Faith

So our bible study has been reading The Kings Cross by Tim Keller.  Throughout the process of reading the book I've found myself growing a ton.  To briefly describe the book I would say its a hybrid commentary/teaching of the Gospel of Mark.  Keller does an awesome job of using a historical and linguistic context of the scripture, and then weaving it into how it relates to the cross and Jesus.  While there is no, what ill call, "overall theme" for the book, it mainly sticks to going through Mark chronologically (as the text is written).

While reading the last couple chapters (that our bible study has gone through) I've found some very practical and awesome truths which have begun to grow me individually.  One such thing was dealing with the story of Jesus calming the storm.  Specifically dealing with the statement Jesus says: "Do you have no faith?" or also "Where is your faith?"  In the midst of this Keller presents the ultimate truth in this.  Is our faith based on "how much" or is it based on the object itself.  The analogy in which Keller gives is one falling off of a cliff.  As they're falling they notice a branch.  How much faith is needed for the person to reach out and grab the branch?  One does not need much faith in the branch to grab out, just the faith in itself that the branch could prevent the imminent end of the fall.  To finish this story he presents the statement:

 "That's because it's not the quality of your faith that saves you; it's the object of your faith. It doesn't matter how you feel about the branch; all that matters is the branch. And Jesus is the branch."

Later he goes on to note that Faith is ultimately a gift, and not a virtue.  This idea of faith as a gift is a crazy thing.  Certain scriptures even point to this truth (Romans 12:3 or Ephesians 2:8 for example).  Underneath all of this is the crazy, awesome, and even scary truth: God is ultimately the one who controls the "measure" of our faith.  Just because you may "believe more" doesn't make you any more a follower of Jesus.  The underlying and great news of all of this is that faith is based on its source, the object of the thing: Jesus.  What defines us as Christians is Jesus. He is the Branch. He is the Vine. Our faith is because of Him. It comes from Him. It IS Him.  If this is the base of your faith, that it is the object and not the quantity, then you can rest knowing He is ultimately in control.  What an awesome truth.

You Called. You Shouted.

To first note this blog isn't going to be about 1 Corinthians (though I am still pressing through it!).  This post is mostly just going to be a reflection on some things. To start ill post this quote from St. Augustine's Confessions:

"Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace."

Along with this quote, the song "Alive Again" by Matt Maher (which is written using this excerpt) have both been awesome reminders lately of what God has done in my life.  I don't think any words could better sum up for myself, or any believer for that matter, the way God pursues each of us.  C.S. Lewis refers to Jesus as the "Hound of Heaven" in a quote about his conversion.  Whatever the case, in the midst of my life I have certain points I look at and see a certain stamp God placed over that event or time.  The above is an ever constant reminder that the "Hound of Heaven" busted down the gates of my life, and brought me unto himself.

One such moment I cant get passed (which if you know me you have surely heard the story) is my knee injury from my junior year of high school.  Up to the point I had just weeks before had the greatest week of my life at Frontier Ranch (a Young Life Camp).  While I would have considered myself a christian at that point (pre-camp even) it was evident God was doing big things in my life.  He had surrounded me with an awesome community, and was beginning to show me what a relationship with him looked like.  On my part, however, I still was very much consumed with some of the same old things in my life, notably football.  Being the one thing I was ever really good at it had become a major idol in my life, especially in high school.  It was a source of pride for me as I would run out the tunnel, or make a big play.  From middle school on I based all of my goals around it, from playing varsity as a sophomore to one day playing college ball.  Whatever the case it was something which was hindering my growth with Jesus.

After accomplishing gaining a starting role I saw everything going "my way".  That is when God threw a curve ball.  Just 3 days after our first game I tore my ACL and in a moment was done for the season.  While my immediate reaction was somewhat negative, I soon began to see the ultimate good which came from the injury.  Within that God set the path for my entire life.  While in the end my goals were short-sided and ultimately meaningless, God's plan was to begin molding me into who I am today.  In particular He showed me that this world would never ultimately satisfy me.  To this day I continue to hold fast to that season of my life.  It often scares me to think where I would be today had my own plans found success.  Now 6 years in the future I'm continually thankful for the moments like this in which God decided to break down the doors of my life and reveal himself.

Leadership

Upon reading and reflecting a little bit on the 3rd chapter of 1 Corinthians, I've found some conviction and encouragement from what Paul had to say.  While the letter continues to address a lack of "maturity" and "wisdom" from the church in Corinth, he also goes into a bit on good leadership.  While many use this as an example of building a church as a minister, it is invaluable to anyone in a leadership position.

The first bit of this chapter is simply dealing with the "celebrity" (as one commentary put it) that the Corinthians were making of certain leaders they had.  As examples Paul cites himself and Apollos as two camps these Christians were creating.  Along with this they were feuding over which side had the better leader, more genuine conversion, etc....  The climax to this is Paul's exclamation that each leader had it's own function - Paul planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.  In my years as a leader this is something which is both an encouraging yet hard to put into practice truth.  Often times I am to busy trying to make my young friends grow.  I so want them to so grip the gospel that I in effect try to make them grow.  How comforting of a thought it is to know that God will do the work, we just need to show up and love our friends in the way Jesus loves us!

It is after this that Paul goes into how he built his church (which is also how we should build our ministry whether it be a church, Young Life, or whatever).  First we deal with the foundation.  There can be no other foundation outside of Jesus.  If he is not the beginning and main support of our ministry then it will fall.  This of course is also reflected in the gospels when Jesus calls himself the "Solid Rock".  The next part of this is where our work comes into play, and to be quite honest can be somewhat scary, yet also encouraging.  Paul explains 2 ways to begin building off of this foundation.  On the one side one can use the cheap, easy materials - wood, hay, or straw.  On the other gold, silver, or costly stones.  In the end though is where it matters, as Paul states: 

"...their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames."

At first glance one could see this as something for their own life (which I don't think would be wrong), but in the context Paul puts it we are looking at ministry.  In the end what we have done with our ministry will be shown.  I found this scripture to be encouraging in pushing me to build my ministry with "the good stuff".  As a leader I cannot settle for the easy stuff, the stuff that is easily burned off.  I must go deeper, invest more time, and be more intentional when working with such a firm foundation.

To end this post Ill post something which seemed to encompass the idea of leadership.  I was listening to the radio on the way home the other day when I found a lady speaking on one of the christian talk stations.  She sounded so genuine and in love with Jesus.  While after a while I found it was more of a message for women (more specifically mothers) I came away with one quote she had.  Instead of butchering it ill just rephrase it:  People will not accept my Jesus, until they see what my Jesus has done in my life, or can do in theirs.  As a Young Life Leader, or even in a general sense as a christian, this is how ministry should work.  By showing what Jesus can, has, and will do in our lives, people will see him first hand.  Later in 1 Corinthians 3 Paul says we are now God's temple, and his spirit is within us.  Therefore, we are now the image of Christ to the world; the image of the invisible God.  So lets go out and let the world see it!

The Wisdom of 1 Corinthians 2

Unfortunately it took me a while to upload this one, but its up now and hopefully I will be more consistent with this.

To start; upon reading this the bulk of what caught me in reading this chapter was from the first part.  Upon looking as a couple commentaries, however, I found the whole thing quite interesting.  Perhaps the greatest element of the letters to the Corinthians, is Paul's ability to take a cultural element relative to peoples lives, and then parallel it (or sometimes even replace it) with a spiritual truth.  In the case of the Corinthians it seems he does it so much more often.  Without knowing the history of the people of Corinth I think studying these letters, while still being beneficial, would in many ways miss the mark which Paul set in writing them.  With that a brief history lesson is in order.

The culture of Corinth was one of logic and wisdom.  Being Greek they would have loved to gather together in masses and debate the logic and mysteries of the world.  With that being said Paul wastes no time talking about wisdom in this letter and the wisdom of the gospel itself.  This beginning section is where I found some conviction.  To start off he begins telling the Corinthians that he came with a message that was not "wise" by human standards.  The conviction for me came in verses 4 and 5:

"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power."

How quick am I to begin speaking simply in terms of logic. As a leader I think that can be the easy way out.  I can always stand up and give a great talk or great reasons on why following Jesus is the way to go.  The problem lies in the fact that that results in people following on "men's wisdom".  How much more powerful it is to let the Spirit be the thing that is winning hearts through me, rather than my own wisdom.  That, Paul states, will allow their faith to rest on "Gods Power".

Now to note, these verses would seem to offer that we shouldn't offer any wisdom when preaching the gospel.  This I think Paul dismisses in his next bit:

"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

So we DO in fact speak a message of wisdom, but one coupled with the spirit.  Upon researching this scripture Paul has more meaning in this than the surface seems to hint at.  One scholar points out his use of a Greek work which means "mature".  To the Corinthians it seemed Wisdom and Maturity were values which they thought of themselves.  Sarcastically Paul simply states that if the Corinthians were truly mature they would understand the wisdom of God.  So in the end he is essentially calling them immature, and calling them out as men who say they follow Christ.

Now back to dealing with wisdom.  The more and more I think about it I feel like wisdom is something fleeting from our culture, specifically with us as Christians.  Listening to a couple lectures Ravi Zacharias gave I was re-introduced to this fact.  In one of the lectures he argues that perhaps one of the biggest problems today, especially int he U.S., is that people don't know why they believe what they believe.  He bluntly says at one point "When was the last time you went to Church and heard a sermon about Why the Bible is True?"  He presents the argument that perhaps the reason so many young people are turning away is because they don't have a logical foundation for what they believe.  In the other lecture he answers a question of what is wrong with the American church.  To put it bluntly he simply says we are not thinkers, but rather "parroters" who regurgitate what we hear with no thought.  He calls out that things like music have become more than what it was intended to be, perhaps shaping our theology more-so than our bibles.  Being a leader I think this is so relevant.  I think students very much so want to follow the gospel, but find themselves in a world of ideas that they cannot logically dispute.  They cannot defend their faith, because they do not know how.

It's time to stop settling for "good feeling" ministry, time to stop giving rehearsed half-full answers.  In first Peter 3, Peter simply states: "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

How can we be taken seriously as Christians if we are unwise in the knowledge of what we believe?  Its not enough to just believe, we need to be thinkers, we need to be doers in our faith, we need to be ACTIVE in a world that needs us to be.

Life, a new year, and First Corinthians

As promised I'm here to begin blogging again! I think I have a new direction I want to take my blog in hopes that it grows me as well as anyone who might be reading it. With that being said first ill just give a brief update on life.

With the new year now in full swing, I (like many others) have examined my last year of life. The result of such has both left me disappointed and hopeful looking ahead. To be quite blunt and to the point, I feel as though last year (more so the last half) was perhaps one of my worst. I cant pin down any specific reasons, whether it be just sheer exhaustion from life or something else I just get a very empty feeling thinking about that season of my life. With that being said I've found hope going forward from this.

I think the main issue I've been wrestling with over these months is trust. With the final semester of my undergraduate life soon to begin its been fairly overwhelming to think in a few short months I will officially be "a part of the world". Within all of that come the questions of "where does God want me to be?" and "Will he get me there?" I have wrestled with purpose more times than I can count along this, what seems like, endless season. The conclusion of which will be towards the end of this post.

Along with the "trust" thing I have also noticed a slip in relationship with other people. As a bit of a confession I've been quite bitter and annoyed by people. Whatever the case it would seem in these cases I've decided to examine the speck in others while ignoring the plank within in me (to use a biblical reference). In the end it just seems as though I chose to distance myself, rather than deal with an inconsistency within others (also ignoring my own inconsistencies). To this I say if you feel I've been this way toward you I'm truly sorry. With all of this weighing on me right now I have found hope in the future. This break has been good in many ways and has resulted in a clear direction being painted before me.

In an attempt to have more consistency in my scripture study and quiet times the idea occurred to me to use this blog more as a commentary as well as a place to blog about life. So that is the direction for this going forward. To be more specific I'll be reading through 1-2 Corinthians and trying to blog about each chapter. Beginning today I found myself looking back on something which I blogged about in the past: foolishness.

Of all the scripture within 1 Corinthians 1 its the verses from 18-34 which really stick out to me. I think Paul sums this all up in saying: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." As I have progressed through academia (specifically the college level) it would seem this scripture has become more and more real to me. We (ill generalize this to anyone who believes in a "higher being", but more so to us as Christians) have begun seeing a rise in the idea that either religion is bad, or only to be seen when its convenient. More-so than other "religions" Christians have been under an even greater attack. By standing firm on certain issues or choosing to live radically different than our culture we are seen as foolish. In the midst of a barrage of ideas and comfort which our culture brings I can honestly say I found myself compromising for these ideas and taking steps backwards in my faith. Looking back now, I see this time of trial and struggle as more of a gateway to grow in my relationship with Christ.

While the story i'm about to tell could signify a turning point, I think it just seems to solidify what I've come to learn over the last few months. With the break from school I found more opportunities to catch up and hang out with some old friends (which was fantastic to note!). With our usual Young Life party cancelled this year I opted to join my friends in going to a bar in Cincinnati. Upon arriving I found myself immediately uncomfortable within the setting (as I don't drink or "party") outside the small 5 ft. circle which me and my friends occupied. As the night went along the bar/club thing continued to get crammed full of people. While just sitting and watching I got a feeling which I've only had a handful of times. As I sat their I couldn't help but have a feeling of hopelessness and just loneliness. As Ezekiel might put it I was in front of a valley of dry bones, looking for anything that might gratify some inherent thirst for pleasure and life. It also left me with a thought: If this is what "real life" is supposed to be (according to the "college culture" it is) then I would much rather live by this "foolishness" that is the gospel. As I look back on the life I've lived since meeting Jesus I cant imagine turning back. While following Jesus may not be easy, I know its right.

To the Blogging World

My blogging hiatus has gone on long enough, my blogging career will soon be resurrected!!