I can hear the groans from my fellow administrators now - “where is he going with that one?”.  Thanks for being patient with me, guys.  OK… let me explain.  First, I wanted to get your attention.  Second, I actually believe that prayer works - not only works, but has incredible power when offered in true faith.  A power that is desperately needed (and let’s be honest - is generally not very apparent in this day and age).  Third, that statement is a quote - both from me in my past, and from my son not too long ago.  If we’re honest, I’ll bet we’ve all had that question enter our minds at one time or another.  So I want to explore the thought… because when my son asked that a couple years ago I did not have a good response - and that shook me.

Jesus said if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we could (casually, it seems) tell a mountain to hop into the sea and it will happen.  I’ve never tried that, but I can name hundreds of things I have asked for/claimed/believed for in faith/etc… that never happened.  All seemed like good things.  I see now that some of them weren’t.  That’s part of my answer.  I have less understanding of what is really for my good than my 3 year-old who can’t understand why candy for every meal isn’t a good thing for him. 

Another part is that I think we really do miss out on incredible blessings and powerful benefits that effective prayer, offered in true faith, will deliver. Why do we miss out? (I know that would have been a better way to word the title, but I told you I wanted to get your attention).

How is this for a promise to answer just about every prayer you can think of?

Your light will break out like the dawn, and your healing will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. You will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am ‘.  Your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. The Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

I think that pretty much covers it.  If you want more than that, I really have no answer for you.  I’m not sure there is much I could ask for or desire that is not in there.  Here’s the rub.  These promises come from God’s Word.  But they are given with some “ifs” (all from Isaiah 58):

Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your healing will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am ‘
If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.

“But.. but… but… Jesus said that it was “just” faith.”  Yeah, we all have big buts (quoting another deep thinker there, any other child of the 80’s remember who?) - but those are not big buts.  The real question is: what is faith?  God’s Word tells us that faith without works is dead, and that even the demons “believe”.  James gets downright sassy with that passage (my paraphrase): “You say you believe?  Good for you.  You know… you should be really proud of your accomplishment - you’re doing as much as the demons of hell.”  Man, that’s talking some smack.  I know I’ll never approach that level of genius in sarcasm.

The point is:  God will do His part.  His promises are real and powerful.  But His entire Word is true.  We can’t take the seemingly “easy” path that some verses can imply if read in a vacuum and expect to see any kind of power in our lives.  Nor can we take the “hard” (or perhaps"impossible”) standards we seem to be held to in other verses and give up.  His entire Word is true.  We have a role to play.  One that requires real commitment and sacrifice.  I believe we need only step onto the mat - really commit to the fight - and He will meet us there.  And when He does, we can not lose.  But He will not step on the mat to fight our battles if we do not step out to fight with Him.

After Don and I posted our thoughts on the story of the rich young man/rich young ruler in the Gospels, I spent some time talking to my brother about our interpretations of this story.  Frankly, he didn’t agree with us on some points, despite the fact that we agree completely on our overall core beliefs.  We had a great discussion on the deeper truths that we do agree on: salvation is a free gift of God’s grace; yet scripture is clear that our actions are also critically important.

Shortly into the conversation, we had drifted far away from the specifics of the rich young man story.  Near the end, I told Rich that I always try to stress that the obligation to love others as ourselves, and actively sacrifice for their good, is not a burden.  My personal experience is that I struggled with our decision to adopt.  I felt a heavy burden of responsibility to care for my family’s financial and emotional needs with my income and my time and effort.  I knew I could not have the same “certainty” of doing that after committing to adopt 2… OK, now maybe 5… kids on top of the 3 we already had.  I came to a point where I knew that it was wrong to hold onto that.  That I was required to surrender all to follow Jesus, as He demanded of everyone He called when He was on earth.  Since I have done that (or at least started that process), I have experienced a joy and a peace that I have never had before.

He responded by telling me a personal story I had not been aware of.  He had spent many years burdended with a desire to be married and have a family.  That was not happening, and he was 36 years old.  He had vocalized “turning the matter over to God” many times, but never really had.  One day brushing his teeth, it hit him like a ton of bricks that he just had to accept that it might not happen for him.  In a very real way - a way he never had before - he gave that over to God.  He experienced a spritiual and emotional breakthrough that day, and ironically, met his future wife shortly thereafter.

At first blush, these are seemingly conflicting ideas as to what it takes to get that “breakthrough” moment and really connect with God.  And they are if you’re looking for a formula for success - but God is not about formulas - He’s about relationships.  But I was struck by the parallel between our stories, the story of the rich young man, and the stories of everyone Jesus called.  He demanded one thing of everyone He asked to follow Him (or who asked if they could follow Him).  That was simply this: give up control over what you value most and turn it over to Me.  Surrender that one thing… that one thing that you most desperately want to hold on to (and thus free yourself to surrender everything).  The rich young man walked away sad when he learned the cost of following Jesus.  That cost may not be our posessions - it is both harder and more freeing than that.  The cost is control - truly valuing relationship with Jesus over anything else in our lives.

Every time I read Matthew 19, I try to think about how my life lines up with Jesus’ demand of the rich young man.  But here’s the problem.  No matter how hard I try – even when I know I’m doing this – I can’t help but make excuses and explain away why it doesn’t apply to me, or why I’m OK living how I do.  I try to get past myself, but I can’t.  The human mind and defense mechanisms are a fascinating thing.  So, I thought I’d do the opposite:  instead of figuring out how I should change to get in line with scripture, I re-wrote scripture to match my lifestyle and thought process to get a different perspective on the mismatch between what I “believe” and what I do.  I think a full Bible in this translation would be a best-seller - maybe I’ll call it The Practical Application Bible since I’ll base it on what I do, not what I say I believe.  It sure provides some comfort (I based it on the King James translation because it sounds so much more official).  As to accuracy and integrity of the message… well,  let’s just say that you may not want to be in my vicinity about now due to the pending bolt of lightning that is probably coming for me.  It was rather shocking for me to see it this way - just how far I had to pervert Jesus’ message to fit the way I see myself living.

Matthew 19:16-29 (Practical Application Bible)
16And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?  17And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  20The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?  21Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  22But when the young man heard that saying, he turned away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. But Jesus stopped him, and saith; Wait… no… I spake more strongly than I might… sometimes that happeneth… thou art OK, really.  If thou shouldst say the sinner’s prayer thou hath no need to change thy lifestyle.  For, lo; my message is one of ease and comfort.  23Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, it is easy for all, even a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.  24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God than it is to walk through an open gateway.  25When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly relieved, saying, all then can be forthwith and easily saved.  26But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are easy, and upon my sacrifice… very, very easy.  27Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?  28And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that was irresponsible and rash… yea, stupid even.  Ye are children of the King because of what I will do – you need do nothing difficult.  In the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  29And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall have acted foolishly - for such sacrifice is not necessary; all who call on my name will receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Just in case you don’t remember off-hand, what follows is the original KJV.  Maybe presenting this as well will allow me to dodge that bolt of lightning…

Matthew 19:16-29
16And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?  17And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.  18He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,  19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  20The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?  21Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  22But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.  23Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.  24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.  25When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?  26But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.  27Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?  28And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  29And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

I am pleasantly struck this morning by another insight after reading about the “Rich Young Man” or the “Parable of the Rich Ruler” that I have missed in the past.

If you are familiar with the story documented in at least three places in the bible (Mathew 19, Mark 10, Luke 18), it is a memorable moment when this “rich guy” walks away sad after hearing Jesus response.  I gather from Mathew, Mark and Luke’s perspectives, this man was everything most humans on earth would want to be.  He was a good man.  He was young.  He was rich.  He was a Ruler, so he had power.  Nothing is written about his looks except his general age….but if you have all that, there is plenty of evidence to show he doesn’t necessarily need to be handsome.  I think it is safe to assume, most of us would see this person, and think I want to be and live like him.  We can also cipher from their response that people nearby were impressed.  If this guy can’t be saved, “Who then can be saved?”

Now let’s set up the scene.  This rich man was standing in a crowd listening to Jesus teach people how they can obtain eternal life.  After He was done he starts walking on His way, and this guy runs up to Him, falls on his knees, and asks Jesus, “Good teacher! What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  I would love to see the faces of this man and the people nearby when Jesus responds with, “Why do you call me good?  No one is good-except God alone.”  I can see the blank, questioning look on each of their faces.  That would have been my expression too for that matter.  Huh!?  You are not good!?  Then Jesus says in so many words, “God has these commands see…and no one can follow them all see…”  And the rich guy’s eyes get wide as he looks up with excitement and proclaims, “Teacher!  I have kept all these commands since I was a boy!”.  Jesus replies, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  This is the pivotal moment where so much is happening.  Jesus is feeling a deep sense of love for this man, because he knows his response will be sadness and rejection of His instructions.  The people nearby will be drop-jaw’d because they don’t understand why this good man can not meet the requirement for eternal life.  This is where I as the reader in the past have thought, “Hmm…I am a Christian, but sell everything, and give it all to the poor?  Wow.  That would be tough for me to do.”  This is where suddenly it hit me!

Jesus did not say how much to give.  Jesus asked the rich man to change his lifestyle.

In my mind, I often thought Jesus asked him to give ALL his possessions to the poor.  If you did too, then look again.  The instruction was simply, “give to the poor”.  The amount was not specified.  The second part of Jesus instruction was, “follow me”.  It is an important point that Jesus loved the rich man, and wanted to be together in relationship with the rich man.  He wanted to live life together, both in the present and eternity.  The rich man’s response revealed his true desires were for his current lifestyle and everything that went with it.  He was excited by Jesus’ teaching how to obtain eternal life.  He thought he had passion for God.  He had followed God and been good his whole life!  He looked like a sure candidate, just ask the people nearby.  In my opinion, the rich man was sad because he could not have it his way.  Jesus was sad because he cared for this man who rejected his love and things of eternal value.

Though this is a sobering story that challenges all of us to test our own desires and heart, I want to bring us back to what I believe is an insight about giving.  Jesus’ instruction was simply, “give to the poor”.  Again I point out, the amount was not specified.  In our on-line discussions we have seen the questions repeated that we are all wrestling.  How much should I give to the orphans and widows in distress, brokenhearted, wanderers, and strangers?  For clarity, let’s state the word “giving” implies gifts of time, money, energy, love, compassion, etc.  I think we all understand that God wants us to give all of our life to Him.  What that means in practical daily life is the challenge.  There are many scriptures about giving, and how God feels about it.  Yes, God wants us to give our entire life to Him.  But how we work this out on a daily basis is not spelled out explicitly in God’s word.  I believe He wants each of us to seek this instruction from Him.  We do have explicit guidelines at the extremes.  For example in Mark 25:31-46, the parable of “The Sheep and the Goats”, and I paraphrase - if we “didn’t give to the least of these” we are rejected, and if we “do give to the least of these” we are given eternal life with Him.  This parable can stress us out unless we realize that salvation is freely given and received.  No one can earn it, so no one can boast.  Once one understands salvation, works and giving are part of Jesus plan for our lives (Ephesians 2:8-10).  Now that the extremes are stated, I think most of us believe we are somewhere in between.  Again, we come back to the question of how much?  To explore one answer to this question, let’s go back to a story that I learned as a child through a Sunday school song.

“Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he…”  Remember that song?  Because of this song, I have always pictured this little wimp with Jesus scolding him, “Zacchaeus!  Get down out of that tree!  We are going straight to your house young man!”  Brings back memories of my parents shouting, “Donnie!  Cut that out! Go straight to your room!”  As a child, I also learned Jesus loves everyone - even little, dirty rotten tax collectors - so he must love me too.  Judging by my parents reaction to the word, I also figured he was probably extra bad since he was associated with the word “tax”.  Recently, my picture of this guy has changed.  Let’s review the story.  Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, was wealthy, and most everyone hated him.  We probably wouldn’t know he was short except to explain why this guy was up in a tree so he could see over the crowd.  It probably should be added to Jesus list of miracles that Zacchaeus didn’t fall out of that tree when He turned His head and said Z’s name.  Boldly, Jesus invited himself to little Z’s house in front of everyone.  The people were shocked and appalled Jesus would talk to this guy and even go to his house to eat with that dirty tax collecting thief!  Zacchaeus was all those bad things, but look at his response to Jesus.  Luke 19:8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”  Zacchaeus got it right away.  Now I choose to call him BIG-Z.  He decided on the same day he met Jesus to change his lifestyle.  He gave more than half of his possessions, but more importantly, he understood giving his life to Jesus meant acting on Jesus instructions and commands.  I believe these are actions of a big man.  I would love to know the rest of BIG-Z’s story.

Peter is one of Jesus’ disciples who had a couple wimpy episodes, but eventually turned into a big man himself with the help of God’s spirit.  At the end of the story about the rich man, Peter was excited about the disciple’s prospects.  Luke18:28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”  29"I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”

We have God’s love for us, His promises and blessings of life, and we have many inspirational role models for “giving” in the Bible, history and in the world today.  As part of my current prayers I seek the works I am supposed to do, and I trust and see He is working in my life to lead me this way.  Some days are routine and “uneventful” and I have to decide to trust and have faith anyway, but He gives me opportunities daily to act on my faith in seemingly small and some bigger ways.  Other days He has given me insights to show me He is leading me toward the answer to these questions.  How much should I give?  How should I live my days?  What should my lifestyle look like?  I pray that we all be inspired, encouraged, seek and trust that God will guide each one of us to our specific actions and work.  Just for fun, let the children’s Sunday school song play in your head, and imagine the collective impact we will have on the orphans, widows, strangers and the world when we all respond like the rich man, Zacchaeus, and change our lifestyles in Christ.

A KTM member posted this on her FB this morning. Thank you, Christine.
Thought I would share here! Pass it on!

(At least I think so… considering the context.  Read on before you judge the title.)

I’ve written about John 14-15 before, but I would like to revisit these chapters.  The context is so important.  Jesus knows that He will soon “pass the torch” to His disciples, and leave them physically alone.  He is about to face the torment in the garden, and his heart is breaking for the trial He faces, and for the anguish of leaving those He loves.  Think about the discussion you’d have with your spouse or kids if you knew you would be separated and die within hours (really, stop and think about it - this should take a minute or two).  I know I’d pick one or two things that mattered above all else, and I’d repeat those things over and over to be sure that I did not fail to pass them along, and that I could leave this world knowing that key message was understood.

That’s the context here.  So I believe that what He says is what He considered the most important summary of His message that He could express.  I’m moved to tears by the tone of Jesus’ message in these chapters.  I can hear and feel his desperate desire to leave those that He loved with the key to their spritiual survival and success as he repeats the same message over and over.  The message:  I’ve told you what to do.  Do it.  If the instructions didn’t register, you’ve seen my life – duplicate it in your own lives.  If you do that, I will provide all that you need.  Your joy will be full.

I’ve included excerpts from Jonh 14-15 (NIV).  I count nine times where Jesus tells His disciples, in some form or another, that everything hinges on doing what he has told them to do – following His commands, bearing fruit, etc.  Pull out your bibles and read this in its entiretly.  The repetition is striking.  And just in case, just in case, His disciples (or us) were really slow, and we missed what He told us to do, and we missed how He lived… He gives us one last reminder: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

There is a lot of discussion of grace vs. condemnation with respect to the role of works in our lives.  I’m going to leave that aside for a time, because Jesus did here.  Why did Jesus tell us that we must obey His commands nine times in one conversation?  He answers that: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

One last thought related to laying our lives down for those that we love.  We macho guys like to puff our chests out and say “I’d give up my life to save those I love”… picturing ourselves as heros taking a bullet, or rushing into a burning house.  Jesus did that on the cross, but more applicable to us, Jesus gave up home, career, recreation, (probably TV too – at least I think he probably didn’t watch it every evening and weekend), every day of His life.  That’s giving up your life for others.  Not in death.  But in life - giving up our lives by LIVING for others.  And never forget - this is a command.  Not a request, not an ideal… a command that Jesus seems to say all else hinges on.

Now the excerpts:

John 14

12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.

21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

John 15

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.

16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

The following post was written by Todd Harrington, and published on his blog on November 2nd, 2009 (reference link to his blog and article).  I met Todd on my trip to Swaziland.  He is a pastor at a church in Birmingham, Alabama.  Members of their church are supporting a carepoint in Swaziland in the Nsoko region.  His article shares insightful perspectives about our role in doing good works Christ has planned for us.

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Haggai 2:21-22 “I am about to shake up everything, to turn everything upside down and start over from top to bottom——I will take you as a signet ring, the sign of my presence and authority. I’ve looked over the field and chosen you for this work.”

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We have the responsibility and the privilege to be a part of a great shake up! We have the invitation to live and play in God’s kingdom which is a great shake up! This kingdom is topsy turvey and it is subversive. In this kingdom the first will be last! The weak will be strong! The wronged will forgive! People will pray for their enemies! What seems obvious is made unclear in this new shake up! You are and I are invited to join in the work of this kingdom. According to Ephesians, this is what we were created for. We were created to join in the work of God here and now in this world. We are created to care for the orphans, the widows, the poor, the disenfranchised, the marginalized, the lost, and the needy. If you and I are not, then we are not fulfilling our ultimate purpose. We are to be about a great shake up! This shake up is beyond us, greater than us, and one that we can not accomplish….we simply join in the work and serve well, serve thankfully, and serve until the end…...knowing that we have played our small role in this great shake up!
“A FUTURE NOT OUR OWN”

Poem by Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador;
He was assassinated for speaking Up for God’s kingdom and justice in 1980

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection…..No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We can not do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to Do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning
a step along the way
an opportunity for God’s Grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results….
We are prophets of a future that is not our own.

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The David Platt video I posted raised some good questions… questions I have been trying to work out for some time.  I’m going to post my thoughts here.  Please understand that I am not making myself out as having a solid grasp of this.  I just think we will benefit from trying to figure this out.  We might just do it, and if we don’t… I still think we’ll grow from the effort.

The question is:  In the video I posted last week, David Platt emphasizes the important place our actions, specifically caring for the poor, have in our salvation.  He also emphasized that his message was not one of salvation by works, but that a true faith in God will transform our hearts such that our works are evidence of our faith.

So… how does that work?  Here are some seemingly conflicting scriptures:

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:4-10

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.  -James 2:20-24

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the Law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  –Hebrews 10:26-31

Here’s my perspective:  God’s word does not contradict itself.  So both have to be accurate and fit together – probably with a synergy that makes them even more meaningful together than alone.  The error that so many fall into is “taking sides” and rejecting one concept in favor of another when the truth is in both… it has to be, right?

So, how do these fit together?  Here’s what I think.  Salvation is 100%, completely by grace through faith and 0% by works… or else the Ephesians passage above (and many others) are false.  But faith that does not transform us (or at least begin a process of transformation in us) into the image of Jesus and thus result in works as evidence of that transformation is, as James said, useless.  That does not mean the works earn the salvation.  It means that if there is no evidence of a real love and desire to please God that changes our lives and actions, that there was never any real faith to begin with.

But how much “works” are needed?  If we ask that, I think we’ve missed the point.  To put a measure on works is to imply that we can earn salvation by those works.  What about the thief on the cross?  Some of us don’t have the chance, for a variety of reasons, to give a lot of evidence of our transformation.  But the point David Platt was trying to make (again my opinion only) is that his audience (and for my part, I’ll add myself to that group) does not have that excuse.  We have means similar to the rich man in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, and there must be evidence of transformation (works) in our lives or our faith is useless - I know… faith and useless used together will make me some enemies.  But just as the Ephesians passage above must be accurate and true, so must the James passage. 

Finally, what about Dr. Platt’s insistence on giving to the poor as THE type of works that are required as evidence of transformation?  It seems to me that as the wealthiest nation on earth, and given God’s explicit instructions throughout His word about supporting the poor, and the second of what Jesus said are the two most important commandments – loving our neighbors as ourselves – it seems that, for most of us, that sacrificing material things to provide basic needs for orphans, widows, and the poor should be a big part of the evidence or our transformation.

What do you think?  I really do want to know if you think I’ve got it all wrong… and why.  Even if I don’t come around to agreement (but I might), I will thoughtfully consider and read scriptural support for other perspectives and I am confident that process alone will be of great benefit to me.  I ask that you do the same if what I write does not sit right with you.

This video is over an hour long, and you really need to listen to the whole thing, including the closing minutes, to get the full message.  This is powerful and (in my opinion) critically important for all to hear.  Christians, non-believers, whatever the category… crtical stuff here that I beleive we really, really, can not afford to miss.  Please make the time to watch it.

It may take 10-20 second after clicking the play button for the video to start.  If it freezes off and on during the video, it can be viewed more easliy at this link:

http://www.vimeo.com/5833626

The Gospel Demands Radical Giving - David Platt from Together for Adoption on Vimeo.

Challenging stuff… but as David Platt says in the video, “Jesus’ words are our authority… Jesus’ glory is our goal”.  I only ask you to consider what he has to say in light of looking at Jesus and His words in that light.

When my daughter Jennifer, grandson Charlie, and I traveled to Ethiopia in July I traveled with a sense that the Lord wanted to show me something special.  Indeed the excitement of bringing Nati and Feven home after so many months was very special, but there was something else I couldn’t put my finger on.

On our third night in Africa I found myself awake in the middle of the night.  The dogs really do sleep all day and bark all night!  As I lay there on my bed I asked, “Lord, what is it you brought me here to see?”  “I wanted you to see the face of the least of these,” was the reply in my spirit.  By this time we had seen many faces of “the least of these” and had been profoundly affected by them.  I accepted this explanation and went back to sleep satisfied with His answer.

The next morning while riding in a window van we were stopped in traffic in a particularly congested area of Addis Ababa.  I saw a man walking between the cars of the traffic jam, heading straight toward our van.  Like the others in the van I was taken aback by his appearance.  His face was a mass of scar tissue, barely recognizable as a face at all.  He walked directly up to our van, but didn’t say a word.  He did not ask us for anything nor did he extend a hand in any type of gesture of solicitation.  He merely fixed us with his gaze and slowly side stepped his way along the windows of the van then turned and walked away through the stopped vehicles.

You could have heard a pin drop in that van.  I said, “That was Jesus who just walked by our van.” I then related what the Spirit had revealed to me in the night.  It was clear that the Lord had in mind a particular face to represent, for me, the, “least of these.”  Everyone in the van was profoundly affected by this encounter and no one who saw him will ever forget that face.

I had been home from Ethiopia for about one week when the Lord spoke to me again about this experience.  I was walking and praying near my home when the Spirit said, “The man you saw in Ethiopia was not just figuratively Jesus, but it was Jesus Himself!”  I said, “Wait a minute, I do not want to make of this something that it was not.”  I was already completely blessed by this encounter that was to help me put a face on “the least of these” in a way I had never been able to before.  The Spirit, however, was quite convincing about this being a manifestation of Jesus Himself.  As I embraced the wonder of what He was saying to me I said, “Lord, if I had known that it really was you, I would have pursued you through the traffic and embraced you!”  He said, “That is the point of it all, I want you to embrace “the least of these my brothers” with the same enthusiasm you would have shown had you known it was me!”

I hear you Lord.  Give me the grace to embrace “the least of these” as I would you. 

Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.  For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:1-11 (NIV)

We closed our book study of Red Letters last week with several in our book study group agreeing to fast on Fridays (from sunrise to sunset, or between breakfast and dinner as each of us sees fit).  I read Red Letters for the first time about 8 months ago.  I had already read Fields of the Fatherless by Tom Davis, Dangerous Surrender by Kay Warren, and a few other books that turned my heart toward scripture in a new effort to follow Christ’s instructions regarding “the least of these”.  I was feeling a need to do more to engage in the fight against extreme poverty and to seek the Lord’s specific plan for the action that I was to take.  I began fasting on Fridays.  I had fasted before, but I always came away from it feeling like I had made a sacrifice, but didn’t really feel I had grown as a result of it.  I didn’t even realize that my focus was on what fasting would produce in my own life instead of a focus on love and obedience to my Lord.

When I began fasting with a heart broken for the widow, the orphan, and those living in extreme poverty, and with a desire to know God’s heart in regard to them, everything changed.  Suddenly, my fast days were filled with promptings to think about how things changed when I was hungry.  I noticed that it was harder for me to be patient and loving toward my kids when I was hungry.  How does hunger effect the families that live with it every day?  It was also harder to have the energy to work.  Fridays are also our heavy cleaning and cooking day in preparation for our Saturday rest day.  How would it feel to be walking 3 miles for water on an empty stomach?  I began to think about how hunger even effected my early bonding with Feven and Nati.  How does hunger effect a mother and her newborn baby that her body can’t produce enough to satisfy?  How would it feel to be hungry and know that it was not a matter of choice, and that no food was close at hand to end the hunger?  These questions made me pray with a new emotion and fervency.  I felt drawn to God’s heart and my desire to in some small way alleviate some of the suffering that His heart must feel.  For the first time in my life the fast wasn’t about me at all, and for the first time I actually felt drawn in to Him on those days. 

I welcome you to join me in fasting on Fridays, and I look forward to hearing your stories of drawing closer to God.

First, before I start - this is not an appeal for giving to our carepoint.  I am completely comfortable that Ludlati is in God’s hands and that we have no need to badger anyone for support.  Having said that, I do think that we all need to seriously consider how important it is to give generously to support the poor.  Where?..  How?... I can’t tell you that. Seek God with that question, He won’t leave you without an answer if you desire to give deeply of what you have.  Why do I think it is so important to support those in need… to an extent that demonstrates real compassion? (Remember that definition again – the Greek root words mean “to suffer with”).  I’ll start with 48 reasons – 48 reasons among hundreds in God’s Word.  No need to look all these up, they are listed on this site under “About > Perspective” on the menu bar above, or at this link:  “About > Perspective”

Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:16-21; Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12: 28-34; Luke 10:25-28; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:13-14; James 2:8-9; Leviticus 25:35; Deuteronomy 15:7-8; Deuteronomy 15:10-12; Zechariah 7:8-10; Matthew 9:21; Luke3:10-11; James 2:14-19; 2 Corinthians 8:12-15; Exodus 22:21-23; Deuteronomy 10:18;  Deuteronomy 14:28-30; Job 24:1-4; Psalm 10:14; Psalm 68:5; Jeremiah 49:11; Isaiah 1:17; Isaiah 1:23; Matthew 18:5; John 14:18; James 1:22-27; Exodus 23:10-12; Leviticus 19:9-10; Leviticus 23:21-23; Exodus 23:4-6; Deuteronomy 24:17-18; Deuteronomy 27:19; 1 Kings 3:10-12; 2 Samuel 12:1-5; Job 29:16; Job 31:17-23; Psalm 112:4-6; Psalm 140:11-13; Luke 18:7-8; James 2:1-7;
Isaiah 10:1-3; Amos 5:6-7; Ezekiel 16:49; Matthew 23:23-24; Matthew 25:34-26; Luke 16:19-26

When you read these, note how many say “you must support a Ludlati orphan”.  That’s right, precisely zero.  I make no pretense to tell you where or how God has told you to have compassion for those in severe need.  However, I will be bold in this assertion:  God HAS told you to have true compassion for those in need.  To love them as you love yourself.  To love them as if they are Jesus… because Jesus said that in some very real way they ARE Him.  To give until there is equality.  He’s told you to do that.  How do I know that?  He made those instructions universally to all of us in His Word. 

I just listed three things God told you to do.  He told me the same thing.  My grades: FAIL, FAIL, and FAIL.  Thank God for grace.  But I will tell you that I believe I may be getting close to a D-minus for effort.  And God has met my weak and feeble effort with a peace and joy, a security in my life and purpose that I have longed for all my life but always failed to find.  God’s goal is not judgment.  It is for us to share in His joy and His heart’s desire.  He loves us… just as much as he loves the poor.  By giving we connect with His heart, the poor see and feel His love through us, and He is pleased.

Something was always missing from my life.  Not that I didn’t have a good family, good education, even good Biblically-based instruction.  But I always knew something was missing, and I felt a compelling emptiness and lack of purpose that I did not know how to fill.

I knew enough about the Bible to know that my peace and joy are promised as gifts from God.  I knew that true purpose and meaning could only be found in serving God.  So I tried.  I truly expected that my faith would ultimately bring about the full promises of peace, joy, completeness in God.  But it never came… until the past year.

What changed?  I began living my life differently.  I started to realize how consistently God calls us to act as if we really love others like we love ourselves.  I began trying to do that out of obedience.  Read John 14 and 15.  Depending how you count, there are 4 to 8 times in just two chapters where Jesus stresses that we must follow his commandments.  But there are so many… which ones? How? Is it the Law again?  God is good, and He knows that we aren’t too bright (at least I’m not).  So He does not leave us in doubt.  After stressing over and over that we must follow His commandments, He gives us a direct answer to the questions He knew we’d have.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  - John 15:12

Sounds a lot like loving our neighbor as ourselves, like living a life that gives tirelessly of our time, our energy, our all – to serve those who are broken, needy, the outcasts of society.  Isn’t that what Jesus’ love looked like?

John 15:12 is preceded in verse 11 by: “These things I have spoken to you that that My joy may remain in you, that your joy may be full.”  It is so clear to me now.  I do have to rely on God and His grace to provide for me through faith.  But as we’re told in the book of James, faith without works is dead.  He provides what I was missing by grace – my works can never do that.  But my faith was dead, and began bearing fruit in my life only when I first followed His commands.

PS.  Did I say “read John 14 and 15”?  Please do.  Really, really good stuff in there.

…in many ways I hope the whole world never looks like this.  In other ways, my heart cries out for the whole world to look like this.  The post below is from Katie Davis’ blog.  If you don’t know Katie, you should read her story… amazing.  But something in me screams that it should not be amazing.  It should be common among those who truly follow Jesus.  Her blog is at:

http://amazima.org/blog.html

I don’t even know where to start to tell about all that God has been doing in our lives since I last wrote. I know that my words aren’t even close to adequate to describe His goodness and love.

So hug your children a little tighter and hold them a little longer. Say thank you to people more often and say thank you to God more often. Love your neighbor well today. We will be trying our best to do the same over on our side of the globe. 

First, a round of applause for Don and Barbra.  Sometimes I worry that I’ll be perceived as putting the most into KTM because I do so much of the writing.  But that’s just because I’m a loudmouth (at least when I write) and I like to do it.  Don and Barbra have made this happen – the website would not even exist without many late nights from Don, and that doesn’t even begin to address the Swaziland trip and everything else they do.  Thanks guys.

We’ve given answers on WHAT and WHERE in previous posts, although we will be continually expanding on those topics.  Also, if you’re new or if you still have questions on WHAT and WHERE, comment on this post or contact us.  Please… we want you to know what we’re all about and get to know you.  We can do both if you ask questions.

HOW?

We will support our Ludlati carepoint in several ways:

Monthly financial support – We are seeking commitments of $34 or more per month to provide food, school fees for education, and regular visits from a team of Swazis who teach about God and his love.

Personal relationships – We will build one-on-one relationships with our kids at Ludlati - many of whom have no one to go home to (and no home for that matter) – through regular correspondence.

Capital projects –  Delivery of meals, education, and training can be done without shelter and facilities… but not nearly as well as it can be done with them.  A complete development plan is being prepared for Ludlati, but we already know that a well, kitchen, and fence are the first priorities.  That will require $15,000 - $20,000, and we already have $10,000 pledged toward this effort.  Additional capital projects in future years will probably require another $20,000. No problem.  God is big enough.  He will do His part.  Which, in this case, is to multiply our loaves and fishes.  Remember the widow’s mite.  Her gift was the most significant to Jesus.  Our first priority is to gather monthly commitments.  However, if God puts it on your heart to do more, this is the next priority.  If you can’t make an ongoing commitment, this is another option – no amount is too small (I’m going to digress on this point at the end).

Travel – We will travel to Ludlati 2-3 times every year.  “We” does not mean Jim, Jen, Don, and/or Barbra.  It means anyone and everyone from our group who feels led to go.  If that’s you… now or any time in the future, contact us.  God will make the way.

Ok, but HOW will we do the HOW?

Our financial support will go through Children’s Hope Chest (CHC), a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (tax term there, can’t help myself).  Delivery of food, discipleship, and coordination of travel will be a joint effort of CHC and Adventures in Missions (AIM), another nonprofit organization. Daily cooking and food distribution will be a volunteer effort of a handful of local Swazi women who are already giving of their own scarce resources to do what they can for these kids.  Combined, our monthly support, capital projects, travel, and the efforts of compassionate volunteers and CHC/AIM staff will turn an undeveloped piece of land into a source of life and hope for kids who currently have, at best, a tenuous grasp on both.

Details regarding the actual execution of donations to our carepoint are currently being arranged with CHC.  But we need to begin gathering our support now.  If you want to help in any of the ways listed above, comment on this post or contact us.  If not us, who? If not now, when? 

I promised to digress (of course you know by now that I’ll do that even without a promise to do so).  The widow’s mite.  Consider that for a moment.  Let me tell you a story.  A true story about a family that does not have much money.  A family with a lot of kids (I lost count a while ago).  When we invited our KTM group to participate in the cost of Don’s trip, they had nothing to give.  So these kids painted rocks, took them around their neighborhood, and sold them as paperweights.  They gave all of that money for Don’s trip.  Here’s the point: I don’t give a flying rip about the accounting measurement of what I have given compared to what they have given.  Their gift is immeasurably greater than mine.  From this day on, I will strive to live up to their example.  They gave all they had – their time, their effort, and when they generated money, they considered $0 of it to be theirs and gave it all.  I have given from my abundance, they gave their all.  Seems like Jesus had something to say about that widow’s mite.

Now here’s the really good part.  This is all joy.  None of this is a guilt trip, none of this is arm-twisting.  I spent 39 years searching, praying, fighting for the peace and joy that I knew should be part of my walk with God.  Never got it.  Maybe glimpses, but certainly not in full.  It was always there, but I was standing to the side while the river flowed by.  He will do His part.  He was always yearning to do His part for me.  All I had to do is step into the river to be washed over.  Stepping into the river is only accomplished by doing our part.  Not by standing outside His will and demanding that the river move to us.  Perhaps my experience cannot be generalized to all of us.  But read His Word critically, read the scriptures under “About” / “Perspectives” on the menu bar above.  Maybe I’m right… maybe.

Look, I’m not going to pretend to have it all together.  I don’t. That’s the beauty of this.  You don’t have to do anything great, just take one significant step into the river, the joy you receive will draw you in as deep as you are supposed to go.  He will do His part.  In this case, part of that is our joy and part is multplying our loaves and fishes.  If he is God, what is the difficulty?