Category: Holiness

Confessions of a Deadman

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What would the conversation look like?  The amazement.  The confusion.  He had been dead…as a door nail.  What’s a door nail by the way?…ok I digress.  The look of shock, the spirit of disbelief in his sister’s eyes.  They had been there when he had breathed his last.  They had mourned his passing.  The sting of death still lingered in their hearts and minds like the peeling blister on a sunburn.  This emotional roller coaster had just careened into the station though their stomachs and emotions still lingered somewhere behind them on the track.  

It had been four days since he had died.  Four long and agonizing days.  How his sisters had wept bitterly.  How little they had slept…was this all a dream?  Could this really be happening?  What goes on in the spiritual realm when someone dies?  What did Lazarus go through in those four days of death?  Did he see a great light?  Did he have an out of body experience?  Was he in heaven?  Oh how little we know about the life to come.  

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Sitting at the table with a deadman, what must his sisters have wanted to ask.  “Did you see any family there?”  “Did you meet Yahweh?”  “What was it like?”  Idle curiosity must have played a factor in this postmortem interval family reunion.  After four days in the tomb, in his final resting place, he was hungry.  Sitting at the table with nourishment (evidence and a source of all preservation of life) of water and food Lazarus, who was now reanimated.  He longed to soak up his sister’s presence once more.  They lingered together.  Isn’t it interesting how we miss the company of those we love when we have been far from them?  Death, though only separated by this thin membrane of a veil, had separated these loved ones from each other…now it had been torn with the authority of Jesus’ words;   “Lazarus, come forth!”  

What did Lazarus experience at this call?  Not only did his deceased bones reanimate, but with it organs, blood circulation and brain function reignited as well.  The impossible became possible.  The very breath of life exhaled and inhaled into dormant unusable lungs of a corpse.  

What could he tell his family of such an experience?  What did this deadman have to say?  Jesus, the life bringer, had raised him from the dead…he had kicked the bucket, shuffled off his mortal coil…he was completely and totally devoid of life.  Lazarus had experienced the mystery of the great beyond and his sisters would undoubtedly hang on his every word in his retelling…wouldn’t you?  We read of stories of children and adults who have experienced something when they had “died” and were then resuscitated.  We are truly a curious creation aren’t we?  We want to know what is next.  What comes after this life.  Some ask if there really is something after this life.  I doubt Lazarus would have had any other doubts about the existence of the hereafter.  

Do you have doubts?  We all do from time to time.  Perhaps Jesus needs to breathe some life into our doubting hearts.  Perhaps we need Him to call us forth from our caves or tombs of doubt.  I often find myself like Thomas longing to physically touch his nail wrecked hands and feet.  I long for the tangible frequently when faith has pushed off from the docks of reality and the “real world”.  Please tell me I am not the only one?  Don’t misunderstand what I am saying.  I am not saying I disbelieve, but I am saying that I often find myself on those docks of belief watching faith ship off without me aboard.  I long yearn to be aboard but something has stopped me.  In a very real sense I am the deadman in need of being resurrected.  My faith needs resurrecting daily.  Don’t think ill of me…it’s a principle of momentum.  

Momentum has a way of pushing and driving something forward…if I stop, momentum stops.  In application of this principle, if I stop my prayer life, if I hit the pause button on my devotion life (my quiet times with the Lord), if I halt my daily conversations with The Father…I have lost momentum, and in this loss I am once again a deadman.  I am once again in need of reanimation.  I need to be called forth.  Am I alone in this?  Please tell me I am not.  I doubt I am.  I think you may relate to me.  This is my confession of a deadman…Jesus, call me forth again!  

-Just a thought.  

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“Dear Abby-Normal”

 

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Many of you will recognize the reference from Young Frankenstein and if you have never seen this quote here’s the humorous interaction from the movie – “Whose brain did you put in?”

In the clip Igor mistakenly puts an abnormal brain into the body that doctor Frankenstein is trying to reanimate.  As soon as the “monster” is alive the doctor quickly realizes something is definitely wrong.  Igor thought the label read “Abby-normal”.  

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Are you Abby-normal?

I don’t wish to make light of an advice column but since we’re on the topic of advice, let me offer some advice to my fellow Christ-followers out there.  I don’t claim to have all of the answers, nor would I ever make such a claim.  I do know the One who does have the answers and without Him we are surely lost!  Since we are no longer slaves to sin and Christ has redeemed us we are now different aren’t we?   Essentially we have been transformed or changed and we no longer bear the image of the world.  

ImageHow to be Abby-Normal:

I don’t wish to imply to anyone that we are to be strange or weird, or that we have to be completely divorced from the world around us.  What I am implying though is that the world does become different to us when we peer through the lens of Christ, who has set us free and saved us from or sins.  Thus, to the outside world, we are now considered strangers of “abby-normal”.  We aren’t the same anymore in essence – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

But how do we remain “abby-normal” and still maintain relevance and witness in a world that needs the hope of Christ?  

Here are a couple thoughts on remaining “abby-normal“:

1.  Pray continually & Feast on the word of God!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray continually“.  These words were written to the early believers who, though new in their faith, were facing persecution and pressure.  Prayer is more than just kneeling beside your bed at night or as you wake up in the morning.  Prayer can be a support system, a communication with God on a moment by moment basis.  We don’t need a special place to pray, we can pray in our cars on our way to work.  We can also pray in silence as we walk or in between meetings…or whatever else fills our day.  We do not have to say specific words to make prayer more powerful, God desires our hearts and sincerity.  Prayer is our connection to a limitless God and personal Savior.  

Along side our prayers is the need for us “abby-normals” to feast of God’s Word!  “Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2Tim 3:16,17)  The Word of God has a way of correcting us and providing to us direction in this life.  Though it is true that not everything we face in this life is written about in the days of Jesus…They never had to deal with rush hour traffic or some of our social issues today, but God can speak to us through His Word.  His Word is vital to our growth and will equip us to challenge the world around us.  We are strangers in this world because of our love of this unseen God, but faith has a way of providing for us perseverance especially in times of pressure and trouble.  

2) The Gift of the Holy Spirit

We are not alone in this world.  We have One who goes before us and walks beside us!  At the moment of our salvation the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us.  He can guide us and provide us strength for the journeys we all face.  Romans 8:26 says,  “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Paul wrote these words in the midst of his own struggles and that of the recipient of this letter, but these words should bring comfort to all of us today as well!  We are recipients of the Holy Spirit too and with His help we are never alone in our witness of the resurrected Christ!

To Whom do you belong?  

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:19

We are no longer citizens of the world…”But our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20).  As citizens of Christ we are His, and though the world see us as “abby-normal” we know that truth of this life and how we ought to live it.  But secondly we also know where hope for the world comes from – Christ Jesus.  Therefore as “Abby-normals” we ought to be sharing and declaring this hope with love and joy to those around us.  How we do this begins with how we live and conduct our lives.  Because the world doesn’t want Christians to preach at them…they long for genuineness and authenticity.  If we are walking with God and His Holy Spirit is truly guiding us (which He promises to do) then we have to put feet with our faith and our words.  Living the resurrected life out-loud is so much more effective than mere words or sermons…our lives should be living sermons which will bring others to Christ!  

 “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12

Don’t be ashamed to live an “Abby-normal” kind of life!  Remember your identity as a child of the Most High!  You have been bought with a great price and our mission is to shine and love even if it means we aren’t always accepted.  Shine anyway and live this “Abby-normal” life out-loud!  

-Just a thought!

 

 

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“Ambassadors of Reconciliation”

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“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” -2 Corinthians 5:20

One of my favorite words in the English language is “Reconciliation”.  The etymology of the word reconcile comes from the Latin “reconcilare” which means “to bring together again”.  

When Jesus came into this world and identified with humanity as the God-man He sought to bring together again the original creation of man with God the Father.  Did you catch that?  At one time, in our original state, we were together with God.  He would walk with Adam and Eve.  He would fellowship with them in the garden of Eden.  He actually, physically, walked WITH them.  

But.

Because of original sin, which entered the picture, we became separated from God.  Think of it like a great big, messy divorce…except we were the offending party and God the Father did nothing to deserve our infidelity.  How it must have wrecked His heart to find us unfaithful to Him.  To find out we (Adam and Eve) deliberately and consciously disobeyed Him.  But we all know this story don’t we?  We understand the consequences of the fall of man…don’t we? 

Yes Jesus came. 

He came to set things right with us.  

He came to Reconcile us (back again) into the Father’s arms.  

Think about that for a moment.  Isn’t that beautiful?  Doesn’t that evoke in you some sort of longing to physically be embraced by God the Father as you enter into the wedding feast?  Jesus came to restore us.  He came for the whosoever…those who would actually come seeking Him.  

But, wait…there’s more. 

When we face the God-man, Jesus Christ, for who He is and what He came to do, we make a vital decision.  We, who have then become Christ-followers, we choose to become like Him in our daily living.  A part of this “becoming” is to pick up where Jesus left off.  We follow in the footsteps of the Rabbi, but in so doing we shuck off our old identities and adopt (not just imitate, but become) Christ in  our everything!  

Taking it a step further, we are to be Christ’s ambassadors to the world relaying the vital message of reconciliation to the whosoever. There is a misnomer though that I think we buy into once in a while – “Reconciliation is only for the sinner”.  This is simply not true.  Though we have become like Christ in every way, shape or form (or so we think thus far) we are still in need of THAT reconciliation daily!  

The Hebrew words associated to the word “Ambassador” are: “tsir” or “melits” and “malak”.  Essentially they mean “an interpreter” or “a messenger”.  

When we think of Ambassadors today we think of politicians from certain countries whose job it is to broker peace and trade agreements with other countries.  But we as Christ-followers are also called to be ambassadors of reconciliation to the sinner and the saint.  Taking it a step further being an Ambassador also implies that we are to literally breathe Christ’s message into other people by our words and more importantly by our actions.  

How can we provide clear interpretation of God and that of His love to those around us if we have not fully adopted and reconciled ourselves to His love as well?  If this reconciled life is not within us then we cannot breathe this into other people’s lives.  So as an Ambassador it has to begin with You…and it has to begin with me.  

It first must become personal…daily, even moment by moment breathing Christ’s holiness and likeness into our own hearts and minds through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Philippians 4:8).    

Prayer: 

Dear Lord, let it begin with me.  Breathe on me breath of God, allow me to be reconciled to You daily.  Help me to see that I am called to be your messenger to others, even other saints.  Help me to be the best Ambassador for you that I can be.  May it be my lifelong passion which begins moment by moment with you.  In Your Holy name I pray these things, -Amen.  

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A Word from Samuel Logan Brengle

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“First Things First”
(An excerpt from “Take time to be Holy” edited by Bob Hostetler p. 41)

Take Time to Be Holy

“What shall have primacy with us? What shall have our last thoughts when falling asleep and our first thoughts on waking?

Many thinks make so subtle, so reasonable an appeal as to usurp first place:
1) Our work. Is it not to build God’s Kingdom on earth, to rescue men and women from sin? Yes, it is all that. But it must not have first place.

2) Our position. “Searching for honor is not honorable” (Proverbs 25:27). Those who overlook such truths, while they may attain the desire of their heart, miss the glory that God gives.

3) Our family. This may become a deadly snare. “Whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37), said Jesus.

4) Our education. The better informed and wiser we are, provided we are dedicated wholly to God, the more effectually we can glorify Him. But woe to those who put this first.

What, then, shall be first? That must be first, the loss of which is the loss of all. To lose God is the sum of all loss. If we lose Him, we lose all. If we lose all and still have Him, we shall in Him again find all.”

Let me just add this:
I have often found that one of these other things had suddenly taken God’s place as the #1 priority in my life! How true Samuel Logan Brengle’s words are still for us today! Is God truly on the throne in your life today? If not, perhaps it’s time to do some digging and soul searching so that each of us can get back to serving Him in all that we do and say!

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My Feelings About Fred Phelps Sr. – Pastor of Westboro Baptist Church

“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

 

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Pastor Fred Phelps Sr. is dying.  Over the course of many years now the Westboro Baptist church has been at the forefront of many controversial public protests.  You might remember them for their many anti-gay signs and their now infamous quotes like “Thank God for dead soldiers” and “Thank God for 9/11”!  (Link: http://nypost.com/2014/03/16/westboro-baptist-pastor-in-hospice-care/)

I’m not here to slam Pastor Fred.  He’s already taken a lot of heat and his “church” has even been labeled a hate group.  I will say however that I seriously doubt Jesus would have ever stepped foot in the doors of a church like this…okay maybe He would have to confront them perhaps…I digress.  But I’m not here to judge them on their merits or lack there of.  I’m not even here to condemn this pastor.

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I wonder what it would be like to go to the hospice facility that Pastor Fred is now located at and hold signs not of hate and condemnation, but signs of love and concern?  I’m not saying we should do this but it certainly would be interesting to see the response.  Another thought that came to mind when hearing about his impending death – every person should face death with human decency and dignity including Pastor Phelps.  

At the end of the day if we stoop to the level of outrage and hate like these protests conducted by the Westboro baptist church, we in essence are no better.  I’m not implying that we’re better than they are, don’t get me wrong, I’m just suggesting that instead of celebrating his soon to be passing, let’s pray for Pastor Fred and others like him in our world.  

This world is already too full of hate, too full of extremist fundamentals (and to be fair on the other side of things extreme leftist liberals as well)…this world is already too full of condemnation as well.  We don’t need to fall into these ranks as well.  Jesus once said; “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.“

2 reasons to love our enemies and pray for them: 

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1) It frees us of hate

This section is hard for me.  I personally want to retaliate when someone wrongs me, I want to inflict the same kind of pain on any person who dares do me wrong…but I shouldn’t because it only empties bitterness into my heart.  They say you become what you think about most often, and if I allow this thought of hurting my enemies and vengeance inside me then I am no better a person than they are.  When we open our hearts, as Jesus suggested, to love we catch a glimpse of the divine original purpose for all of humanity.  If I love that person, if I love Pastor Fred despite his actions, I free myself of a kind of hate that destroys hearts and lives.  

Does this mean that justice isn’t pursued or sought out?  Of course not, but remember that God is the judge and ultimately every person will have to stand before Him, so be careful that we have sorted out our own hearts and motives for wanting such justice on others.   

When we are freed from hatred, we can learn to love more…and this leads to being like Christ in our pursuit and His workings of Holiness.  

2) It opens up opportunities for our enemy to find salvation

 

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What takes place when we extend grace to those who have spurned us and done us wrong?  One it really messes with their heads (not our purpose of course) but two, it hopefully causes them to want to change!  Obviously not every one of our enemies will change because we loved them, I don’t want to sell you a pipe dream here, but God can and still does perform miracles does He not?  Enemies still need salvation too, and perhaps someone to show them what real authentic love looks like.  

I want to pray for Pastor Fred Phelps Sr, and for His church.  I know that hate is our natural response to others who show hate, but if we’re to be like Christ, no matter how hard it may be for us, we ought to show love as our response.  Shining dark into dark will only make things darker, but if we shine the light of Christ into that absence of light, lives can be redeemed and drastically changed!  

Pastor Fred, I pray for the remaining hours of life that you have here on earth.  You have a Father in heaven who loves you and wants you to love Him back in return.  May His grace, peace and especially love find its place in your heart.  To the members of the Westboro Baptist church I say, love opens doors that hate never will.  Repent, seek grace and forgiveness and know that other Christ-followers are praying for you with the love of Christ.  We also pray that you will once again see what God is truly saying to you and that you seek to bring peace and grace into the doors of your church.  

-Sincerely in Christ.

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” 
― G.K. Chesterton

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“That Preacher was wrong – confronting a false teaching”

Confronting A False Teaching:

ImageThere is a false teaching in some churches  that I believe begs to be addressed.  At the moment of confession and even in some theological circles the notion that prosperity is just around the corner for a Christian if they just have faith and pray for it is blatantly false.  Sometimes this falsity has been preached by television evangelists to coax those with itching ears to make a commitment to Christ.  Dare I say that many of these evangelists are only interested in their continued success and for that additional statistic of “new converts”.  They sell this lie quite convincingly with words like “If you confess your sins God will enter your life and He will give you whatever you ask of Him.”  These words are twisted from the original John 14:13 passage to imply that if you just pray hard enough God will help pay your bills or buy you that new car or bring you that new job you were dreaming about.  In essence this false teaching makes God out to be some sort of Genie who grants wishes to those who call upon His name.  But how often do these prosperity preachers really explain the above verse correctly?  

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Will things really become a Mary Poppins world when we accept Christ?  Will things remarkably change for us when we confess our sins?  Yes and no.  Of course if we confess and genuinely repent of our sins God’s spirit will indwell within us.  God’s presence will be there to guide us and we will not be alone…BUT does that mean that all of a sudden all of life’s problems will disappear?  NO!  I don’t mean to sound negative or share a dismal offering here but let’s be real – We will still have to face our life and the journey that we are on in this life.  The new element that God gives us once we accept Him is that we are no longer alone on this journey and He travels right beside us.  The big key in this new element is that we no longer live for ourselves but we live for Christ – 

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Once we accept the identity of God in Christ and understand what selfless sacrifice and salvation looks like we must then align ourselves with Him.  This is the pilgrim’s progress on the journey to Holiness (becoming fully like Christ).  If we accept this truth as a Christ-follower then we can discard the false teaching of prosperity.  Let me clarify this too:  The worldly prosperity false teaching which has entered the church is based upon human selfishness and greed.  But what if we were to take “Self” out of the equation?  What would happen then?

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The Answer to Prosperity Preaching: 

Taking “Self” out of the equation and following John the Baptist’s example when He said “He (Christ) must become greater; I (John the Baptist) must become less.” (John 3:30) We can then begin to understand the true prosperity of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Selflessness brings us one step closer to Holiness in our reflection of Christ.  But what is the purpose of such a leap?  Why become selfless?  

There are two basic reasons: 

(Godly Relationship – Us)

1) It takes the focus off of our earthly fallible sin-sick desires and re-aligns them to Christ’s which in turn opens our hearts for a deeper, richer, Agape Love.  We begin to see our intended purpose in our fellowship and growing closeness with God through Christ.  

(Godly Relationship – others)

2) As we grow in closeness to God in our selfless state we begin to see the struggling lostness of the world around us and are compelled by His love to reach out into that darkness.  

The false teaching of Prosperity in this world forgets to continue reading a pivotal verse in this erroneous teaching:

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13) 

Myth: If we ask the Father for anything on our wish list and if we possess faith enough in His presence it will be given.  What we need to recognize and combat in this false teaching is that what ever we ask in HIS NAME is for the purpose of Glorifying God.  So how does winning the lottery glorify God?  How does praying for that new car and wishing God would just give it to us glorify God?  It doesn’t.  

We must guard ourselves against this false teaching.  Stop naming it and claiming it.  God doesn’t work like that.  When we remove self from the formula of Christ-following we begin to grasp the depths of the true prosperity of the Kingdom.  God wants us to fully rely on Him and to ask Him for help and guidance, just beware of how we ask and for what purpose we are asking.  The Christian life, post salvation, may not look like a Mary Poppins world.  We may still have some rough breaks ahead, but God goes with us into those dark valleys and troubles.  He will strengthen us and guide us and pour upon us His richness of grace in the process.  

Fellow Christ-follower, don’t buy the lie of these false teachers out there who want to sell you a pipe dream.  They will only lead us astray from truly following selflessly the Christ who gave it all for the lost so that they may be saved…can we do the same?  

-Just a thought.  

 

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The Weight of Finality

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“The day of the Lord is near for all nations.  As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.”            -Obadiah 1:15

The book of Obadiah is only a chapter long and is often overlooked, but let’s discuss if for a second through the lens of our own context.

This announcement given by Obadiah whose name literally means “servant of God” is not just for the people of Edom, it is for us as well.  The Edomites were proud over their own security as a nation and that of their might, but they also lorded their power and gloated over the Israelites.  Obadiah’s warning to the Edomites also included a warning for all nations as well.  

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Fast-forward:

Jesus is preaching the greatest sermon this earth has ever heard or will ever hear (The Sermon on the mount) and he makes this statement: 

Matthew Chapter 5 –

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

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Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

There is a weight of Finality:

God’s love for humanity, even people we cannot stand, far outweighs our capacity to love them…but that is no excuse.  We are to love and the consequences of that love is that the world is impacted for the better.  Secondly God can shine through us.  

The day of the Lord will come to us.  The real question is what will the weight of that certainty be for us when it does?  

-Just a thought for today.

 

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Finding the Melodies of Life (a metaphor of holiness) – Chapter 4 “Blaring for Jesus”

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Chapter 4

“Anything Blaring for Jesus”

(Corporate Holiness)

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.” -Halford E. Luccock

 

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”  -Andrew Carnegie

 

There’s an old saying about playing music that goes like this; “If you can’t hear the person next to you, then you’re probably playing too loudly.”  This applies in life under so many different categories as well.  There is a vast difference between hearing something and listening to something.  We can hear background noise, but hearing something does not mean that we are actively applying our sensory perception to that sound.  We hear a multitude of sounds every day all around us, yet we seldom apply our ears to actually listen to these sounds and noises, they are just background noise. 

 

When I was first able to play my cornet in a band setting, I was so proud of myself!  The practices alone in that little chapel had been paying off, and I was getting better at playing that brass instrument.  I could now play my “C” scale with very few mistakes, and my embouchure on that small metallic mouth piece was getting stronger with more confidence.  But there was a real danger in this overconfidence of mine; I wanted everyone to hear how good I was sounding.  I had these dreams of people standing up and applauding my amazing musical abilities, and so when we began to play our first song, “Anything for Jesus” in that little beginner band, I played as loudly as I possibly could.
 
too loud

I don’t think that the musical terminology “triple forte” could even begin to describe how loudly I played that song.  Perhaps a more appropriate description of that moment would be that I blasted the song “Anything for Jesus”…it should have been renamed “blaring for Jesus” right then and there.  The bandmaster stopped the song midway through a measure, and I thought to myself “he’s going to congratulate me on my performance, I hit every note and it sounded great!”  Instead of congratulating me, however, the bandmaster looked at me and said quite solemnly, “Scott, you are playing too loudly, so loudly in fact that I cannot hear anyone else!”  Then he looked at the entire band and said, “If you can’t hear the person next to you, then you are playing too loudly.”  His words stung me for a moment.  I thought I would receive a compliment for all of the hard work that could clearly be heard in the proficiency my playing, but instead I had been told to play softer.  I was so conscious of my own abilities and my own progress that I had failed to see the big picture in this beginner band.  I wanted everyone to hear ME and to say how greatly I had improved but I had failed to understand how important it was for the rest of the band to be heard as well. 

 

The disciples were arguing among themselves as they tried to figure out who would become the greatest in the kingdom.  They had been with Jesus for a while now and perhaps they felt that it was time to have some sort of “disciple midterm exam” to see how they ranked.  What I would have given to be a fly on that wall during that heated discussion, each disciple comparing their accomplishments and achievements, all the while vying for status a position, fame and recognition.  They didn’t get it.  Jesus had not selected His disciples for the purpose of notoriety and fame; instead He had selected those who were willing, those who were available and those who would serve.  Jesus interrupted their dispute because He knew what they were thinking and He responded to their shallowness and appetite for attention: “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”       (Luke 9:48)

 

Jesus still calls us to serve Him and to spread the good news of His mercy and salvation.  But our service isn’t about tooting our own horn for the sake of our glory and positional aspirations!  Corporate holiness has little room for “blaring for Jesus”, but has concert halls ready for the symphonic sounds of togetherness as we collectively strive to reflect Christ. 

 

Much Later…

These same disciples, post Ascension of Jesus, were gathered TOGETHER in prayer and complete submission before God.  As they yearned to hear from Him, they were united and joined together, prepared to play a tune that would shake the very foundation of the world…and still that tune is being played.  We call this moment Pentecost, for as they gathered together and yearned and prayed the Holy Spirit fell upon them and they were able to speak in the various tongues of those who had gathered in Jerusalem that day.  How were they able to do such an amazing thing that day?  The Holy Spirit did the work, of course, but how did the Holy Spirit fall upon them?  The answer is that they were together, united under one holy purpose and they had become the least of these in their humility and their service before God.  They had stopped blaring their own tune and begun to play the music of a holy calling.   

Ephesians 4:15-16 (NIV)
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

 

There is no doubt that individual holiness is crucial and should always precede corporate holiness, but without corporate holiness the band cannot improve, cannot become cohesive and cannot become synchronized.  We not only have a responsibility to play the music that God has called us play as an individual, but we have a responsibility to play the music in unity, together as a cohesive band.  When we can play the notes as a synchronized, single minded orchestra, the music then can become fuller and more pronounced as does the message of Christ. 

 

What we can learn from the Old Testament Hebrews –

The people of Israel, God’s chosen set-apart people, were to exercise qadosh not just as individuals but as a corporate body.  Sometimes we miss the point of why God had called His people to be set-apart.  We often misunderstand this to mean that the Jewish people were the only ones worthy enough of this claim, yet time and again they failed to live up to their calling.  We often misunderstand that their “setting-apart” to mean that they were some sort of exclusive club in which they were to look down their noses at others nations living in that same time and space.  The truth behind God’s purpose for setting the Jews apart was to show the rest of the world how to live.  God was showing the rest of the world how to be restored to their original created intent.  Being set-apart as a corporate body isn’t so that one part of the body can be “blaring for Jesus” and be seen by the rest of the world, but instead the corporate body can properly display and reveal the Holy Christ who brings restoration to everyone seeking Him.  Jesus came for the least of these, and still He desires this reconciliation of the world to Him regardless of race or creed. 

 

How is your corporate holiness today?  Is there cohesiveness and unity in the body of Christ where you serve?  Or are there many cornets blaring for Jesus, out of sync and far too loud for anything else to be heard?  Jesus desires us to play the music He has called us to play.  He desires us to become His reflection in this world and to be joined/grafted into His body which is His mouth piece here on earth.  Unfortunately, this synchronized unity rarely remains intact in churches today.  Oh if we would just humble ourselves, become the least, ready to serve instead of being served.  Perhaps like me you need to stop playing at triple forte so that others in the band can be heard.  Remember, if you can’t hear the person next to you then perhaps you’re playing to loudly.  

 

(tune Anything for Jesus)

Jesus thou hast won us,

Saved us set us free

Now Thy hand upon us,

Bids us follow Thee.

Sin’s dark ways forsaking

Filled with new desire

We, our vows are making

‘Neath the blood and fire.

 

(chorus)

Lord our vow performing

We will fight for Thee

Hell’s dominions storming

Other souls to free

 

2.  Comrades here remind us

We are not alone,

Thou to them dost bind us,

They and we are one;

All, our vows observing,

One great Army make;

Praying, fighting, serving

For thy Kingdom’s sake.

 

3.  On to full salvation,

This shall be our goal;

Thine in consecration,

Body, mind and soul;

On to holy living,

Weakness left behind;

Perfect service giving,

Perfect joy to find.

Previous Chapters:
https://pastorsponderings.org/2014/02/06/finding-the-melodies-of-life-a-metaphor-of-holiness-introduction/
https://pastorsponderings.org/2014/02/07/finding-the-melodies-of-life-a-metaphor-of-holiness-chapter-1/
https://pastorsponderings.org/2014/02/10/finding-the-melodies-of-life-a-metaphor-of-holiness-chapter-2-finding-your-voice/
https://pastorsponderings.org/2014/02/11/finding-the-melodies-of-life-a-metaphor-of-holiness-chapter-3-practice-makes-qadosh/

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“Finding the Melodies of life (a metaphor of holiness) – Chapter 3 “Practice makes qadosh”

Previous chapters: 

https://pastorsponderings.org/2014/02/06/finding-the-melodies-of-life-a-metaphor-of-holiness-introduction/

https://pastorsponderings.org/2014/02/07/finding-the-melodies-of-life-a-metaphor-of-holiness-chapter-1/

https://pastorsponderings.org/2014/02/10/finding-the-melodies-of-life-a-metaphor-of-holiness-chapter-2-finding-your-voice/

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Chapter 3

Practice makes perfect qadosh

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.” –Unknown

“ All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. 26 I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! 27 I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.” 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (MSG)

I must be careful here when I use this metaphor comparison of practicing to become perfect in music to be similar to holiness.   We must strive for excellence in our personal and spiritual lives, this is true, but holiness is not perfection in the way that we view earthly perfection.  The literal meaning of the word qadosh which we use when we refer to holiness is not perfection, but rather it implies the personal intent to be set apart.  Being set apart means that we as children of God (those who have a relationship with Christ) must separate themselves from the old ways of living…in this we must practice and strive for excellence.  Being set apart takes practice and discipline.  When we become saved we receive the Holy Spirit (initial sanctification) we are made aware of our short comings and sin.  At the altar we commit our lives to Christ, it is at this point that the Holy Spirit begins this work within us to help us maintain the commitment to Christ to remain set apart.  In the Wesleyan tradition they would call this progressive sanctification, meaning that the Holy Spirit’s help enables us to make steps towards reflecting the very image of Christ in our lives.  Is entire sanctification possible?  Yes, but let me again reiterate that our aim is not perfection but reflection of Christ.  Practice makes perfect…perhaps we should alter this phrase to say, practice makes qadosh. 

 

Coming home from school when I was just learning to play the cornet was something I began to dread.  I knew that as soon as I came home, I would have to make my way across the courtyard where we lived in the church parish house into that tiny chapel and pick up my instrument and begin to practice my scales.  I began to hate coming home after school to practice.  While I was sitting in that little chapel, my friends were having the time of their lives playing soccer and having wild adventures and doing it all without me there.  But day after day, hour after hour, I would sit there and try to make that cornet sound like an instrument instead of a screeching and dying animal.  Many times while in these practices I would become frustrated with the lack of progress I was making.  I would want to quit numerous times but over the frames of his glasses, my father would look at me and remind me that “practice makes perfect”.  Boy did I begin to strongly dislike that phrase!   What does practice makes perfect mean anyway?  Is it just something someone says to keep another striving harder?  There in that little chapel, sometimes with tears in my eyes as frustration mounted, I wanted to do anything but practice…in fact I wanted to run away from it all, to quit and not look back…but I didn’t.  As I’ve grown older and hopefully wiser, I can now see the wisdom in that phrase, for as a child I needed prodding, encouragement and even discipline to complete the task of practicing, let alone perfecting anything.  Over and over I would try, and over and over again I would fail.  When confronted with a task such as practicing, failure is a very real, tangible practice partner. 

 

Ask anyone and I’m almost positive that they would agree that failure at something, anything is never our aim or desire!  Failure, in my opinion is feared above most things.  But when failure is viewed in the aspect of practicing, one learns to embrace it.  Don’t misunderstand me though, I don’t mean to say that we strive to fail, but what I am saying is failure journeys along with us in the practice room as we strive to perfect the music.  Failure is a part of the practice; it is both to be hated and something to motivate us to do better next time thereby removing that failed attempt and replacing it with a successful one.

 

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” 
― Billie Jean King

 

When I sat in that little chapel practicing for what seemed like hours, I was being set apart to get the music right.  I wasn’t placed there to make the music sound perfect but in my practice I was striving to sound better, to play better and more confident in my music abilities. 

 

God created each of us for His holy purpose.  He wants fellowship with us on a daily, even moment by moment basis, but without the practice of spiritual disciplines which includes intentionally setting ourselves apart with the intent to study of His word and prayer; we will not truly become His holy people.  The practice of solitude with God means that we MUST set aside time for the most important relationship that we have here on earth and beyond. 

Holiness cannot take up root in our lives, or will be extremely stunted if we do not seek to have qadosh as a key ingredient.  Being set apart means so much more than just getting away from the old sinful life, it means that we are intentional about living for Christ every day…and that takes practice! 

 

    “Holiness, as taught in the Scriptures, is not based upon knowledge on our part. Rather, it is based upon the resurrected Christ in-dwelling us and changing us into His likeness.” ― A.W. Tozer, Preparing for Jesus’ Return: Daily Live the Blessed Hope

 

Is it your desire to be changed by the Holy Spirit for a holy purpose?  Then practice it daily even moment by moment!  Without personal intent within the realms of Holy Spirit led prodding we will not become proficient children of God. 

I am reminded of a song as I close out this chapter, it goes like this:

(Song #495)

I’m set apart for Jesus,

To be a king and priest;

His life in me increases,

Upon his love I feast.

From evil separated,

Made holy by his blood,

My all is consecrated

Unto the living God.

2.

I’m set apart for Jesus,

His goodness I have seen,

He makes my heart his altar,

He keeps his temple clean.

Our union none can sever,

Together every hour,

His life is mine for ever

With resurrection power.

3.

I’m set apart for Jesus,

With him to ever stay,

My spirit he releases,

He drives my foes away.

He gives full strength for trial

And shields when darts are hurled;

With him and self-denial

I overcome the world.

William James Pearson (1832-92)

The Song Book of The Salvation Army: Issued by the authority of The General.

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“Finding the Melodies of Life” (a metaphor of holiness) – Chapter 2 “Finding your voice”

Need to catch up? Here are the previous chapter(s):
https://pastorsponderings.org/2014/02/06/finding-the-melodies-of-life-a-metaphor-of-holiness-introduction/
https://pastorsponderings.org/2014/02/07/finding-the-melodies-of-life-a-metaphor-of-holiness-chapter-1/

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Chapter 2

Finding your voice

“I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water.” –Ray Charles

 

In brass instruments and in even woodwinds the requirement for practiced embouchure is one of the most pivotal lessons a new beginner can learn.  Embouchure is the application of one’s lips or mouth onto a mouth piece or reed in order to create the desired sound or vibration that leads to music.  The facial muscles are applied in such a way that to a beginner it can cause discomfort jaw ache.  The momentary ache felt by the new beginner pales in comparison to the music that is created out of such discomfort.  When the lips are properly applied to the instrument there is a connection that is made, there is hope and a glimmer of what can become of this instrument.  You see, playing music isn’t only about looking the part, holding the instrument in the correct manner, but it requires the musician to sacrifice something of themselves for the purpose of performance.  

 

I remember holding that instrument up close to my face, then being taught to pucker my lips into the formation of a strange grimace while making a small hole within my lips so that the air could exhale from my body.  I was giving something of myself into that lifeless instrument for a greater purpose. 

 

“The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

 

Picture it for a moment, creator God, the artist and conductor of life, breathing the essence of life into the lifeless; He was giving something of Himself into his creation for a holy purpose.  God looked at the world He had created, the animals, the trees and oceans, and finally our first parents, and He said “it was good”.   God breathed life into the very fiber of human kind and in that moment this symphony of life began for us all.  Notice that before God poured the breath of life into man, he wasn’t a living being, man was dormant and still.  Just think about that for a second, ponder it…soak it in…is your mind blown yet?    Without the very life breath of God, the entirety of our existence would remain and always continue to remain just dust.  The Hebrew word for breathing life into us is;  nishmath chaiyim, meaning “the breath of LIVES” which implies not only life but intellect as well. While this breath of God expanded the lungs and set them in play, his inspiration gave both spirit and understanding to mankind. 

When we apply ourselves to the everyday tasks of life, what we are doing is exercising the very breath of God in our human existence.  Our intellect – God breathed, our temperament – God Breathed, our sense of identity – God breathed.  When we come to the understanding that we were created to be intricately connected to our Creator God, our worldview and sense of purpose begins to change as well.  With this higher understanding, it then becomes all too clear how pivotal and vital God views our part in this life.   We were created with Divine intent not some cosmic accident, when we understand that this very breath of God exists within us, the appropriate response to this knowledge is to exhale into our world love, exhale into our world hope, exhale into our world purpose.  When we play the music God has called us to play, the end result is transformation from fallen creation to restored creation – reconciled to God. 

But there is still something missing in our relationship to the Great Conductor of life.  What is still required of us in order to exhale or to breathe the breath of God in our lives?  When we pick up the instrument God has handed us to play and place it to our lips we must apply muscles, we must strain, learning new principles…spiritual embouchure.  Another word for it is spiritual discipline. 

Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Disciple: The Path of Spiritual growth, writes;

“A farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is provide the right conditions for the growing of grain. He cultivates the ground, he plants the seed, he waters the plants, and then the natural forces of the earth take over and up comes the grain…This is the way it is with the Spiritual Disciplines – they are a way of sowing to the Spirit… By themselves the Spiritual Disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done.” 

 

In our giving, in our application of spiritual embouchure, there is pain and sacrifice.  What drives us to sacrifice?  What motivates us to keep going when we face and encounter discouragement and frustration?  Faith.  Faith must be our motivator, the oil in the valves of who we are in God’s symphony.  We prepare ourselves; we pick up the instrument or gifts of God, placing them to our lips with the knowledge that we will most likely fail before we succeed.  Spiritual embouchure is risky.  We are essentially putting ourselves out there for God and for the music that He desires us to play.  Finding our voice is not easy; we have to give something of ourselves in order for us to reach that discovery.  Just as God breathed life and inspiration into our bones so too we must give something of ourselves in this life that we live.

Notice the words of the Apostle Peter, he understood what it meant to give something of himself for the purpose of God’s symphony: 
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV)

Because that breath of life exists in us, which urges us to play the music God has placed in us, we then must enact our spiritual embouchure which will be painful, difficult and it might cause our hearts to ache…but when we do so, we are participating and we begin to catch a glimpse of the performance of Christ in us so that others might be saved.   Give it a try, exhale deeply, let His presence permeate our lives so fully that the pain we encounter along the way only strengthens our resolve to play His music in our lives.  

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