I have finished reading Surprised By Hope by N. T. Wright.  I can’t recommend it enough.  There is so much that is not understood about what the Resurrection was, and what it is.  While there is a lot said that demands contemplation, I, personally, have been overwhelmed by the hope we have in the Resurrection of Jesus.  Last Sunday, I woke up to a single thought that has stayed with me since then.  Our job/mission as a believer in Jesus Christ is extremely simple.  All that is required of us is to tell the world that there is hope for them in Jesus and Jesus alone.  God is the creator.  This is His world, and one day He will restore it to the way He originally created it-  good- according to His goodness.  We, though caught up in our own way, can be a part of God’s restored creation, here on this Earth.  This “restored creation” is what is usually referred to as the “Kingdom of God.”  Being a part of this Kingdom ensures that one will not ever be apart from God–Ever!  While God’s Kingdom is the future, it is also the present.  We can be in  the Kingdom now, actively working and building for the Kingdom to come.  It is in this that we have hope.  Hope in knowing that God’s Kingdom will prevail, that eventually it will be all that is left.  Anything that is done apart from God’s Kingdom will not carry over when this world is restored.  Realizing this makes me more motivated to make decisions that will carry over to the restored world.  By the way, it is the Resurrection that will restore all creation.  It is the Resurrection that we wait for.  It is the Resurrection that will transform us, again -as well as all creation, to what scripture calls the glorified state where sin will no longer exist. 

So, while this may sound complicated, all we really have to do is let others know that the Kingdom of God is here and that they can be a part of it which will allow all residents of that Kingdom to be with God forever.  This and this only is hope for anyone.  If Believers understand this, we all will see the value in living holy, separate lives because we will understand that nothing offered by this corrupt world is worth having. With that understanding, believers should then understand the Scripture is  God’s way of letting us know what will be a part of His Kingdom and what will not.  Isn’t He a great God to be so generous to us?  While some see the Bible as a list of rules, God just wants us to know what counts and what doesn’t.

Hope is not in a party or president.  It is not in a thriving economy.  And it will never go away even in the worst of times.  When your hope is in God through Jesus, you won’t even be as concerned when things get rough.  Just think, God already resurrected Jesus, and one day, we will be resurrected like Jesus: we will have a renewed body like Jesus has, and nothing can take that away.  What more could one hope for?

The book, Surprised by Hope, says a lot more and really is worth reading.  I just wanted to share what it did for me.  The thing is that while what I shared here sounds basic and maybe cliche, it all means so much more than I have ever realized before.  Everybody wants and has to have hope whether they realize it or not.  Christians, you have within you knowledge to this gift God has granted to us.  Don’t just hoard it for yourself, share it.

Why is it wrong to lie?  Why is it wrong to have sex outside of marriage?  Why is it wrong to steal,  cheat, etc?  Obviously it is accepted, most of the time, that these moral issues are guidelines that govern how we should live and act.  But, there are those that have a hard time accepting what has always been considered right and wrong.  A few years ago, I was leading a group of high school students in a discussion and these questions came up.  Why is it wrong to lie when a lie may protect someone from pain.  Then someone pointed out the account in Joshua when Rahab lied to the men sent by the king to take Caleb and Joshua as spies.  In fact, Rehab is added to the book of Hebrews faith hall of fame because of her actions in protecting God’s men by lying.  So, as I was asked, does that not prove that sometimes it is better to lie for the greater good?  I did not have an answer, at least one that satisfied them.  In fact, I thought the point was a valid one, but I also knew in my heart that this is a dangerous way to think because if we begin to determine what is right and wrong things will go south in a hurry.  But what is the answer?  Are the things we are supposed to do and not do, even according to Scripture, written in stone, or are there circumstances that supersede the absoluteness of the issues where there are, in fact, times when it is better to lie, cheat, steal and so on?  These questions may have been asked by high school students, but I think these questions are a valid challenge to way obedience is understood especially in conservetive Christianity.  Honestly  I think the typical understanding and teaching of obedience is backwards.  Here’s why.

First we have to look at the nature of obedience.  What is obedience? Is it about following a list of dos and don’ts, or about living the way in which we were designed?  And, for that matter, what are we designed for?  Why were we created, and has our purpose changed over time since we were created? The first part of the question is easy, look at Genesis chapter 1. 

 26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

    27 So God created human beings in his own image,
       in the image of God he created them;
       male and female he created them.

    28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Keep in mind that humans were created after everything else on the 6th day.  God rested on the 7th.  We were created last.  We are told here that we were made in God’s own image and made to rule over, or take care of his creation.  Some scholars say that being made in his image has nothing to do with physical imagery, but rather we are to interact with creation and each other with the love that comes from him.  Remember: 1John4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.)  If God is love, and we are made in His image, then we are made to love like Him.  Now we have messed things up because of our own selfishness, Gen. 3, but I don’t think that our fallen condition has changed the mission and purpose of our existence.  So back to the question:

 What is obedience?   

Maybe the answer is: living the way we are created.  This way of thinking encompasses not just our actions, but our intentions as well.  This is important  to understand because our actions alone are not always a good indication of what our intentions are, or rather, where our heart is.  Look at it this way.  I may teach my child to do the right things and avoid the wrong and she may be completely obedient to me in everything I teach her. While she may never lie, steal, cheat, curse, make a bad grade, and so on, she could still be hateful, selfish, proud, and cold to others around her.  She could do all the right moral actions, but never give anything to someone in need, comfort someone in pain, or sacrifice for something other than herself.  Even by doing all the right things and avoiding the wrong, she could miss the purpose for living.  I think Jesus spoke volumes to this in His sermon on the mount.  I think Jesus was reminding us here, and throughout all his teachings, who we were created to be and what that should look like.  He demonstrated this over and over again.  Remember the woman caught in adultry, the woman at the well, His invitation to Peter after Peter’s denial.  Those are but a few examples, but they all demonstrate that Jesus’ perspective was beyond just doing right and avoiding wrong.

This perspective completely overshadows the simple questions about what is right and what is wrong.  Basically, when we realize that God really is love and we are made in that love (His image), then love becomes our driving force–our purpose in life.  We won’t have to spend time trying to figure out where the lines of right and wrong are.  We won’t want to lie because truth and honesty are by-products of love.  We wont cheat because cheating gets in the way of experiencing love that we give and receive.  We wont want to have sex outside of its purpose in marriage because A. we want to save our best for our spouse, either present or future, for the sake of love, and B.  we wont want to take something from someone else that is not ours because we love that person way to much to rob them of their intimacy.  Pastors will not have to spend the majority of there time reminding and preaching to us the details of what we should and should not do.

It is unfortunate that this understanding of what we see in Genesis 1 and in Jesus’ teaching is lost among many churches and pastors.  It seems that the teaching that comes from so many within the Church says that if you do all the right things and avoid the wrong, God will be pleased and bless you in your life.  This is so backwards.  If one will realize who God is and who we are (His created).  If we will set our purpose to understand Him, who we are in Him, and the relationship we have with Him, we will not want to do ANYTHING that interferes with that relationship.  Then the church would not have to spend so much time teaching and preaching right and wrong.  Some call this the doctrine of “sin management”.  I think that is a good term for it, and I agree with those who say that it is not a good doctrine. Just managing our sins is not the purpose or priority of what people should be about, and if any make this the sole priority for their teaching, then I say they are backwards in their thinking and are doing an injustice to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  In making a very small and narrow perspective the main point of what God is all about, they are leaving their flock/following malnourished and ignorant to all that God intends for His children. 

For sometime, I lived under the guilt that comes from thinking life is about right and wrong.  It was terrible.  I was not able to come to a God who had already come to me because I thought I was nothing but a let down to him.  I felt like I failed at every thing and was never going to amount to anything.  I cannot thank Him enough for giving me the understanding about who He really is thus allowing me a true personal relationship with Him.  It is through that understanding that I now am realizing that I have a part to play in building for His kingdom; that I will be perfect in that kingdom after the Resurrection; and that His Kingdom is really the only hope I have and will need.  Say what you want, this is all real to me and as a result, I want, like I never have before, to be completely obedient because I want to be as close to Him as I can.  I want the same for you too.

OK, so here is a question that will be a bit of a risk for me to ask.  I’m not afraid of the question itself, nor do I not have my own perspective on the subject, but it is the sort of thing where people loose their minds and rationale when this type subject comes up.  So, listen to what I am asking and answer specifically what I’m asking.  I want to hear what others have to say and think, but if you ignore what I’m asking and respond otherwise, don’t be surprised if you comment doesn’t make it.  Also, this is posted on my facebook account, if you want, you can post your comments at my blog site thewayjimseesit.com.  So here goes

Liberal and Conservative:  These two terms define out national identity in so many ways.  They define our personal identity as well.  They typically are used to describe how one views life and dictates how our choices are made.  One choice, obviously, is how we pick our leadership.  I’d say that is a big one.  So what exactly do they mean?  What does it mean to be conservative or to be liberal.  If you choose one or the other, why?  Have you really ever thought about it?  Are they good terms that adequately describe what is going on in the world or do they come up lacking and if so, what else is there?  What are the strengths of being Conservative or Liberal and what are the weakness?

This is something I’ve contemplated for about 4-5 years now and I want to hear what others have to say.

Now, this is NOT a avenue for a rant of any kind about any one specific person or party.  If you feel strongly, please pour your heart into it, but only about the quesions I have asked.  No doubt they will be fueled by specifics in your perspective, but, again, this is not about a political party or person, but a perspective.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks,

Jim

Bad Theology leads to bad living.  You’ve heard Tim talk about that for 2 weeks now.  That statement has molded my thinking for over 2 years now.  It has been a time of serious contemplation about what I believe and think.  To me it is simple,  if I do wrong, then my thinking has to change in order to do right.  Only then can I be the person I’ve been created to be.  Fact is, almost everyone I know is struggling one way or another with this.  Who am I, and what am I supposed to do.  I have learned that this is life and my life is made or broken by how I understand who I am and how I make my decisions.  I used to think that one day everything would fall into place.  I don’t think so anymore.  If I only stand by and exist, that is all that will happen; I will stand by and exist.  If i make good decisions, then chances are good things will happen.  And if I make bad decisions, my life will be a mess.  Sounds simple doesn’t it, but I cannot get over how profound these simple understanding are in living.  Now the statement, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge,”  means so much more to me.  If I want to really live and do good, I must consider God in everything I do……Period! 

If you think you are the only one that deals with this sort of thing, welcome to the club.  You are not alone.  By the way, this club is called life.

If you were at Genesis tonight, you heard Tim talk about  how we identify ourselves, or what we believe about ourselves tends to dictate who we are and what we become.  This hits home with me.  I never dreamed about what I would be when I grew up.  I had no idea.  Becoming a believer at 18 gave me an identity, but I didn’t know what that meant.  I was a Christian so I guess I was to do what Christians do.  All I had to go by was the small church I was saved in, so I did what they did.  That was my identity.  When I left that church, I didn’t know who I was so I adapted the identity of the new church I belonged to.  That eventually left me frustrated and empty.  I knew I was given a new life but looking back I had no idea what that meant.  I just knew that there had to be more to life than being a Baptist and doing what they do.  I eventually joined the Marine Corps primarily so I could get away for awhile.  That experience was the beginning of some very serious and life changing examination.  Now,  17 years after coming to Christ, I’m just beginning to see that it is my identity in God–who He has made(is making) me to be–that gives me hope in life.  As I struggle to find that career I love, or with what I can contribute to the world, or with the difficulties in life, I see that my identity in God will play its part out in all those aspects as well as what ever else life throws out.  I am beginning to see this identity as the basis on which I make, or should make, decisions in all of life’s ventures whether it be work, family, ministry,etc.

So what am I saying.  I know I’m created to be in God’s image.  I have to continue to learn what that means.  Mostly I’m getting that love and humility should be the basis of every decision I make.  I’m learning that in understanding this identity brings wisdom in all areas of life, and based on this wisdom, I’m able to make better decisions.  Breakdown:  the more I identity with God through Jesus Christ, the more I learn about how he has made me, the more I learn about His creation and how it works (wisdom), the better decisions I make, the more I’m becoming who I’ve been created to be, the more I understand my identity with God through Jesus Christ…….

So, to all you who are struggling with figuring out who you are and what you’re supposed to do and be doing, your in good company.  Pretty much everyone else is struggling with the same thing.  I hope you’ll take to heart Tim’s message, and my experience and figure out this identity issue: who you are, before you’re in your mid 30s before you get a clue.  Now I’m having to live with and dig myself out of the bad decisions I made that were made with out any wisdom at all.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my life, but my bad choices has placed limits on what I can and can’t do now in some ways, and it will be years before I can move on with living life more to it’s fullest. 

Later,

Jim

I finally finished reading Our Father Abrahamthis weekend. I suppose it would be appropriate to relay what I learned for it. Not tonight, and probably not at one setting. This book did have a lot of info and perspective, but as I think about it, it has opened my mind up to considering different ways of seeing and understanding God, Jesus, and the Scripture. I find it amazing that as I contemplate the “Jewishness” of Jesus and the Scriptures, I cannot help but see a life in them I’ve never seen before. Bottom line, I have no choice but to go deeper into this direction. I feel like there is so much more to learn and be understood by understanding more the Hebriac perspective. One thing no one can refute, is the roots of the Christian faith is in the Hebrew culture, faith, and scriptures. Were it not for the covenant God entered into with Abraham, we would not have redemption, Jesus, and where would we be?

There will be more to follow, but it will probably more in-laced in everything else I write about.

It’s good to be back,

Jim

Man, life takes center stage all of a sudden and I look up to see I haven’t posted in 2 1/2 weeks.  Terrible.  So here is me just keeping up.  I did get something today that made me stop and think though.  I’m reading Our Father Abraham, see right, and there is a whole chapter about how the Hebrew culture thinks about and views marriage and the family.  Holy Cow!  All I’ll say for now is that if we would learn what they knew, marriages and families today would completely shape up.  I’ll leave you with this.  Part of being married is to lift your spouse up.  But Jim, they. . . .  It doesn’t matter, you are to lift them up.  If they do something wrong, sure it’s a problem, but lift them up.  I think if we would adopt this one idea, it would make a big difference.  Instead, we blow up the mistakes of those who are closest to us and tear them down.  If I’m not mistaken, thats like fueling a fire.  If a spouse is lifted up and know that they are lifted up always, would not that spouse, almost automatically, lift up in return?   What could happen in a marriage if the two are constantly lifting each other: grace, unconditional love, respect, honor, commitment, faithfulness.  It seems so simple yet, how many times I’ve heard “the guys” talk about their wives in a way that would land them on the couch if the wives found out.  Same goes for women too.  If you talk about your husband like a dog when he is not around, you have a problem.  He may as well also, but you are contributing to the demise of your relationship. 

Just sharing a thought

Anyway, that thought sorta stuck out today.

This week, a few friends of mine gathered to discuss the book Our Father Abraham.  There are 2 aspects to this that makes this pretty amazing. 1- The fact that a group of us are getting together pursuing God together.  There is nothing like meeting with others that are passionate about seeking God in His Word and learning what it means to pursue His Kingdom.  2- The content that we are discussing.  This book we are going through discusses in depth the Hebraic nature of the Scripture (both content and writers), and also the Hebraic nature of Jesus.  Jesus was a Jew, the Bible is written from a Jewish perspective because it was written by Jews.  So what does that mean for us? This question frames the book’s intent of helping us understand how the Hebraic nature is important for us to understand God’s Word.

This first meeting was short and more of an introduction, but I want to share a thought that stuck with me.

I find it amazing how ,at times, it is so hard to put Jesus into our lives.  I’m not alone.  Pretty much everyone I know struggle with the same thing.  There is a huge industry of resources that is available to us to teach, influence, encourage, guilt us into including Jesus in our daily walk.  By the way, I refer to Jesus, Scripture, and God interchangeably.  On Sunday morning across the world, by far most of the sermons address putting God into our lives.  There is no doubt that this is a very valid point and very needed, but it can be hard to follow through with.  But a point came up in our discussion that the national identity was God.  God chose Abraham to be separate and be the father of a nation.  So all of the political, geographical, commercial, social, and so on, aspects originated from God through the Torah.  What it meant to be a Hebrew was to be in God.  What does it mean to be an American?  What is our national identity?  I realized that this can be a eye opening question.  Typically, to be American is to be democratic, a capitalist, free, and civilized.  However we identify what it means to be American, we think of ourselves as American trying to live out God.  Maybe we should be like the Jews and think of ourselves as God’s children living in America, or where ever you happen to live.  Maybe if we can see ourselves as a part of God’s Kingdom first, then we can see past the boundaries that cause us to stumble as a people and a nation.  Maybe we’ll see that we are no better than anyone else and are a part of this world like everyone else.  Maybe we’ll realize that we all are made in God’s image whether we like, or recognize, it or not.  Maybe we’ll humble oursleves, seek God’s face, and hear from Him.

What is your identity. I’m having to rethink mine.

Jim

What is the point of blogging.  Like everything, there is no one reason.  For me, I want to share what I see. (Thus my title)  For a while I have been surrounded by people who study and search for God in His Word and in life itself.  I have learned that in order to receive what God gives me, I have to let go of preconceived notions and ideas I’ve been taught before.  When I say “let go”, I don’t mean that I had everything wrong to begin with.  In fact, as I continue on this journey, knowledge and wisdom comes from the foundation of what I’ve already learned.  It is very seldom that I, A.  Learn something I’ve never heard of before, or B. Realize that I was completely wrong about an idea or doctrine or interpretation.  My thinking on prior ideas, spiritual or otherwise, fall into different categories.   In order to make more sense of my rambling here, I’m going talk specifically about what is going through my mind when it comes to learning and studying Scripture, but I have found that this same learning process is true in all of life.

1. Sometimes, but very seldom, I completely dismiss previous ideas.  Example:  I really don’t think there will be a rapture like it has been described in the Baptist way of thinking.  This post is not the place for explaining why I think that, but to simply say I don’t.  I do believe in the second coming of Christ, and all that God’s Word says is going to happen, but the step by step account, as described in the Left Behind books, comes from viewing the Scriptures abstractly which is not the way the Hebrew writers wrote or even thought.  I’m not saying there are not universal truths that can be given in any particular passage, but to piece together passages for the sake of confirming one’s ideas or doctrine is a very dangerous practice.  At best one can miss the point of what was being communicated in the passage, and at worst one can completely distort God’s word into saying something God did not and would not say.
2. Sometimes more meaning comes from a passage that I didn’t see before.  My earlier post about Cain and Able is an example.  I had always saw the mark of Cain as a curse, but I now see that is was actually a mark of protection.  This causes me to wonder at the mercy and fairness of God and has had a profound implact on how I extend justice and forgiveness to others.  You can read that post here. 
3. On thing I have continued to be amazed at is how so many writers throughout Scripture repeat the same ideas over and over.  Now this is different from piecing together parts to make the Bible say what you want.  I’m talking about How Moses, David, Soloman, the Prophets, Jesus, Paul, and more repeat the ideas that basically say:  If you forget God, you will lose site of Him and it will bring hardship; God is not interested in what you do as much as He is interested in why you do it; Love is one feature in all our lives that we must live upon.  God is love and we are made in His image, so Love is central to everthing how we live and what we do and think.

Anyway, I, like everyone else, have good days and bad days and this past week has been one of the worse.  Nothing really bad happened, but inside I felt horrible, tired, sluggish etc.  As a result, nothing was posted last week.  It’s like my brain was so thick that I couldn’t make it work right.  Getting up and going to work, or rather just plain living became a difficult chore.  Thinking through ideas to put out there was nearly impossible.  I go through these moments from time to time.  I hate it for many reasons, but they never last very long.  Hopefully, I’m back on track again with something to share.  If you get a notion, leave me a comment when something strikes you based on my post.  That helps.  It lets me know someone is interested.

Jim