Romance and the Journey of Faith

G. K. Chesterton, in his classic book, “Orthodoxy,” tells the story of a man who sets out in a boat from his beloved England on an adventure of discovery. Caught up in a storm, he loses any sense of direction, as he is driven on by the gale-force winds. But soon the skies clear and he espies land in the distance. As he approaches shore, he can see a strange palace with onion-shaped spires. He pulls to shore, thinking he has discovered some exotic isle, only to find that the palace is the Royal Pavilion at Brighton Beach. He has arrived back home in England!

Chesterton tells us that this is what “romance” means in the classical sense. It is not just a feeling of dreaminess or infatuation. Instead it is a combination of a sense of adventure and of coming home.

As a life-long fan of J. R. R. Tolkein, Chesterton’s definition of romance helps me understand something fundamental about his Middle Earth fantasies. Bilbo goes on an adventure and returns home again. And his memoirs are titled,, “There and Back Again: A Hobbits Holiday.”

And “The Hobbit” is only the prequel to the much weightier tome, “The Lord of the Rings.” But once again, in the larger work, the hobbits set out on an adventure only to return home. It is significant that Sam (perhaps the real hero of the story), returns to his home and family with the closing words of the book, “Well, I’m back.”

There and back again.

Why do I spend such a long time musing on the nature of classic romanticism? Because it is actually a comment on the great romantic adventure that God has called all of us to undertake.

“By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Heb. 11: 8).

We are all called to a life of faith, of stepping out of our safe place, our comfort zone—to go to a place where God promises to bless us. The stepping out is an adventure of massive proportions. But when we obey and go, we find ourselves arriving where we truly belong, our new home with Him.

What about you? Have you stepped out by faith on the road with God? I promise that by obeying Him in faith, you will be actually arriving where you belong—home with Him.

Tentmaking in the Kingdom

“And because he was a tentmaker like them [Priscilla and Acquila], he stayed and worked with them” (Acts 18:3).

In Paul’s day, Rabbis were trained in understanding the scriptures and in debating the spiritual and theological issues of their time. But they also learned a trade so that they could make a living wherever they went. Paul was a tentmaker. And Acquila, with his wife Priscilla, were also tentmakers.

 

Now some traveling teachers in the Greco-Roman world would attract followers who would pay to become their disciples. But evidently Paul did not live this way.

In fact, you could say that Paul actually bent over backwards NOT to collect for his services. Instead, he decided to work with his own hands.

In the midst of his argument about why the Corinthians should not eat meat offered to idols, Paul uses his own practice of self-support as an example. Let me summarize his argument from chapter 9 of 1^st Corinthians. “Even though I have the right to be supported materially by those who receive spiritual benefit from my apostolic ministry, and even though other apostles DO receive such support, I have decided not to exercise my rights. Instead, after I’ve finished my day job preaching the Gospel, I work with my own hands to generate the income I need to live. I do this so that no one gets a confusing message from me: ‘Salvation is a free gift that you cannot earn, now give me money for preaching.’ I am guided by the ethical principle that love for my brothers should guide my behavior towards them, not superior knowledge of my rights.”

Notice he hints at this attitude in Philippians 4. To paraphrase his words: “Thanks for sending the gift of monetary support. I don’t ask for money, but have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I find myself. I am more interested in the benefits that your generosity gives to you. May God supply all of your needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus!”

As an aside, it’s interesting to think about Paul as tentmaker. Tents were temporary structures that you live in only when traveling through to a more permanent home. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived in tents because they were aliens in a foreign country. But the writer of Hebrews tells us that they were “looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11: 9).

In the natural world, we are like “aliens in a foreign country.” We are traveling through to our true home, designed and built by God.

And it is also interesting to note that Paul’s spiritual vocation was “a wise master builder” (1 Cor. 3:10). He laid the spiritual foundations for the church, the structure that will last—all while he made tents by lamp-light to support his work.

Why am I talking about this subject? Because this is exactly where I find myself these days. Notice that it has been since September 2013 since I made my last Blog entry. During that time, God has moved me completely out of paid vocational ministry and into a full-time secular job. And what am I doing? Property development and construction. I am helping to build buildings.

But, in the Spirit, God has been placing me in peoples’ lives for their long-term development. So, my day job is construction, but my all-the-time job is building the Kingdom.

Where has God placed you in your life? Consider it tentmaking in the Kingdom.

Being Transformed

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your [heartfelt priestly service of worship].  Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Rom. 12: 1-2).

In a former post (A Daily Routine, June 9, 2012) I analyzed the underlying metaphor that Paul gives us in Romans 12: 1. Just like the physical daily ritual that the priests went through when they offered up the whole burnt offering (Lev. 1), we are now called to offer up a sacrificial offering, our own bodies, but not through a physical act. Instead, our sacrifice is from our hearts by an act of submission. This is our "heartfelt priestly service of worship."

The animal being offered in the Old Testament system had to be without blemish or defect. That is, it was to be "holy." Paul tells us that we are also to be "holy and pleasing to God."

Holiness means to be separated--separated from the world and separated to God in such a way that we are morally pure. Verse two expands on this idea of holiness. Rather than being conformed to the pattern that the world wants to imprint on us, we are to be "transformed" by the renewing of our minds.

The signet ring of the king had a pattern worked into it. When he wanted to send a special letter, hot wax would be poured over the flap and the ring would be pressed into the hot wax to seal the letter. The wax "conformed" to the imprint of the ring. All who are born into this world are being imprinted with the pattern of this world. In Ephesians 2: 1-3, Paul says we are all subject to the prince of the power of the air. "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts..." (Eph. 2: 3).

In Eph. 4: 22 and 24, Paul also calls us to a holy transformation. Our old self, that was conformed to the pattern of the world, is like an old set of clothing that needs to be taken off. The new self is like a new set of clothing to be put on. But between these two verses is an interesting statement: "be renewed in the spirit of your mind" (Eph. 4: 23). Once again, Paul says that the power of our transformation--from the old, worldly self to the new, godly self--is the renewal of our minds.

Notice that the renewal of the mind is not a "healing of the brain." When we come to Christ, our gray matter remains unchanged. But the patterns imprinted on that gray matter, the software that runs on that hardware, begins a process of change.

So just how do we change?

First, we change our allegiance. No longer are we living life as if we are the sovereign. The very act of salvation is a submission of my will to Him. He is now the Lord of my life. Like the sacrificial bull, I lay down my life on His altar. I take up my cross daily to follow His will for my life. I no longer am living to gratify "the cravings of my flesh and following its desires and thoughts" (Eph. 2:3). Instead, I am seeking to live a life of complete submission to Him. I leave my own kingdom behind and enter His Kingdom.

Second, I begin to fill myself with His Word. Our Lord has given us special revelation that communicates His heart to us. "The Word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Heb. 4: 12). But just head knowledge will not change us. We must seek to actually DO what it says. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says..."(Jas. 1: 22).

Third, we must live out the Christian life in community with other believers. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another..." (Heb. 10: 23-25). The greatest commandment Jesus gave was that we should "love one another" (John 13: 34). It is impossible to fulfill this command alone. The only way to love one another is to gather together in community.

Finally, we have been given the "Holy" Spirit. God's Spirit indwells us at the moment we are born again and marks us with a "seal" that sets us apart from the world and identifies us as belonging to God. We must continually ask Him to fill us with His Spirit. "Do not be drunk with wine (that is, don't be controlled by the spirit of alcohol), but be filled with the Spirit (that is, be controlled by the Spirit that makes you holy)" (Eph. 5: 18).

Submission. Being filled with and doing the Word. Gathering together as the Body of Christ. Being filled with the Holy Spirit. Through this we will be renewed in our minds so that we can truly be transformed into the holy and pleasing people who demonstrate God's will, lived out through us.

Gardening in the Kingdom

When I was a kid growing up in Santa Clara, California, I would plant a vegetable garden every year. It was a habit I probably picked up from my Italian immigrant extended family. I still have memories of my grandmother picking squash in her own backyard garden in San Jose.

The first step was to turn the soil and break up the clods, maybe adding in some old grass clippings as mulch. Then I would make rows and mounds with furrows and moats for planting and watering. Then I would plant the seeds (no seedlings from the nursery back then). Zucchini squash, Italian cucumbers, Indian corn, string beans, tomatoes, carrots and maybe a watermelon. I would always plant radishes because they were the fastest growing and gave me a sense of hope early on.

All through the summer, I would water, weed, thin and pick off the amazingly plump tomato worms.

And of course, the most amazing of all experiences came at harvest--the reward for all the hard work.

"This is what the kingdom of God is like. A person scatters seed on the ground..." (Mark 4: 26).

Jesus ministered in an agrarian culture. So it is not odd at all that he so often uses farming to illustrate kingdom principles. The Sower and the Seed, The Wheat and the Tares, and here, the Patient Farmer.

This parable, however, makes it seem like the farmer hardly works at all. "Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, although he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head" (Mark 4: 27-28).

The kingdom principle is this: the life of the kingdom is in the seed itself. The farmer's job is merely to sow the seed. God's job is to then cause the life inherent in the seed to do its thing. In Jesus' time, there was no irrigation or fertilization. The farmer could not make the seed grow any faster by brooding over it, or holding his breath, or gritting his teeth.

Then, when the proper time came, and the life of the kingdom inherent in the seed produced what it was designed to produce--harvest time had come. And now the farmer goes to work again.

"As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come" (Mark 4: 29).

Kinda makes me want to become a farmer. Except that we all know that farming is not that easy.

The kingdom principle that Jesus is teaching is this: the Gospel that we are sowing has the life of the kingdom within itself and will produce fruit if we will trust it. As Paul says in Romans, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Rom. 1: 16a).

God has called us all to become farmers in His field. Our job is to sow, water, weed, fertilize and tend in that garden. His job is to cause the life of the kingdom to work as a result.

And when that life begins to produce fruit, we get the joyous chance to put in the sickle and feel the joy of the harvest.

How's your crop doing?

How Guidance Works

I'm going through big changes in my life. And with that comes a real desire for hearing God's guiding voice. Which way should I go from here?

It's not the first time I've gone through this kind of change. In 1993, I made the transition from a successful career in IT management into full-time pastoral ministry. And looking back, I can very clearly see God's sovereign guidance.

But back then, before I knew how God was going to do it, I was almost completely in the dark. And now I understand that this is exactly how God usually does it.

Why do we have to go through such uncertainty when it comes to God's guidance? In our modern era, God has so many more options to communicate with us. Email, text, fax, Skype, FaceTime, IM, Facebook, fax, snail-mail and even the telephone. (I would have said Telex, but the last Telex was just sent recently.) And if the divine instructions are too big, there's always DropBox.

I have found a simple verse from Proverbs to be very helpful in understanding how God's guidance works.
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge him,
And he'll make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3: 4-5).

The first three lines of this verse describe my part in guidance and the fourth line describes God's part. So, just on the surface, one could say that guidance is three parts me and one part God. Therefore, it is probably appropriate that I focus more on my part and let God then do his part.

Just what is my part? To Trust in Him, not in my self, and acknowledge His God-ness all the time. What is His part? To stretch out the path in front of me. Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? So why is it so hard in practice?

There are a couple of things that seem to keep me from really relying on, or leaning on God. First, I am blind (spiritually). I can't see God. I can't see the spiritual realm. I can't see the future. But I can see the material world and so, I assume that it is the only thing I can rely on.

But if we are really going to rely on God, we will have to admit to our "blindness." God CAN see all those things. So, why not grab hold of His hand and let Him lead?
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you" (Ps. 32: 8).

Second, I am an emotional being. Don't get me wrong, I think we should pay attention to our emotions. God gave them to us for a reason--to know what is going on inside of us and to pay attention. But often, when I am full of worry, or fear, or shame, or anger--I can't hear God's voice over the noise.

I went to a 4th of July fireworks show at a stadium this week. While the show was on, it was impossible to have a conversation with my wife. The noise of the fireworks and music overpowered our voices. This is what tends to happen with our feelings. That's why it's probably not a good idea to make major life decisions in the middle of a crisis. We need to calm down, get some perspective so that we can hear God's voice without our feelings drowning Him out.

Third, I am very used to relying on my own cleverness and abilities to get by. So, it feels unnatural to let go of my machinations and to give myself to God's agenda. But if I really believe that His wisdom is superior to mine, then I will let go of my need to control and allow Him to lead.

It's like training my German Shepherd at obedience school. Learning to "heel" means that she learns to stay by my left side and walk at my pace. When I stop, she sits and waits. When I run, she quickens her pace. She learns this with a choke collar. She is jerked back if she runs ahead. She is jerked forward if she strays behind, She is jerked to the right if she doesn't make the turn with me. She is pushed to the left if she doesn't make that turn with me. She learns to pay very close attention to me and follow my lead. Once trained, she can do everything "off-leash."

"Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you" (Ps. 32:9).

God wants us to follow Him without a leash. That's why we learn to trust in Him, not in ourselves. If we do, He will guide us to the right destination.

For me, God has used various methods to coax me onto a new path. As I continue to work on developing The Journey: a vineyard community, I feel him calling me back into the secular work world. Please be praying for me on this new phase of my journey with Him.

Update (3/21/19): In case you don't read forward from here, I'm currently serving as an Associate Pastor at the Vineyard Community Church Pomona/Claremont. And God has been there to guide me the whole way.

Beyond Fear

For many years, I thought that I was not a very fearful person.

But as I got in touch with my codependency, I realized that I was really afraid of what people thought of me. Did they think I was a good person? I was afraid of being judged inadequate, irresponsible and insensitive. A lot of my emotional energy was spent trying to please people. In fact, I came to realize that fear was probably the biggest debilitating issue in my life.

One of my early spiritual fathers, Dr. Albert Grimes, once said to me, "You must get healed from 'fear of people' because it will ruin your ministry."

Even now, after years of working on the underlying issues, I find that my own fears and anxieties, when left unchecked, are often at the root of some of my worst decisions.

That's one of the reasons I love Timothy so much. Evidently he struggled with fear in his ministry.


Timothy was Paul's young protege, the lead elder over the church in Ephesus. No minor assignment. And Paul wrote two of his most personally moving letters at the end of his ministry to his "son in the faith." Timothy had traveled with Paul and experienced his bold preaching and power ministry first-hand. But evidently, Timothy exhibited a kind of timidity when it came to preaching the gospel.


"For God did not give us the spirit of timidity (fear, cowardice), but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God..." (2 Tim. 1: 7-8).

One of the key issues underlying fear is shame. Shame is the painful feeling that is evoked when my vulnerable and imperfect self is exposed for others to see. Shame can be one of the most intense and riveting emotions. Shyness and fear of public speaking are both
primarily about shame.

So, how did Paul encourage Timothy to get beyond his shame-based fear. Essentially, he encouraged him to turn from focusing on himself and what he might suffer--to God, his Spirit, and how He can empower us. From God's Spirit, we receive power, love and self-discipline.

Paul, himself, had found the freedom to serve God without giving in to fear.

"I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." (Rom. 1: 16).

"I am convinced that [nothing in all creation]...will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8: 38-39).

What are your fears? In what ways have you been timid about sharing the gospel?

How about asking God to fill you with his power, his love and his self-discipline?

The Beatitudes

Jesus began his longest discourse in Matthew's Gospel with what we call, "The Beatitudes."

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..." (Matt. 5: 3).

This list of kingdom proverbs is unusual for Jesus, who normally taught using parables. Each of the eight (some say nine, counting vv. 11-12 as separate from vs. 10) begins with the pronouncement of kingdom blessing.

"Blessed" means "joyfully favored by God." Those who are blessed now stand in the joyous shalom enjoyed by all the people of God who are under God's kingdom rule. Thus, for some reason, Jesus is saying that those who are "poor in spirit" actually stand in a state of blessedness.

The conventional Jewish wisdom was that it was those who felt powerful, together and confident who stood under God's blessing. Poverty was a sign of being cursed, not blessed. Spiritual pride was a sign of blessing.

Not all riches were seen as bringing blessing. The tax collectors may have been materially rich, but they were also "poor in spirit." They might be rich, but they could not feel pride before God.

Thus the story that Jesus tells in Luke 18: 9-14 about "The Pharisee and The Tax Collector." The Pharisee has done his religious duty and is able to confidently thank God for the holiness he has achieved. The Tax Collector cannot even look up towards God because of the shame he feels. Between the two, he is the one who is indeed "poor in spirit." And the punchline of this parable is that it is the Tax Collector, the one who is poor-in-spirit, who goes home justified before God.

Simon and Garfunkel wrote the song, "Blessed," inspired by the Beatitudes. "Blessed are the sat upon, spat upon, ratted on..."

Read through the list to understand the attitude of the one who is truly blessed in God's kingdom:
•  The poor in spirit--
(those who realize that they have nothing in themselves and need God's salvation);
•  The mourners--
(those who let go of their own agenda to take up their cross);
•  The meek--
(those who don't act out of ambition and lust for power, but learn to serve humbly);
•  The hungry/thirsty for righteousness--
(those in touch with their desire for godliness);
•  The merciful--
(those who care for others who are needy, rather than simply look out for self);
•  The pure in heart--
(those with a single mind focused on God with no hidden agendas);
•  The peacemakers--
(those who sew peace in relationships rather than stirring up strife);
•  The persecuted--
(those who accept the scorn of the world out of love for Christ).

The Beatitudes were revolutionary for Jesus' time. It was not the prideful and arrogant leaders of temples and palaces and commerce who were entering into the kingdom. It was "the sat upon, the spat upon, the ratted on." They heard with joy the promise of blessedness and came streaming into the kingdom.

How about you? Are you in touch with your own poverty of spirit? Reach out in humble dependence on him. If you do, you will be blessed and the kingdom of heaven will be yours.