Jesus' Upbringing Probably Sucked Too!

In Mark 6:1-6 we find an interesting bit of insight into the full life of Jesus.

He went away from there and came to His hometown, and His disciples followed Him. 2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom given to Him, and how are these miracles performed by His hands? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t His sisters here with us?” So they were offended by Him. (HCSB)

In his hometown, where Jesus grew up, the place where people observed him reveals some aspects of His life that I hadn’t thought of before. When the people in his neighborhood are asking where he got the wisdom and insight to the scriptures and life, where did the power to perform miracles come from? You start to see that Jesus didn’t have an “Ozzie and Harriet” upbringing. “Isn’t this the carpenter?” Or in another rendering, “the carpenter’s son”. There was a certain disdain for trades-people even though without them life could not function. Trades-people were not rich people. They worked long hours trying to fulfill the demands of people who looked at them with contempt. Jesus under Joseph was a carpenter, and this trade was to be his lot in life, not an untrained Rabbi. So the people who lived in the same neighborhood saw Jesus grow up. The text doesn’t say, (other than the brief episode in the temple courts when Jesus was twelve years old), but I wonder if there was a real sense of jealousy among the parents and of Jesus’s peers? I.e. “Why can’t you be like that boy Jesus?” “Now there is a very well behaved boy, I bet his parents are very proud of him”. There is also the unspoken question of Jesus’ real father. I can imagine there were plenty of whispers and finger pointing among the neighbors regarding Mary’s early unwed pregnancy. One could consider that the whispering made by the neighboring parents, were spoken loudly and abrasively when the children gathered to play. I wonder if the other children were allowed to play with Jesus due to his father’s profession and his controversial conception? Would it be a stretch to believe that Jesus himself after hearing the verbal jabs from the neighborhood kids telling him he doesn’t look anything like Joseph, was a question at some point posed to his mother Mary? It could have been that Jesus didn’t get to play much, being the oldest male child he had to both help Joseph in the shop and Mary with the household chores and his younger siblings.

We fail to think about the period from the spectacular humble birth story to the twelve-year-old account in the temple and the gap between the time he reemerges at age thirty. There was a lot of life that took place in those unaccounted for periods. The rumors that must have swirled about the family from the outside and the usual rivalries among siblings on the inside would have made it difficult to navigate life. Within the family dynamic, it may have been similar to what the Patriarch Joseph experienced from his brothers when wearing his hand tailored coat given to him by his father Jacob? I wonder if Jesus received special favor from Mary, based on those things she pondered in her heart about her amazing son.

One could speculate further about the contempt expressed towards the family in Nazareth, but one thing for sure, Jesus didn’t grow up in a perfect “cookie cutter” “Ozzie and Harriet” home. He could have easily claimed he was a victim of his environment, that he didn’t grow up on the “right side of the tracks” and spent his formidable years constantly being harassed by others. When it says the Devil left him until an opportune time didn’t just mean during the trial and crucifixion. This realization that Jesus didn’t grow up in a perfect Christian home, or with a silver spoon in his mouth is encouraging to me and hopefully to others as well.

I believe knowing His true identity was a huge help for his personal maturation. I don’t mean the truth that He is the Son of God, but that He was greatly loved, and knew who His real Father was and is.

This could be argued by the account of the affirmation given him by His Heavenly Father at his baptism. I also wonder if one aspect of his temptation encounter in the wilderness by Satan wasn’t another reminder of the barrage of contempt and identity questions that swirled in his neighborhood growing up?

Let’s face it, life can really suck! It can weigh heavily on you regardless of your pedigree or upbringing. Your upbringing and environment will have some effect on the thoughts you have and the choices you make, but they should never be used as an excuse for not thriving in life. Learning Who’s you are and focusing on how much you are greatly loved can heal a great deal of pain and loss. Whatever life you have experienced can be used for His glory. In fact, He will see to it that it does. It starts by believing what is true about us, what God says is true about us. His word, the Bible is quite clear regarding how He truly feels about us. Here’s a hint…it is beyond anything we could ever imagine! Everything else we may believe regarding our sense of worth is a lie.

So be encouraged. You are dearly loved! You may not have had the best upbringing, Jesus surely didn’t, but know that He identifies with your pain and sense of dysfunction. So too, know you can overcome every and any adversity that is thrown your way because of He who overcame both sin and death not to mention a life less than ideal. All of our negative experiences are but tools at His disposal to be used for His glory and our betterment.

Hard or Soft Water? Let Your Faith Decide

“Come! ” He said. And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strength of the wind,  he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me! ”

Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt? ” 

When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those in the boat worshiped Him and said, “Truly You are the Son of God! ” (Matthew 14:29-33)

Recently I heard great teaching from a great man (Dr. Bill Dogterom) whom I greatly admire. He told the story from Matthew’s Gospel and described in first person the account of Jesus and Peter walking on the water. Like you I have heard that story a thousand times before, but probably like you missed a key element of that story.

We talk about bold Peter saying to Jesus, “command me to come to You on the water”. (Matthew 14:28) We point out that Peter was the only disciple to actually get out of the boat etc. We know that at one point Peter was standing solidly on the sea, which for a fisherman must have freaked him out, but in a cool sort of way. The text doesn’t say how many steps Peter took, but it says he walked on the water towards Jesus. Yay Peter! So at this point, Peter’s faith in Jesus would appear to be rock solid. Next Peter begins to have that same sinking feeling we all have when our current reality is immersed in fear. The moment we see life’s “impossibles” those situations that all of the sudden appear and its weight starts to pull us down to the point we think we will drown.

Here is what I have missed all these years. When Jesus grabs a hold of a sinking Peter and says to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt? ” I have always perceived this as a disappointed rebuke from Jesus, but it would make more sense that Jesus was laughing when He says it. The same way a parent should respond when your child does something silly. Why do we lean towards believing that God is angry and disappointed in us instead of one who lovingly guides and redirects us? Peter never lost his faith in Jesus, he cried out to Him to save him. My “aha” moment was the fact that Jesus was referring to Peter’s faith from a grander perspective. Peter lost faith in himself, in the fact that Jesus had called him to be His disciple, called him to greatness, Jesus called Peter to follow Him which in that day being asked by a Rabbi to be an apprentice was the highest of affirmations. The person God calls He also equips.

My lack of faith isn’t usually because I have a limited theological belief in God, but a false reality belief that God doesn’t believe in me. When we forget who called us, who claims us as His own, who bids us to walk on water in the sense of attempting the impossible, we express little faith. When we forget to believe what is true about us, what God says about us, we like Peter, exercise little faith, doubting who we are and Whose we are.

Faith in this sense is both faith in God and in the truth that we have been filled with Him in every capacity without limit. Believing and living in a manner that reflects who God says we are, His beloved children, His masterpieces is what separates us the supernatural life experiences from the natural.

It time to get out of the “boat”, believe that Jesus has called us to come to Him, and watch what He does in and through us. 

Bringing in the New Year!

What will you take away from 2016 and where do you want to go in 2017? Here is what our Life Group is working on. Join us! Let me know how you do.

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 (HCSB)

1.    Celebrate 2016!

·         What blessings did you receive?

·         What lessons were learned?

·         Who made an impact on your life this year?

2.    What do you need to leave behind in 2016?

·         What hurts, hang-ups or habits do you need to leave behind?

·         What thoughts, words, or falsehoods do you need to say goodbye to?

·         What mindsets do you possess that are more from the world and not the Word?

3.    What new scripture/s with be your compass for 2017?

·         What has the Holy Spirit been saying to you lately?

·         How may this passage tie into what you are leaving behind?  

·         How will you keep your 2017 spiritual compass, (Scripture) always in view?

The Expression of Confession

This is how you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. (1 John 4:2).

The Father's confession of love was expressed by giving us His son Jesus. (See John 3:16). His Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Confession is more than a verbal acknowledgment of something; it must connect, it must have some expression that reveals or manifests what is declared. Just as repentance is the outward expression of one's changed mind and direction, confession is the outward expression of one's declared words.

I used to think  because I can verbally say, "Jesus Christ has come in the flesh" I was a Christian and going to Heaven. Mere words do not a lasting faith make. My claim as a follower of Christ, a Christian is not predicated on what I do on Sunday morning, the bumper sticker on my car, or if I vote Republican. My confession of faith must manifest in a life that reflects its claim. My life must reflect the Son of God just as the moon reflects the sun of the solar system. 

My life must express in action what my mouth declares is true about me, about someone else or of what I believe. "let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O, Lord, my strength and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

"Sorry" is  not true confession. It plays a part in the process, but if there is no action to manifest the confession they are but empty words.

Old Cliche's hold true, "the proof is in the pudding", "walk the talk", "integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching". The watching world is looking for something supernatural, something that is far better and more solid than the shadows and myths it currently follows. Church we need to step up our game! We need to declare boldly the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of this dark and desperate world. Our lives must reflect His is in clear and mirrored effects. Our confessions of who Jesus is must speak even louder with our lives. St. Francis's "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words" holds true. 

Our lives are to be a manifestation of our true confession. Our confessed love for God, is best expressed in truly loving others. 

So I leave you with this question: Does your life manifest your words, your confession? If it does, then declare it boldly, and if it is lacking, repent! Make your confession your life expression. 

The Lens of Community #2

Isn't it amazing that the Creator of the Universe chooses to love us, care for us, work through us, and a whole lot of things in spite of us? God works in and through His family, His body, His chosen people, His priests, His holy nation, His US! 

With His choosing comes a responsibility and a reality that it is all about Us. Not "us" as in me the individual, but "us" as in His most prized possession, His "us". We are part of  the original "us".  We are image bearers of the "let Us make man in our own image, Our own likeness". We as His children are partakers in His perfect union, His perfect community called the Trinity. Because He dwells within us, we get to enjoy some of the fruit of the Us Godhead. We are partakers in the divine, by way of the cross of Christ. Community never began, because He always was. All that He manifests is through the vehicle of community, He speaks to a people, about a people, for a people and works through people for His glory and the betterment of His people.  We even see it in creation that "man should not be alone" all the way to  "God so loved the world". 

When a branch is broken off from the rest of the plant, that branch will die. Christians who believe they are better off following Christ on their own away from His body, the church, will eventually shrivel and die. We are made by Community, for Cumminty to live abundantly in Community. When Jesus says in John's gospel, "apart from Me you can do nothing", the Me isn't simply Jesus. It goes beyond the "one on one" with the Savior, and manifests itself as "apart from my Body, apart from My beloved image bearers, you can do nothing." 

Peter provides us with some words of application, as he cast a vision of what the church is to look like. He isn't simply speaking to me as an individual, though I have both a part and a responsibility as an individual,  he is speaking to the church, the "us" those in his circle of influence and to the church that is to come. 

⁷ Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and disciplined for prayer. ⁸ Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins.^{[k] 9} Be hospitable to one another without complaining. ¹⁰ Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7- 11 HCSB) 

All that we are and all that we do should be lived in the context of community. We truly are better together! The Holy set us an example of unity, of purpose and what love is to look like. I love others better when I am loving with others. 

How tight are your connections? What relationships need mending, strengthening or simply restoring? Who can you love in order to better love others? How is your community? 

You Light Up the Room!

I struggle at times with my identity. I can feel unloved, unappreciated and lack value. When I am in that state of mind I project how I believe God sees me. You know that, "I am not living good enough," "I sin more than enough," and "God has had enough".  Fortunately for me and you, feelings are deceiving and any negative thoughts I have about God's thoughts about me are equally untrue. 

If God walked into the room what would be His expression towards me? Here is the real question: Does God enter into our lives with mercy and resurrection power or anger and death? If you are like me you can have the tendency to feel the latter. What is true about you and me is what God says about us. We are His "masterpieces", "dearly loved children", "His inheritance"etc. 

Jesus says, "I am the light of the world", in another passage He tells His disciples that they are the light of the world. Whenever God walks into a room His light is so bright that there can be no darkness, no shadows whatsoever. It reminds me of two stories in C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. In the Magicians Nephew, he describes how Narnia was created out of nothing. That Aslan the "Christ character" began singing and from that melody came light and life. Wherever he walked it produced beautiful vibrant life. Also in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, there was Winter for many years, the wicked queen had cast a spell of darkness, cold and death. When Aslan enters into Narnia a great thaw took place. Life began to grow, the sun shined and the glory of Spring had overcome the Winter. 

That is how it is when when God enters our lives on a daily basis. He brings creative life, thaws the cold parts of our lives and ignites the beauty of spring. He comes with resurrected power, an unquenchable love for us even when we are not living the best. He reveals life, creates something out of nothing, restores what the enemy has stolen from us. He brings healing and peace.  We read in Luke 15, (You know it as the Prodigal  son story), but it is really about the father's love for his people. The father runs to and can't stop kissing his returning son. That is how our Heavenly Father is with us. He can't stop lavishing His love on us.

When God enter the room, He is beyond pleased with you. Not because you have prayed great prayers, recorded a million hours or Bible reading and service to the poor. He enter the room in euphoric expression towards you based on what His Son Jesus has done for us and our clumsy response to that graceful gift. Since Jesus tells us, "you are the light of the world" that means that whenever we enter a room or whenever we take a simple step, we are His reflected light, we light up the room. We bring healing and peace; we bring light that melts that coldest of hearts, and creates new life for all. 

You are more than your feelings say about you. You are a dearly loved, full of resurrection power, and an abundance of grace provider. You and I light up the room because we have the light of life, the power of God within us. So let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Heavenly Father. (Matt. 5:16) 

Revelation through the Lens of Community: Part 1

During a time of deep meditation...(Ok, I was in the shower) I believe the Holy Spirit revealed a truth to me that has changed how I read  scripture and how I view ministry. First let me say that for a majority of my Christian life I read the Bible as a book about God, how to live my life, an instruction manual and a source of personal encouragement. I read the Bible as if it was written for me and the circle of influence that surrounds me. It is a "lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" I would hide it in my heart so I would not sin against God". (quotes from Psalms). Yes it talked about the Nation of Israel, and the Body of Christ the church, but really those were mere parts to God's "love letter" to me.

Fast forward to my spiritual encounter in the shower. The Bible isn't to be read, memorized, interpreted or taught through a self-identifying lens. It is to be viewed through the lens of community. Community being the people of God, the people of this desperate world, the nation of Israel and those within your circle of influence. Yes, God spoke through, Abraham, Noah, Moses, David, the Prophets, Peter, Paul and Mary. ("Michael row your boat a shore hallelujah") not to mention the countless other men and women of the Bible. God's plan was to  communicate through people, to people for people. Remember Jesus?  He ministered to the Jews mainly during His incarnational visit and called a few men and women to carry on His message to the World until He comes again. Due to space I am not going to list the exhaustive Scriptural references to substantiate my point that the Bible should be interpreted etc. through the lens of community, but I will provide a few examples.

Jonah, Joseph, Samson, Ezra, Nehemiah, Nahum, Moses and more. When the co-writers of the New Testament expressed what God desired, they addressed a particular audience it was mainly Jew or Gentile, and or a specific church body. What is so amazing is the fact of God's word though originated to a specific audience transcends time and culture to speak to us today.  God loves people and uses people to express that love for them. Paul wrote to churches, John's revelations of Jesus Christ was written to the Churches plural throughout eternity.

Just as His word transcends time, it also transcends culture, plural and singular in intent. The Holy Spirit will not allow His word to be moot, but to accomplish all that He intends it to achieve for His greater glory and our betterment.

So, after you read this simple text and begin your personal journey of reading Scripture through the lens of community, through the lens of God speaking to a people, remember that you a person in whom He greatly loves and desires to communicate to. Apply His word personally, and corporately, as a son or daughter and as a member of His family. More to follow on this subject.