Baptism and Temptation

March 22, 2010

Have you ever experienced a spiritual high? Perhaps around the campfire at a summer camp? Or perhaps during an Emmaus Walk? Perhaps after an intense period of prayer. Contemplatives might meditate for years before experiencing an intense revelation of God. If you’ve ever had this experience, you think it will never end. You’ll live your life on the mountaintop of emotional and spiritual ecstasy. You have seen the revelation of God and now you know everything.

Then things change. You are besieged by demons that you never knew existed before. That spiritual high has been replace by doubts, you are tempted to do things you’d have never  before thought of doing. Trust me. It happens. If you are in that latter period of life, don’t despair. You are not unique, and if you remember your source of love and understanding, then you’ll recover and grow.

Mark briefly describes Jesus’ baptism by John then says immediately Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted. He doesn’t go into any detail of the experiences that Jesus had. Only says that he was tempted by Satan and the angels waited on him. We get a glimpse of some of the details of the temptations from other gospels–and of how Jesus was able to quote from spiritual texts to answer the temptations.

We learn from this that we should expect temptations, doubts, spiritual and emotional turmoil after agreeing to living a life with God. We learn that by consciously recognizing the temptation for what it is and answering by studying what the Bible and saints who have overcome this tell us about how to go beyond the problems to a renewed life with God. “Get behind me, Satan,” as the comedian Flip Wilson used to say in one of his characters.

Jesus is the pioneer and example of our faith. If he had temptations, you can be we will. But we know that they are but a momentary obstacle on our road to life. Let the angels minister to you (and other people). Continue your life with God.

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Personal Responsibility

March 19, 2010

Someone will come to prepare the paths for the way of the Lord. John came preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

The people in the area had suddenly experienced a hunger in their souls. When that hunger strikes, actually it’s less “strikes” than a growing feeling of discomfort. The feeling that something is missing. Participation in religious ritual is supposed to take care of that. You bring the sacrificial offering on the Day of Atonement when the High Priest performs a ritual and declares the sins of the entire people forgiven for the past year.

But somehow that impersonal ritual isn’t quite cutting it anymore. You need more. It’s the feeling a friend expressed once when I noted that his tradition says “for ever and ever” at the end of the Lord’s Prayer instead of just “forever” like mine. “We need a little more assurance,” he told me. Such was the feeling among a significant portion of the population in the nation.

So John said, “You take responsibility for your sins, you take responsibility for recognizing your actions and you take responsibility for talking to God about them and you take responsibility for asking the Lord directly for forgiveness.” It’s between you and God. First you have to take an honest look at yourself. That’s a difficult step. Most  of us can look in a mirror and see what we think is ourself, not what we really look like. But telling someone else about our failings is an even more difficult step. Then to publicly acknowledge that through a public, yet personal, ritual of baptism–the level of difficulty keeps growing.

But in the end–that hunger, that disquieting feeling of something missing all goes away. You can find peace, joy, focus.

For the priest profession, though, that process had to be threatening. “How will we make a living?” they must have thought. “And what about our status in the community if no one needs our services? We should all know about those feelings. We’re just ending a period of economic disruption where many people and companies are thinking the same thing. Be understanding, it’s a human reaction. But the priests needed to take personal responsibility, too. In just 70 years, they were out of a job anyway thanks to the Romans.

In the space of three years, forces were unleashed that changed the world forever. It started with a call to people to take personal responsibility for their thoughts and actions, to acknowledge where they needed to grow, and to ask God to walk with them. It started with a weird guy in the wilderness calling them.

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Is this Age of Cynicism Hardening Our Hearts

March 15, 2010

Jesus discussed whether we are prepared for the seed of God’s Word in our lives through the parable of the sower. He said that there were four types of ground upon which the seed fell. Only one was receptive and grew and produced more seed in turn.

One type of soil was hardened from people walking on it–it was a path. The seed could not even take root and died almost immediately.

Take a look at today’s American culture. We have a growing political movement apparently springing from the distrust of many toward those who may even be trying to help them. We have people who suspect every motive of people who don’t agree with them. Others are convinced that one group or another is out to get them.

These people are not fertile soil awaiting planting of God’s seed. They are not prepared to multiply God’s love by letting the seed of God’s Word sink in and through their lives. I grieve for this lost opportunity for them to be receptive. To let the Spirit in. To live a life free from suspisions, where their lives are determined by others, where they are not free to live in God.

We can actually choose which ground we want to be. The first step is to recognize which we are, then to cultivate, work the soil, pull the weeds and become the fertile ground for God.

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You have a choice

March 12, 2010

The small band of early Christ followers lived in a world where the political climate suddenly changed from benign to antagonistic. The government, which doubled as a religion in order to encourage allegiance and headed by the “Son of God, Prince of Peace,” changed heads and the new one didn’t like the little, but fast growing, sect. Without the government’s stamp of approval, it was difficult to engage in commerce. Plus, some of your friends started disappearing only to found later–dead. Rome was the Great Satan as far as they were concerned.

People always have choices. Sometimes it’s like the old saying, a choice “between a rock and a hard place.” But it’s still a choice. You can choose how you respond. These people had to make a decision about how to respond. Should they buckle under to the pressures of the government and their neighbors? Did they have alternatives? In the end the question was–who is really right?

John, their exiled pastor, wrote to his followers in a popular style that has perplexed 2,000 years of scholars. The apocalyptic style uses imagery and visions and metaphors to make its point. The Revelation of John is unique in the Bible. It is neither history nor preaching. But it surely convinced his followers about where the choice lay and what was the correct alternative.

The choice is between doing business the way everyone else does recognizing more than one god. You acknowledge the state as god, get along with society, and then quietly worship your “other” god. That is just what people had done for some time in Roman society. John called that Babylon the whore. Or–you could choose to continue to follow God, reject the false gods, and live a “with-God” life. You choose.

John described two cities. In one lived everyone who was despicable, evil, cheaters, thieves, murders. It was ruled harshly. In the other one everything and everyone was pure and light. People there lived with God constantly. They had no fears. And, by the way, in the end–God wins. John says that many who faced the choice and saw the results still chose Babylon. He asks them to choose.

You have the same choice today. The new Babylon is not Rome, per se, but Babylon still exists. And the choice to live in the New Jerusalem in a “with-God” life still exists. You can choose whom to follow and how to live. As motivational gurus like to say, not deciding is a decision–the wrong one. John’s followers must have made the right decision. The body of Christ followers grew. How about you? Better decide.

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You Are Heard

March 11, 2010

A gathering of believers meets in the courtyard of the largest dwelling among the members. The political winds have changed, and now they are considered enemies of the state for denying the religion of the State. It’s hard to do business if you don’t pledge your allegiance to the State religion. In fact, friends and neighbors are sometimes killed upon being recognized as members of this new religious sect–The Way, or Christ Followers. Questions tumble through their minds. Is our cause hopeless? Are we in the right? Does God care? Will we all be wiped out?

So their pastor sends a message from his distant exile home to encourage them. He writes it in a popular form of apocalyptic literature. He describes several visions he had where God, His angels and Jesus talk to him to reveal God’s Truth. We have that “book” handed down to us as The Revelation of John.

One of the recurring images is that of bowls of burning incense around the throne of God. These are described as the prayers of the saints. (Usually in visions, physical things are symbols of spiritual things. In fact, Jesus himself in his parables often used physical descriptions to stand for spiritual truths.) John was telling his followers through this metaphor that their prayers are heard by God. Further, the prayers of those who have been murdered by the State are especially heard by God. So, take heart. Don’t be discouraged. God is there. God wins–in fact, has won. And you are heard. Amen.

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How do you pray

March 3, 2010

I was teaching on this theme of life-giving water, or the river of life in Revelation, and thinking of approaching the picture in prayer. In one of the traditions (or maybe more than one) of prayer and meditation I’ve practiced, the teachers discourage images or thinking in pictures. I disagree. I’ve found it very helpful to read a story and meditate by putting myself in that picture. My trips to Israel have been very helpful in that regard now seeing the actual places (albeit changed from thousands of years ago, I’m sure).

So, do you pray by thinking of yourself and the things you are demanding God to do for you? Or do you set aside time to see what God’s demanding of you? In terms of this image of drinking life-giving water, I’ve found it a good way to do the latter. Meditate on being filled with the water that gives life. That’ll open you to listening to what God wants for you.

A preacher talking on leadership suggested listening to what the people are praying for. If they are always petitioning things for themselves or the usual list of sick people but are not asking God to help them talk to someone about God or find their ministry, then your church may have a problem.

He’s right. Open yourself up to God, then help others do the same. It’ll change your church–and you.

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Living waters

February 25, 2010

While reading in Revelation, I came across the image of Jesus giving water from the spring of the water of life in the New Jerusalem. This image echos the Gospel of John, where Jesus offers living water. In Jeremiah, God refers to himself as living water. Zechariah talks about the eventual coming of God to earth where living waters will flow from Jerusalem to the west and to the east.

Now obviously the various writers were not referring to H2O water. These are all a metaphor of God’s Spirit which feeds us, enters our body and gives us true life. But…what image do you see when you read these passages? Every time I read them, I cannot help but see myself drinking deeply–almost ceaselessly. It’s like the Spirit continues to flow into my soul giving nourishment and life.

What is this life? Well, it starts with the “With God” life as Richard Foster would say. I will act and behave toward others and myself in such a way that reflects my living with God. I’m sure there is an eschatological meaning about life after death. But what matters to me now is how I act. When people see me do they see someone full of the living water? When I act, am I bringing that living water to others?

Go back and see what you picture when Jesus is offering you a drink from the jar at the well or from the spring in the new Jerusalem. Fix that picture in your mind as you meditate. Then take it with you. Be filled with Spirit.

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Making the correct decision

February 24, 2010

I’m in the midst of teaching my group from the book of Revelation. This is one of the most misunderstood books in the entire Bible. I’m sure that some of the class is not happy that I have yet to broach tribulation and rapture–but those aren’t in the book. Hal Lindsey in some books popular in the 70s tried to tie it in, but he never convinced me (when I read his books with the scriptural text open beside his book).

Every time you study a familiar book, you discover new ideas and truths that just never occurred to you before. With this reading something struck me very hard–decision. You will make a decision (whether you meant to or not). You will have to live with that decision. You will have to answer to God about that decision. God will show you the consequences of your decision (especially if it’s the wrong one). The amazing thing is that at least twice (I didn’t go back and count) in the vision, people who chose wrongly did not repent and change direction but indeed continued to sin. Then they were punished.

Do you know people like that? Are you like that? Say you’re faced with overwhelming evidence that your lifestyle is killing you, are you willing to change? Is your relationship at rock bottom, but you’re not willing to change? Is your relationship with God nonexistent? Are you willing to change your life and say, “Yes, God, I want to live my life with You”?

This is the season of Lent. A time of reflection of the meaning of Jesus’ life, death and life again. As the writer of Hebrews says, Jesus is the pioneer of our faith. The pioneer goes first and shows the way. All we have to do is change our life–every day of our life–and live with God just like Jesus did. Something to ponder during Lent. I will.

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Phoning it in

February 18, 2010

Do you find yourself going through the motions–as they say–at your job or ministry? We have a phrase “phoning it in” meaning that we aren’t really involved with what we’re doing and are remote from our work. Marketing guru Seth Godin ran into a friend who is in the ministry who said that often she’s just going through the motions. He asks, are you doing that yourself in all your jobs? Shouldn’t you be doing something that you are passionate about so that you are spiritually moved by the effort?

I think we all can get sucked into ministries that we are doing just because we couldn’t say no. Then we just phone it in. I love to see those who are doing a spiritually active job. Think of the many ministries going on around Sidney First–outreach to orphans and to sexual victims in Mexico, the school in Haiti, orphans in China, flood victims in New Orleans, disadvantaged in Sidney through the Alpha Center and other ministries.

Don’t phone it in. If you are–quit. Then do something that excites the fire within.

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Giving your attention

February 16, 2010

I travel widely on business and wind up having dinners with a variety of people from diverse backgrounds. I find that discussions can often turn to either spiritual topics or difficulties that the other person is enduring. Sometimes in the midst of business or engineering talk, another issue comes up. I need to be ready to deal with the new reality. Dallas Willard said that the first act of love is the giving of attention. I’ve noticed that before the giving of attention, you must learn to shift your focus to the other person so that you can then concentrate your attention on them. How often do you talk with someone and you notice that their attention is somewhere else and only superficially on you?

Jesus had this knack. He could be busy going somewhere, attending to something else, preaching, and then he would be interrupted. He could quickly shift the focus of his attention on the person, take in their need or question, and then deal with it in an appropriate manner. When they talk about being Christ-like, this is surely one of the elements.

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