At the Engagement Table

The Jews of Jesus' day had an interesting engagement custom. When a man asked a girl's father permission to marry, and he agreed, then the parents and the couple would meet. The groom-to-be would take a cup of wine, offer it to the girl, and say something like, "With this cup I offer you my life."  At that point the girl could refuse the cup, and turn down the proposal of marriage.  Or she would take it and drink it, accepting him.

Here is your wedding vow into your union with Jesus.

I believe Jesus has this in mind when He institutes the Eucharist. Part of what's going on here is Jesus inviting us into a relationship with Him as personal as marriage. Salvation in Jesus is as joyful as a wedding. Life in Christ is richly rewarding as a marriage is meant to be.

Jesus is the husband of the church. He leads and provides for us. He loves us tenderly and faithfully. We submit to him gladly.  I, Steve, we the church, take You, Lord Jesus to be our wedded bridegroom.

4/27/14

Review: A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul E. Miller

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The best book on prayer I can remember reading.

The first part is the strongest, on dealing with challenges to prayer. Our cynicism, busyness, distractions, need to be in control or to feel useful.

Helpful contrast between two ditches of asking selfishly (demanding) and not asking at all out of cynicism (despair) or super-spirituality (thinking it's irreverent to ask - false humility). Instead we are to ask with faith that surrenders to God.

Prayer is not constant, structured speech, as public prayer leads us to believe. Individual prayer is a mixed time of asking God for things we think we want, thinking through those wants before God, laying ourselves and others before Him, and searching Scripture as the Spirit leads us.

Praying is not disconnected from life, but part of the story.

This book is very good for the soul.



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Anniversary!

I am grateful to God for 16 years of marriage to this wonderful woman.
I love you, Sara.

Easter Eyes Open

The two Emmaus road disciples had their Eyes opened and saw Jesus when they broke bread. In Genesis 3:7 Adam and Eve when they ate had their Eyes open and they knew their nakedness. 

One thing we do at this table is examine ourselves.  Perhaps you are acutely aware of your sin here. Your inadequacy.  This is good. We should realize God won’t be pleased with us; He will be angry.  But we can go off the rails here and try to sew fig leaves for ourselves and hide from God.  We need to see and accept God’s mercy to be accepted. 

We have this at the cross. 

We go on to have our eyes opened and see the risen, living Lord who accepts us and eats with us. We don't just have guilt removed in some abstract, legal way.

You have a Lord who loves you.  

Who knows you.  

Whom you can know.  

Who walks with you even when you don’t see Him.

Who sits down to eat and drink with you until you know Him. 

Are your eyes open to risen Lord Jesus?

4/20/14

Too Good to Be True?

Our emotions and the enormity of events keep us from hearing true words. The disciples in the excitement of Jesus’ popularity could not hear him telling them He would be crucified. And now hearing the news that Jesus is risen, they cannot hear and accept it.  

Whatever events are overcoming you right now – overwhelming temptation, crisis, discouragement – or the exuberant joy of Easter – hear the words of Jesus. He died for your sins and rose for your justification.

Let us confess missing the truth of our need and His provision.

4/20/14

Rejected by the Tolerance Police

While working through back issues of First Things magazine, I found this gem.

“Describing homosexual acts as immoral is not at all like calling black men and women inferior…. The implication is that people who hold such views should have no voice in American society and that homosexuality should be aggressively affirmed in our public and private institutions, while dissent is punished.”  

Related to this, Ray VanderLaan in the Turkish town of Prienne describes the early church situation: if you don’t sacrifice to the gods in the public square, you can’t participate in the economic and social life of the town.  If you don’t sacrifice at town hall, you can’t have a voice in the politics and laws being formulated.

Hm.

Quite relevant, these days.  This rains on the parade of a “Transformational” view of culture. (Engage with culture makers to shape it, instead of dropping out or forming a sub-culture.) There comes a point of divergence when they or you can no longer work together for the civic good.

How does this relate to Daniel working in the highest echelons of Babylon?  It seems God put Daniel in that position without the need to compromise his faith at first.  The king just didn’t ask him about his beliefs, perhaps.  Or he overlooked his beliefs because he was so valuable.

Palm Sunday Praise

Thank You Father, for opening the gate of righteousness that takes us to You.  Thank You for Jesus Christ Your Son who is the door. Though the builders rejected you, Lord Jesus, you are the one stone that sets the whole building straight.  Lord you make every day for us to rejoice and be glad in, but you refer us especially to the Lord's Day, when You raised Him from death. We rejoice not simply in a new day, or fair weather, but in your work through Christ. We cry out hosanna, asking you to save us from certain condemnation for our sins. You are the deliverer from bondage to sin, the King who rides on in majesty, the prophet who judged his unbelieving people, the priest and lamb who offered up a perfect and pleasing sacrifice to God for our sin. we praise you as the triumphant one who has cast out the ruler of this world. As the new Jerusalem, we receive you gladly. You take us to yourself each week in worship, by the spirit. Let us worship you with reverence and fear, with joy and gladness.

4/13/14

The Lamb Does the Lifting

Christ our Passover lamb was sacrificed for us, Paul says in 1 Cor 5.  We no longer choose Passover lambs and sacrifice them and keep that feast. Jesus instituted a new festival for us, on the same night He was betrayed, on the night of Passover. When we eat this bread, it reminds us of the broken body of Jesus on the cross. Torn skin, bloody and scourged. And at the same time, much worse, torn apart fellowship from His Father, for the first time in forever.  When we hold and drink the wine in this cup, we participate in the new redemption, the new exodus.  Israel came out of Egypt, and Moses sprinkled them with blood and called it the blood of the covenant.  Jesus delivers us from the bondage of sin guilt, and gave us this cup, calling it the new covenant.  The blood of the lamb kept the angel of death at bay for Israel. The blood of Jesus covers us from God's understandable wrath against our sin.

4/13/14

Fellowship of Saints Here and There

We are called to discern the body while celebrating the Lord’s Supper. This is usually taken to mean the death of Jesus, His body on the cross. But in context it means the body of believers gathered together to partake. We should recognize each other as fellow Christians for whom Christ died. I talk about this often – don’t just curl up into your “me-and-Jesus” shell when you partake. He means for you to reach out to others as He reached out to you.  

An added dimension to this is remembering names in genealogies like this. Abram, Peleg, Shem, these are men we will meet someday in glory, just as I’ll be reunited with my father, and the Thompsons with Kate. We don’t pray to them, but we sing truly that we have Mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won. Consider just how big and rich God’s story is in the communion of saints. 

And back to this gathering, Let it make you sensitive to who is in this room today – who may need the grace of Jesus extended to them by your words, your hands.

3/30/14

On Forgiving

Mark 11:25-26

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

C.S. Lewis once quipped, "Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive."  Forgiveness is a big hurdle to jump, and a commitment to be at peace that you have to remake day after day. There are times you cannot forgive because someone is hurting you and won’t admit it or repent. But you can be ready to forgive.

Do you need to extend forgiveness to anyone?

Are you ready to forgive if someone demonstrates repentance?

Do you continue to choose forgiveness?

Let us confess our desire to hold things against others, that we love grudges more than grace.

3/30/14

Review: Knowing God

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Another modern 5-star book!

Packer published this series of essays 40 years ago. Packed with Bible, insightful illustrations and helpful application, Packer's greatest strength is keeping the focus on God Himself throughout. He connects theological topics in unexpected ways that call forth our faith, gratitude, obedience, etc.

I regret that it took me so long to get around to reading this book! Get a copy today.



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Look Around!

One thing this Table demonstrates is unity. We are at peace with God, united with Jesus Christ. This meal is a participation in Him, a sharing of His life. The foundation of our unity is Jesus. Without that, the house will crumble and fall. But with it, we have a joy together that knows no bounds. This is why it’s good to look around often while we eat and drink. The favor you show others is a pointer to the favor God has shown us in Christ. We are united in the love and grace of God through Christ.

3/23/14

An Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, again we recall you are holy, that we do not deserve such fellowship with You. But you have graciously made a way to You through Jesus. We bind His name to us this day. We remember why we gather to worship you on this day, for you raised him from death to life on Resurrection Day, putting aside our guilt and death and restoring us in Him to life and favor. As we confess our sins and devote ourselves to you, and partake of Communion, enliven our hearts to beat for you each moment, our minds to pursue knowledge of you, our hands to serve you with passion and wisdom.

Gracious Father, we approach You in the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You, 1 God without beginning or end - Amen.

3/23/14

Delighting in the Bride

Psalm 149:4

"Yahweh takes pleasure in His people."

God delights in His people, the bride He has chosen for His Son. When Jacob served 7 years for Rachel they seemed like nothing to him because of the love he had for her. We go to great lengths to be with the one we love. This is our next question in this Lenten series: Do you delight in the bride of Christ? We certainly delight to be with Jesus Himself as we pray and read His word. But do you realize you are with Jesus here? Where 2 or 3 are gathered, Jesus is there. Jesus delights in His people. If His spirit is in you, then you will share that delight.

This delight is not something we can force or shame or fight into ourselves. It must grow in the heart like flowers grow, not be dragged out of us. We are not always a delightful bunch, but the Lord loved us and gave Himself for us. Will we be like Christ in this way? Do you delight in God’s people?

Let us confess our desire to have Jesus without His bride.

3/23/14

What Do They Need?

Acts 4:32-35

"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need."

When we read these passages we usually get sidetracked into political qualifications. No, this isn’t an enforced communism or socialism but that’s not the point, either. The point is the generosity of the saints with their treasure and their time to serve those in need.

Do you have a growing concern for the spiritual and temporal needs of others?

One mark of the maturing believer is that we see others’ needs more and more, and focus on our own needs less and less. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet in his last week to emphasize this. He came to serve, not be served. Too often we get it the other way around. One way to think of this is whenever you are at church or a party or some get together, be on the lookout and plan to come away with one thing you can do for someone else in the next few days.

Do you care for the needs of others?

3/16/14