Jesus

A Mind Blowing Act of Service

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I went to the movies again. This time, I watched The Chosen episodes 4-6 of season 4. As usual, it was incredible and moving. I won’t post any spoilers in case those reading haven’t made it to the theater or are waiting for the episodes to hit streaming.

One fascinating character that had increased prominence in these episodes was Judas Iscariot, masterfully portrayed by Luke Dimyan. He captures all the nuances of the disciple most known for betraying Jesus.

I know I just said that I wouldn’t post spoilers, but this one is in the Bible, folks. It’s not like anyone who has had even a passing knowledge of Scripture and the Gospels doesn’t know who Judas Iscariot is. I know you know the phrase “Judas’ kiss” referring to the act that identified Jesus to the ones who arrested Jesus.

I was reminded of the night where Jesus instituted Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, and started off by washing the disciples’ feet. The part that struck me particularly was where Jesus washed the feet of Judas Iscariot.

It blows my mind that Jesus washed the feet of the very one who was to betray Him, knowing full well that Judas had it in his heart to betray his Rabbi and Messiah. I remember the quote that said that the true test of discipleship isn’t as much about loving Jesus as it is loving Judas.

Jesus wasn’t speaking in abstract theory when He talked about loving your enemies. He had very specific individuals in mind, including some of the Pharisees and Scribes and Judas himself. Jesus spoke from a very real place where people were actively seeking to destroy His ministry and end His life.

Jesus never calls any of us to do anything He was unwilling to do. When He calls us to forgive those who hurt us and love our enemies, we can remember that Jesus forgave the very ones who killed Him as they were in the very act of murdering Him. And now we have the Spirit of Jesus living in us to enable us to live out everything that Jesus commands of us.

My mind is officially and completely blown.

Chariots of Fire

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One of my favorite movies of all time, Chariots of Fire, is based on an actual true story. The film is an account of the life of Eric Liddell, or at least the part of his life where he chooses between going to China to be a missionary and training for the Olympic games.

The movie hit theaters back in 1981. I can’t say with 100% confidence that everything portrayed in the movie is the way it actually happened. Hollywood does tend to take liberties for the sake of dramatic tension and for those feel-good moments.

I can say that the real Eric Liddell was willing to live and die for the sake of the gospel. He ended up going to China after the 1924 Olympics (spoiler alert), where he remained until his death in 1945. He literally sacrificed his life at age 43 for Christ because he felt that to lose your life is to gain it and to die for Christ is gain.

These are his actual words that reflect the heart of a true missionary and follower of Jesus Christ:

“I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Creator, infinitely holy and loving, who has a plan for the world, a plan for my life, and some daily work for me to do. I believe in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, as Example, Lord, and Savior. I believe in the Holy Spirit who is able to guide my life so that I may know God’s will; and I am prepared to allow him to guide and control my life. I believe in God’s law that I should love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, and with all my strength; and my neighbor as myself. I believe it is God’s will that the whole world should be without any barriers of race, color, class, or anything else that breaks the spirit of fellowship. To believe means to believe with the mind and heart, to accept, and to act accordingly on that basis” (Eric Liddell).

Befriending Your Pain

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Note: this was originally posted on October 10, 2021:

“I want to say to you that most of our brokenness cannot be simply taken away. It’s there. And the deepest pain that you and I suffer is often the pain that stays with us all our lives. It cannot be simply solved, fixed, done away with. . . . What are we then told to do with that pain, with that brokenness, that anguish, that agony that continually rises up in our heart? We are called to embrace it, to befriend it. To not just push it away . . . to walk right over it, to ignore it. No, to embrace it, to befriend it, and say that is my pain and I claim my pain as the way God is willing to show me his love” (Henri Nouwen).

C. S. Lewis said that God speaks to us through our pain. Oftentimes, pain is the only way for God to get our attention, distracted as we are by our pleasures and pursuits. Living in a beautiful but broken world, it’s not hard to find pain. God simply uses that pain to speak to us, to gently remind us that He is near, to mold us into something closer to His likeness.

A Good Biography

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I’ve been reading Billy Graham’s autobiography, Just As I Am, for the last few weeks. I’ve always admired him as a preacher and an evangelist, but I didn’t realize the scope of all that he did during his lifetime.

Billy presents himself as a simple servant of God who was faithful to preach the gospel and to proclaim the cross of Christ every time He preached. He attributed every bit of success and fame in his personal life and his ministry solely to the power of God.

I get blown away by the sheer magnitude of all his crusades. He literally preached to millions and saw countless numbers who came to faith in Christ. He was able to proclaim God’s message of salvation all over the world and go to places where others hadn’t been able to go.

The best part is that Billy Graham was as honest about his failings as he was about his successes. He was willing to admit when he used poor judgment and throughout his humility and dependence on God for everything was clear.

I wasn’t planning on reading biographies, but so far this year, I’ve listened to a two-part biography on Elisabeth Elliott and read a biography on Keith Green in addition to this one. It’s amazing how God is able to use those who are surrendered to His purposes and plans, who are willing to give up their own plans and do whatever God says. When you and I can come to the end of our finiteness and frailty and say, “Thy will be done,” then God steps in and does what only He can do, which is often the impossible.

Happy Ash Valentines Wednesday Day

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“Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:
create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever” (Collect, First Day of Lent Commonly Known as Ash Wednesday, The Book of Common Prayer).

In case you got confused, today is both Valentines Day and Ash Wednesday. Apparently, it happened before in 2018 and will happen again in 2029, so this is just practice.

As I have learned, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a season of repentance and fasting. Typically, the participant will choose to fast from a kind of food or an activity for the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. I have traditionally fasted from social media.

Practically speaking, that means that I catch myself mindlessly opening up my Facebook app numerous times before I quickly minimize it and remember that it’s Lent. I try not to be uber-legalistic about Lent, but I also recognize how easy it is to slip into a social media addiction if I’m not constantly vigilant.

The purpose is to give up something that means something to you so as to free up more time to focus on preparing for Easter. I’m really good at the giving up part but not so much at the preparing part. It’s easy to replace one mindless activity with another if I’m not careful.

Easter and Christmas need each other. Without Christmas and the virgin birth, there is no Easter. Without Easter, Christmas has little or no meaning. Without either, we are still stuck in our sins and without hope.

This Lent season will hit different because I am once again in career transition. This year, I will have no excuse for not making time to really get ready for Easter Sunday. I will have more time to devote to prayer in seeking the face of God.

Hopefully, I will be wiser this year and actually use the time well. Hopefully, we all will.

The Smallest Blessing

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“Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will deserve to receive greater. Value the least gifts no less than the greatest and simple graces as especial favors. If you remember the dignity of the Giver, no gift will seem small or mean, for nothing can be valueless that is given by the most high God” (Thomas a Kempis).

First off, you should find a copy of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis and read it as soon as humanly possible. This book is a timeless classic that has stood the proverbial test of time and remains relevant.

But also, if you want to step into all the fullness of God’s provision and blessing, you need to appreciate what you have. You need to learn how to give thanks for the smallest blessings that are easy to miss and take for granted. And by you, I mean me. I need to do these things.

Also, if you feel stuck in a phase of your life, you might want to see if there are any areas in your life where you are being disobedient to a command of God. There’s probably something that God wants you do to but that you have not done because you simply don’t want to do it. And again, by you I mean me.

The most clear part of God’s will is in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 where it says to rejoice always, give thanks in everything, and pray without ceasing (not necessarily in that order). The verse explicitly says that this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

In other words, learn to cultivate an attitude of joy, prayer, and thanksgiving. Learn to love what God loves and love who God loves. Always put others ahead of you and God above all. And remember that Christianity is not like all those other religions where the key word is DO, as in what must I DO to appease the deity, how can I make sure I’m good with my higher power, but Christianity’s key word is DONE, as in Jesus already fulfilled everything you need for heaven and all you need to DO is receive that gift of salvation by faith.

Do the Next Thing

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In case you couldn’t read the picture, here’s the poem in a little bigger font:

From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the doors the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DO THE NEXT THING.”

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing.

Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.

That’s the key. As Oswald Chambers said, trust God and do the next thing. It’s not about figuring out God’s complete will for your life or knowing how the next six months or six years are going to play out.

Just be faithful with the next thing you know God wants you to do, be obedient to what you know Jesus has asked of you (pray always, be anxious for nothing, give thanks, stay grounded in God’s word), and keep your eyes on the next step on the walk of faith.

I don’t know who wrote the poem. I know Elisabeth Elliott quoted it. I know the words speak truth that I need to remember and heed.

Trust God and do the next thing.

Lesson from The Chosen

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I went to the theater to watch the first three episodes of the new season of The Chosen. The fact that I am voluntarily paying money to watch television in a movie theater is a bit mind-boggling when I really think about it, but I don’t regret it for one moment.

One moment that caught my attention was a conversation between Roman Gaius and the disciple Matthew. Bear in mind that Matthew used to work for Gaius as a tax collector [mild spoiler alert following].

Gaius remarks about how much more peaceful and relaxed Matthew is than in the olden days. Matthew’s reply is what made me sit up in my seat and pay attention. He said, “I have only one thing to do today. Follow Him. The rest takes care of itself.”

That sounds remarkably like a passage from Matthew’s gospel: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV).

It also served as a reminder to me that I don’t have to worry about so many things. It’s not my job to work out every detail of my future and worry myself sick over things like the next job or a new car or what may or may not happen to me or to those I love.

My job is to follow Jesus. My job is to seek after the things of God. If I do the first part, then naturally I will be doing the second. It’s impossible to be around Jesus and not love the things He loves and look more like Him a little more every day.

So maybe the lesson for today is to fret less and follow more.

I Need Jesus

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That’s it. I need Jesus, not a better car or a better job or a more stylish wardrobe or a devoted spouse.

Because at the end of the day, a better car will eventually break down and need to be replaced.

A better job will have its own issues and you can still get fired or downsized or laid off there, too.

Wardrobes go out of fashion fast. What was stylish last year is already laughable. Plus, clothing wears out like anything else.

Spouses are great, but they can’t be everything. If you’re expecting a marriage to fix all your problems and for your spouse to fulfill all your needs, you are going to be bitterly disappointed. There’s a reason why over half of marriages (including Christian marriages) end in divorce.

Anything not rooted in Jesus is bound to fail and fall short. If I’m not satisfied in Christ at my deepest level, then nothing else will ever bring me lasting peace or joy or contentment. I will always be stuck in the more syndrome — a little more money, a little bigger house, a different partner, a better career, and so on unto infinity.

The saying remains true. Everything but Jesus = nothing. Nothing else but Jesus = everything.

The Ye Old Quest for a New(er) Car

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I figured out it’s been a while since I actually had to look for a car. The car that I’ve had for the past 10 years was my Mom’s old car that they sold to me when they got a new car. That was in 2013. Before that, I found out my cousin was selling his old Jeep that he had barely ever driven. That was in 2003.

Before that, I can’t really remember. I had a 1988 Ford Taurus for my very first car that I think I bought from a used car dealership. Then I got another Taurus, this one a 1993. I remember very little about the actual process. I remember looking at a few cars that seemed like a good idea to me at the time but probably wouldn’t have worked out. One was an older BMW convertible with a non-working A/C. One was a car brand that didn’t even exist anymore but looked cool and had leather seats.

I’ve learned to trust God’s timing in all things, not just in car shopping. In my experience, God usually never gives me what I ask for when I ask for it. Or it seems like my requests take a long time to reach God’s ear.

But I can attest that God’s provision is never a moment too late. I can trust that God’s denials can be as much of a blessing and a grace as God’s gifts, though they may not seem like it at the time.

Today, I looked at a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. It looked great, but there were a couple of red flags that made me hesitate. So the process goes on. But as I’ve learned, what I end up with will be better in the end. Plus, the process will be a learning and growing experience.

If you know of anyone who’s selling a relatively new Wrangler, I’m in the market. Plus, I really like the color red.