things. Who can deny him (especially under Jewish laws and customs) his right to bury his father? His father, for Pete’s sake. How can Jesus be so rude, so difficult, so lacking in basic human kindness? “Let the dead bury their own dead,” Jesus tells this poor man. How rude is that? Or is it?

Some people see Jesus as saying that those who do not follow him are dead in their sins and therefore they can take care of these mundane chores while we have something more important to do in proclaiming the kingdom of God. Well, there is some truth to the last part but I think the first part is stretching it a bit. It was a strong thing to say to the man but Jesus meant it to be strong. Get your priorities straight, he was saying. The work of ministry, the proclamation of the gospel, is not a weekend hobby, a part-time effort, a second career choice. It is the stuff of life itself. It has eternal consequences for the disciple and for those who hear his proclamation. Here the parables of Jesus come in – about the woman who lost her coin and cleaned the whole house in order to find it, the shepherd who lost one sheep and left all the rest to find it, the man who sold everything for the pearl of great price.

Similarly, another would-be disciple comes to Jesus and tells him that he will follow Jesus but only after saying goodbye to his family. Jesus declares him unfit “for service in the kingdom of God.” His heart is still at home with his family. What’s wrong with that? Doesn’t Jesus believe in families? Doesn’t Jesus believe in keeping the man engaged at home? Isn’t a good family life a witness to the kingdom of God? Yes and no but more no than yes if you accept Jesus’ words here. It’s a question of asking what your first love is. We are so quick to try and make Jesus fit into our lives when he is really calling us to radical service in the kingdom of God.

Look at these words and tell me what you think. Is this a confession that you can make in your heart? What do you hunger and thirst after? What is it that you want more than anything else in this world?

The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Getting rid of all my small ambitions
to make this one thing the hallmark of my life.
To please God.
Whether I get what I pray for or not,
whether my circumstances change or not,
whether I am healed or not.
To consider every sacrifice a small price to pay
to obtain the pearl of great price.
His pleasure.

Discipleship is rooted in a fervent desire to please God by following him in fulfilling the purpose of the cross by sharing the gospel. It’s about getting rid of our small ambitions and replace it with the greatest ambition that we could possibly have. To please God with the quality and passion of our discipleship and ministry.

We cannot merely believe in God, we must follow him too. But when we follow him, the quality of our discipleship matters to him. Is it half-hearted? Is it desired more than the mundane activities of life? Would you rather go to the movies, go fishing with your buddies, spend time with your family then be involved in ministry? Would you rather watch TV, or Netflix, or your favorite sports show, rather than spending time in prayer with the other saints at church? And there is no point in feeling guilty about what you should or should not want to do. It isn’t a question of feeling guilty. It’s a question of discovering what you truly want. If you truly don’t want to do ministry, don’t know how to do ministry, don’t want to learn how to do ministry, then, perhaps it is time to rethink your relationship with God. Something is wrong.

Where are the strong passions that drive people to take hold of the kingdom of God? Where are the leaders who sacrifice everything to get the message out to as many people as possible? Why are there so many boring committee meetings. Meaningless board meetings. Endless prayer meetings that don’t seem to accomplish anything. This is not the stuff of discipleship. This is about maintaining the infrastructure of the church whether or not it is effective in the transforming work of the cross. When did church work become discipleship?

Where are the exciting baptisms. The transforming worship services. Where are the growing small groups filled with new believers who have penetrating questions and are awestruck by the power of God’s answers in Christ. This is the stuff of discipleship.

When a retired choir member (who is a widower) is living with a woman whom he is not married to and no one says anything because they don’t want to offend him, that isn’t ministry. When a young girl has a baby out of wedlock but professes to love the Lord and no one says a thing because, well, frankly, it’s embarrassing, that isn’t ministry. When an old man who has gone to the same church for 50 years and still thinks that Jesus is only a good example of morality and nothing more, and no one has the guts to have a spiritual conversation with him for fear of the political fallout since he is a pillar of the community, that is not ministry. That is religion, having the form but denying the power of the cross.

But if the widower confesses his sin publicly (since his sin was also public) and repents in tears, if the young girl acknowledges the error of her ways and asks the congregation to accompany her in bringing up this child in the fear and knowledge of the Lord, if this pillar of the church gives his heart to the Lord even in his old age and accepts the gift of salvation, now ministry is happening. It is exciting. It is powerful. The kingdom of God is making a difference in the heart of real people.

The difference between religion and spirit-filled ministry is the quality of your discipleship as someone who makes up that body of believers.

So ask yourself the question this Lenten season. Are you looking for excuses NOT to do ministry or reasons to be involved in the transforming work of God in Christ? Do you see discipleship as ministry, the ministry of reconciliation? Do you have other priorities, even legitimate ones, that keep you from participating in the work of the gospel? Where is your heart? At home with your family (which is a good thing) or in ministry with Jesus (which is much better)? Most people do not believe that discipleship is ministry at all. They consider themselves to be disciples since they believe in Jesus and they help out in church. That should be good enough. It’s not.

Unless you are living in the way of the cross and participating in the ministry of reconciliation, you are not a disciple of Jesus Christ. End of story. And that’s the “light” stuff.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. Talk to him now and tell him what you truly want…

Lord, I want to follow you. I want to be involved in life-transforming ministry with you in the power of the Holy Spirit. I’m not sure that my church is doing that kind of ministry of reconciliation. What do I do? Where do I go? How do I find your band of disciples who are taking this seriously? I need your help, O Lord, to find the path on the way of the cross and to find a band of brothers and sisters who will join me in this quest. Do I need to go to Bible School? Or search out answers online? I don’t know, Lord, but I am taking the first steps to find the answers. And I believe that you will lead me where I need to go. Thank you. In your name I pray. Amen.

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Seeking Jerusalem – Day 7 “Holiness and the Way of the Cross”

20 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in 1. The Transfiguration, Seeking Jerusalem

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crucifixion, Discipleship, holiness, Lent, Lenten Season, Way of the Cross

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“Make every effort….to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

“Endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as sons…(he) disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12: 7-10 NIV)

Holiness and the Way of the Cross

There are a few verses of Scripture that used to scare me to death (and still make me tremble). This is one of them. “Without holiness no one will see the Lord,” the author to the book of Hebrews tells us. What are we to make of that? These words come in the context of our discipleship in the way of the cross. We already know that we are to expect hardship, persecution, suffering and even death if we are going to follow Jesus on the road to Jerusalem. Seeking the new Jerusalem life of spiritual unity, anointing and abundant life in Christ. It will not be easy.

The author of the book of Hebrews tells us to “endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as sons…(he) disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12: 7-10 NIV). I like the words “that we may share in his holiness.” I just don’t like the words “endure hardship as discipline.” The two things don’t seem to go together. I understand the first passage that says that we must “make every effort” to be holy, but the second passage is about “enduring hardship.” The first seems to be about an internal type of effort to become a better person, like Christ while the second seems to be about how we handle external circumstances.

They are both, apparently, true and both are necessary for the development of holiness. If you want to share in the holiness of God, you need to deal with the sin within and the hardships without. Otherwise you will not see God.

I don’t like that last part at all. It sounds like my salvation is dependent on my holiness. I thought I was going to see God and be accepted by him because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, not because of my holiness. It’s a good point. How do we make sense of this?

The first thing to remember is that the root word for “discipline” is the same as the word for “disciple.” The problem is that “discipline” has gotten a bum rap in recent years. The word, itself, is enough to make your heart sink and your stomach flutter in apprehension. Even the words “make every effort” are already making a demand on my life that I am not sure I can complete. I feel defeated before I even start, especially if I am not going to see God or share in his holiness without that burden of discipline and effort. Sigh.

Well, stop being such an Old Testament type of Christian, then, and throw off that mantel of expectation and defeat and enter into the joy of your salvation. Many of us are still very Old Testament about our faith. We are not under law but under love, under a relationship, under faith. We don’t have a bunch of rules to follow but rather a person to follow, a relationship to develop.

Many of us associate holiness with the Old Testament command to “be perfect, because I, the Lord your God, am perfect.” Oh, wait. There is no verse for that. It doesn’t exist. The verse in Leviticus actually says, “Be holy because I, the LORD your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2 NIV). But I’m sure that I read that we had to be “perfect” like God is perfect. Yes, it’s true. But Jesus said it, in the New Testament, in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 4 and 5).

Remember the context. Jesus has come to earth at a time when the Pharisees have re-interpreted the Old Testament laws in such a way as to reduce them to a manageable system of “do’s and don’ts” that you could actually accomplish if you paid close enough attention and followed all of the nitpicky advice of the Scribes and Pharisees who simply missed the point altogether. They assumed that to be accepted by God, they had to fulfill the laws of Moses, not realizing that it was (and is supposed to be) impossible. The law reflected the character of God.

But, according to the Pharisees, if you kept the whole law, you could be considered “godly.” Paul tells us that the law was “put in charge to lead us to Christ” (Galatians 3:24a NIV). In a world full of rebellion and sin, the only standard was what every man deemed for himself what was right or wrong. Society and government got involved. Laws were enacted to curb our natural instincts but until the law of God came on Mt. Sinai, there was no way to know what God’s standards were for mankind.

But the point of the law, even in the Old Testament, was to show how impossible it was for us to keep it entirely. That is why the sacrificial laws were also given to the people so that, when they sinned, they had an avenue for forgiveness before God and reconciliation with the community. Sin was both individual as well as corporate and the sacrifices kept them aware of this fact on an ongoing basis. We know that the sacrifices pointed to Christ.

So, why in the world did Jesus say to his disciples, “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5: 46 NIV). He knew what he was doing. In the face of the legalistic teaching about “perfection” or “righteousness” by the Pharisees that could be fulfilled (and therefore could justify you before God), Jesus puts the standard back where it belongs. In the realm of the impossible. “You have heard that it was said…..but I say unto you….” (Matthew 5 NIV).

And Jesus truly makes it impossible. If you even think about a woman in your head, you have committed adultery with her. If you feel anger against your brother, you have already murdered him in your heart. Love your neighbor as yourself said the Old Testament law but the Pharisees only required love for your fellow Jew. God requires love for your enemies and the people who persecute you. On and on Jesus goes, showing the absurdity of the Pharisees in trying to reduce the character of God to a bunch of laws that they truly believed they could follow. Not on your life.

The Sermon on the Mount was both a rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees who wanted to be justified by works as well as a guide to righteous living by those who are already justified by faith because of the righteousness of Christ. Those who are empowered by the Holy Spirit because they are already justified by faith can make great strides towards the actual righteousness of God and thereby “share in his holiness.”

When our concept of holiness is rooted in the Old Testament ideas of perfection and righteousness under the law, then the call to holiness is just another burden, another form of legalism, another impossible requirement for salvation. When our concept of holiness is rooted in the cross, in the work of Christ on our behalf, in the righteousness and holiness of Jesus which fully belongs to me, and is mine for all eternity, then it is a call to discipleship, to following, to wanting to share in the holiness of God, to taste of its divine nectar but without condemnation. That isn’t to say that effort is not needed or that hardships will not come.

Because of the sin within and the evil without, there is no other way to share in his holiness then to walk the way of the cross, to follow Jesus into that dark vale, to seek Jerusalem without fear, without concern that our salvation is somehow at stake.

This effort that we must make and these hardships we must endure are never done alone. Not only do we have a band of brothers and sisters who also seek the new Jerusalem of spiritual unity, anointing and abundant life together with us, we also have the Holy Spirit and Christ, himself, who goes with us, helping us, praying for us, managing every detail for us, turning every evil into our good because he is the “author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV). That is his promise to us.

Listen to how Paul puts it in his second letter to the Corinthians. “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (II Corinthians 7: 1 NIV).

So it isn’t about becoming holy in order to see God since we are already made holy by Jesus Christ? Yes, and no. The author of the book to the Hebrews is saying something a bit more, isn’t he? There is still an expectation, a demand of some kind, a requirement almost in terms not of Christ’s holiness but our actual holiness. You can’t deny that there is something that we are still missing.

Discipleship is about holiness.

Yes, we are saved by the holiness of Christ but if that is true, then we have the Holy Spirit who will convict us of sin, bring us to confession, work in us the faith needed to repent, give us the conviction of the power of forgiveness based on the cross, and stir in us the deep desire for reconciliation with God and our brothers and sisters.

In other words, if we are made holy, we will seek to be holy and make every effort to do so in the power of the Spirit in the context of the joy of our salvation, not to be accepted by God but to see Him in his holiness and to share in His holiness, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to enter the battle against sin and evil. And if we need to endure hardship and persecution from without and deal with sin from within, then so be it.

But the key is that we are, together with Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, “perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (II Corinthians 7:1 NIV). Not out of fear but out of love and reverence for the One who has saved us and invites us to “share in his holiness.”

The way of the cross may be hard but it is full of blessing and glory and holiness and righteousness. The wonder is that I want to follow him down that road, that I hunger and thirst for his righteousness and that I will give up my small ambitions to gain this one thing, to please Him who loves me to death. That is the way of the disciple who follows Jesus on the road to Jerusalem.

Come, he said. Follow me.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. Let’s tell him that we hunger and thirst to share in his holiness.

Lord, it’s true. We hunger and thirst to share in your holiness. Some days more than others, I know. We are terribly inconsistent, but when push comes to shove, our heart’s desire is to follow you and seek that pearl of great price, the kingdom of God within, taking root and bringing forth a harvest of righteousness. I know that you are creating a new type of person, a witness, a follower, a new-creation Christ-like martyr who has an eye on eternity and will not be distracted by the cares of this world. Thank you, Lord for going with me on this journey of faith. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

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Seeking Jerusalem – Day 6 “The Power and the Glory”

19 Monday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in 1. The Transfiguration, Seeking Jerusalem

≈ 1 Comment

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cross, Crucifixtion, Death, Discipleship, glory, Judgment, Lent, Lenten Season, Power

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 8: 38 – 9:1 NIV).

The Power and the Glory

I don’t know about you, but my blood runs hot and cold at the same time when I hear these words. Think about it. On the one hand, Jesus is saying that if we are ashamed to follow him on the road to Jerusalem in true discipleship, then he will be ashamed of us on the day of judgment. Then, quick as you like, he reveals the other side of the coin and says that some of the disciples standing there would see with their own eyes, before they died, “the kingdom of God come with power.” Dread on the one hand. Excitement on the other.

There’s only one problem. It didn’t happen. All of the disciples died and Jesus did not inaugurate the kingdom of God with power. In fact, he left and he hasn’t been seen for two thousand years. What’s going on here? That can’t be right.

Think about the disciples and how they are feeling. Remember that they are Jews and have been steeped in Jewish beliefs and expectations about the kingdom of God since they were children. When Jesus talked about coming “in his Father’s glory with the holy angels,” he is definitely talking about the apocalyptic event at the end of time when we will all be ushered into the presence of God to face the judgment. The Old Testament is full of these kinds of statements. God coming in glory with his holy angels to judge the nations. The Jews looked forward to the time of God’s revealing when they would feast with him and his holy angels in Paradise.

When Jesus is teaching his disciples about the end times a bit later on, he tells them, “at that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens” (Mark 13: 26, 27 NIV). That’s what the angels are for, to gather God’s people together and present them at the seat of judgment in the throne room of God.

When Jesus is on trial in front of the High Priest and the Sanhedrin and he is asked a direct question about whether or not he is “the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 26: 63b), we are reminded of the confession of Peter. This is the essential question. Who is Jesus?

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26: 64 NIV). Of course, they take it as blasphemy since they see Jesus only as a man. We believe that he is “the Son of the Living God” and that makes all the difference in the world. But look at his words, “sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One,” and “coming on the clouds of heaven.” They knew what he was saying. He was saying that they might be allowed to judge him now but he will come in judgment one day “on the clouds” to judge them because God, Himself, has given him the “right hand” of his authority and power to judge the nations. Every Jew knew what the power and the glory was all about. It was about judgment on the nations.

Of course the Jews would have thought of themselves as being the heros of this story. That God’s judgment would be on the Gentile sinners, the evil Romans, the heathen hords beyond the Empire, but not on them. They were the chosen of God. They would be protected because of their heritage, because they were the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Because they were God-fearing Jews. Religious people. Church-goers. Moral, law-abiding citizens. They were good, not evil, so they had nothing to fear and, in fact, expected great rewards. They would be disappointed.

Jesus came to upset the apple cart, to turn over the tables, to become the new standard by which all men, Jews and Gentiles alike, would be judged. The problem was that the High Priest and the Sanhedrin didn’t believe it for a moment. They were, in fact, engaged in a highly illegal trial of Jesus at night, without proper procedures, trying to ram a decision through before the Passover started. False accusations, lying witnesses who merely misunderstood his teachings, the list goes on and on. Not very God-fearing after all. But definitely religious. And God was not pleased.

The Power and the Glory. Because Jesus is given the Power, he will also recieve the Glory. He will come on his “Father’s glory with the holy angels” to judge the living and the dead. After his resurrection, because of the cross, Jesus is able to say to his disciples, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18 NIV). This means that Jesus (and our relationship with him) is the dividing line when it comes to the judgment on the last day when we have to face our Creator. The Father will judge us on the basis of our relationship with the Son. It’s as simple as that.

Still we might be confused about the timeline of all of this. Jesus first of all warns us about not being ashamed of him “and my words” (vs 38), no doubt a reminder of the crowds who wanted to force him to become king and to throw out the Romans and then were quite ashamed of his talk of eating flesh and drinking blood. He makes it very clear that he will, in the end, be their judge and he will be “ashamed” of them. But it’s the next words that should fill you with dread: “when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” The disciples expected that to happen at any time. There was no idea of a “time between the times,” no realization of the patience of God that was inserted between the Power and the Glory in order to save as many as possible. As far as the disciples were concerned, time was up. There were no more last minute opportunities, final acts of repentance, last rites, nothing. Just judgment. The time to follow was now.

Then Jesus switches gears and his words fill you with excitement because there are some disciples who will not taste death “before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” But it didn’t happen. Did it? It is very easy to confuse the power and the glory. The power comes first. The glory comes later. First comes the power of God to save his people from their sins. That happened on the cross and was vindicated by the resurrection. Later will come the revealed glory when Jesus will come on the clouds (his Father’s Shekinah glory) with the holy angels. The kingdom of God “coming in power” did happen and it was glorious. The disciples witnessed it first hand.

The kingdom of God came with power when they saw the Son of Man suffer and die on their behalf on the hill called Calvary. The disciples saw the kingdom of God come with power when that same Son of Man was laid in a tomb, dead for three days and then rose from the dead. They saw that kingdom of God come with power when he showed himself alive and well, eating fish and breaking bread with them and more than 500 followers over and over again for forty days and nights until there was no question of hallucinations or mind tricks or conspiracies. They saw that kingdom of God come with power when they saw him rise into the air, again in the cloud of Shekinah glory, to ascend into heaven and be seated at the right hand of the Father on a throne especially made for him (Rev. 4) from which, even today, he continues to rule the nations through his followers, his church, his new Jerusalem, his word, his spirit, his power and his glory.

His patience and long-suffering for two thousand years will continue (but we don’t know for how long) because he wants to save as many as he can. Peter tells us, in his second letter to the churches, that “the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise (to come back), as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (II Peter 3: 9 NIV).

They saw the kingdom of God come in power when they witnessed Pentecost and the coming of the Spirit. They saw it when they were emboldened to leave their fear behind and go out and preach the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ and see more than 3000 people responding in a single day. All through the book of Acts, we see the kingdom of God coming in power to change lives, to create new disciples, to spread the gospel of the love of God for his people, to heed the call to radical discipleship, to follow the way of the cross, to genuine love for the one who sacrificed everything in his love for the Father and gives us that same example to follow.

Of course “the kingdom of God coming with power” happened and it is happening still. It doesn’t get on the news much. It is often hidden away, misunderstood, trivialized, stamped out, even persecuted but it is there and it is powerful. Churches are often without that power, falling into the same trap as the Pharisees of Jesus time, having the form of religion but not the power (Matthew 22:29). You have to look closer. Often it is not the leaders that demonstrate that power but rather the janitor, the maid, the usher or the Sunday school teacher. Often it is overlaid by leaders with pretensions to glory and power that are simply fake, even if well-intentioned. Take a closer look. Figure out what you should be looking for in the first place. Genuine, radical discipleship. It’s there and it is incredibly powerful, especially when a band of brothers and sisters are dedicated to spiritual unity and are blessed with the anointing of God. That is the new Jerusalem. When we seek that new Jerusalem, we will find it. Then anything can happen.

The power of the kingdom is available to change lives through the cross with the power of confession, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. Everything else can be faked. The rest can be hypocrisy. Hands raised in worship, singing with emotion, all acts of piety and care for the poor, zeal for the unborn, marches for justice, preaching with passion, it can all be faked. But there is one thing that cannot be counterfeited and that is the true humility that comes from bowing your head before the cross of Christ and making your sincere confession for all to hear, the practical faith that is necessary to truly live a life of repentance, the conviction that is essential to forgive someone who has hurt you deeply for no other reason than because the cross demands it, and the deep longing and desire for reconciliation not only with God but with your brothers and sisters which creates the new Jerusalem. Seeking Jerusalem. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Walking in the Spirit and seeking the anointing of God in spiritual unity with your family. These are the marks of genuine discipleship and Holy Spirit filled worship. Knowing the difference is crucial.

So what will you do this Lenten Season? Will you be ashamed of the radical nature of this discipleship, this way of the cross? Will you dread the judgment when he comes in his glory to judge your life? Or will you be one of those disciples, like the disciples of old, who will look for and see and participate in the kingdom of God that comes in power in your life, your relationships, your family and your church? If nothing else, Lent is about the cross, and the cross is about discipleship and true discipleship is an eternal decision. It’s time to make yours.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. It’s time to talk to your Father and tell him what you’re thinking.

Lord, I am a bit overwhelmed with your seriousness. I thought that this was just a light thing, a moral thing, a church thing. Something to add to my life as an extra, a comfort blanket, covering all the basis in case I need you. Now I realize that it is something more. It is life itself. It is radical. It changes you. Sometimes I don’t want to change but I know I have to. I can’t do this on my own. I need your help. I want to follow you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

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Desert Warrior Ministries

~ A Burden of Glory

Monthly Archives: February 2018

“Hard Questions”

Seven Questions for Elders

Seeking Jerusalem – Day 16 “Spiritual Conversations”

Discipleship and Spiritual Conversations – Purpose (4)

Seeking Jerusalem – Day 15 “Maturity in Christ”

Discipleship as Maturity in Christ – Progress (3)

“Revealing the Glory”

Revealing the Glory

Seeking Jerusalem – Day 14 “Desert Warriors”

Discipleship as a Desert Warrior – Preparing (1)

Seeking Jerusalem – Day 10 “Transfiguration”

The Transfiguration

Seeking Jerusalem – Day 9 “The Heavy Cost of Discipleship”

The “Heavy” Cost of Discipleship

Seeking Jerusalem – Day 8 “The Light Cost of Discipleship”

The “Light” Cost of Discipleship

Seeking Jerusalem – Day 7 “Holiness and the Way of the Cross”

Holiness and the Way of the Cross

Seeking Jerusalem – Day 6 “The Power and the Glory”

The Power and the Glory