The Longsuffering of our LORD is Salvation

The world for some time has been operating under the illusion that lasting peace is just beyond our grasp.  The generation which saw the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin wall, and sang along with "We Are the World" had bright hopes for the future.  The self-esteem movement, the tackling of social issues like illiteracy, world hunger, poverty, and campaigns to promote safe-sex, end racism, bullying, drug abuse, human trafficking, and domestic violence worked to make a difference.  In light of the ongoing riots and looting in the United States, from a humanist perspective it seems the hope of a brighter future is in grave doubt.

The protests, riots, and looting show a greater and enduring cure is needed for the ills of hearts of men.  As awful as violence and destruction is it can be compared to a sore throat and fever that finally moves a person to seek medical aid.  I pray this is a moment when despairing people turn to God instead of on each other.  Whether or not a protest is "peaceful" or turns violent the same murder can fester unresolved in the hearts of men.  If the hope in protesting is to be heard by men or to change circumstances for your benefit, I believe such faith is misplaced.  It is better to seek the LORD, cast our cares upon Him, and follow His leading to love one another as Jesus loves us.  God can enact miraculous changes in the hearts and minds of people videos, signs, and slogans cannot.

Today I read 2 Peter 3 where Peter explains how God's judgment will ultimately come swiftly and be complete:  the world and all the works in it will be consumed with fire.  2 Peter 3:11-15 reads, "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, ¹² looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. ¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; ¹⁵ and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation..."  The hope and home for followers of Jesus Christ is with Him in the new heavens and a new earth created by Him where we will dwell together for eternity.  Those who actually experience a revolution will require another one at some point until this world is unmade by Him who created it.

Since Jesus is our Righteousness and our Peace, we ought to be "diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless."  The standard we follow is greater than that of Law but according to the righteousness of God and obedience to Him.  As much as depends upon us we are called to live peaceably with our fellow man whether chatting anonymously online or in person on the street.  We ought to obey the authorities as unto the LORD because we trust Him without taking matters into our own hands.  When the violence of citizens becomes too much for local law enforcement the government can declare martial law and bring in the military to restore order.  God could have justly done this a very long time ago but He is longsuffering and desires to save.  The longer He waits the more He saves.  Praise the LORD He has shown great restraint and love towards those who rebel against Him, and let us resolve to be diligent to be found by Him in peace and blameless toward God and man.

The Crown of Glory

"The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: ² shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; ³ nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; ⁴ and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."

1 Peter 5:1-4

Peter exhorted those given oversight in the Body of Christ to volunteer willingly and not to be motivated by financial gain.  It is fitting those who labour in the Word of God and sow spiritual things reap a reward according to God's gracious provision (1 Corinthians 9:7-11; 1 Timothy 5:17-18).  The opportunity for income should never, however, enter into our motive for Christian service.  If earning money is why we "serve" we are nothing more than hirelings who flee at the first hint of trouble to save their own skin, lacking love for the sheep of Christ's flock.  It may be cliche to say pastoral work is not a career but a calling, yet it is a calling which is a lifelong career--whether in a paid position or not.

This passage makes it clear to embark in the ministry because it is a paid position would be "dishonest gain" or "filthy lucre" in the KJV.  Peter says those worthy of financial support are those who gladly do the exact same job for free if they had the time and opportunity.  Those in leadership or overseeing the church ought not to live as kings and queens, seeking to control or subjugate others under them.  We are to be examples for others as Jesus set an example for His disciples when He washed their feet.  This was not a one-off humbling of Himself but provided a practical illustration which they were to follow.  Jesus humbled Himself to become a man of no reputation, took the form of a servant, and willingly laid down His life to save sinners.

When I became aware of God's call and gifting of me to teach, I identified with Luke Skywalker tinkering with droids and being restricted to a moisture farm in a desert when he wanted to fly a ship in space.  Initially there was a part of me that felt like nothing less than a recognised pastoral position at a church was sufficient.  But quickly I realised God had already given me a wife and children, an opportunity to teach children at Sunday School, and even lead a Bible study.  Since my calling and ordination did not come from men I did not need to tell anyone what God had shown me (which later was miraculously confirmed):  I voluntarily stepped up my efforts in study and teaching in preparation for a day in the future I could not predict.  In time God graciously opened doors He enabled me to step through, and the doors He opens no man can close.

Whether we serve at church in a paid or unpaid position, we should have the mindset of eager volunteers who are joyful to contribute.  Ministry in the church should never be seen as a chore or something we "have" to do but service we delight to do for the glory of God.  The glory of this earth fades and money grows wings and flies away, but those who humbly serve Jesus "will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."

Rise and Shine

One of the scenes I enjoy in the movie "The Great Race" (of which there are many) is when Max urged Professor Fate to rise from his backseat bed:  "Time to get up.  C'mon Professor, rise and shine!"  The grumpy and likely hungover Professor shouted, "Rise and shine?"  "It's 7:30," Max calmly replied.  "Then you rise and you shine!" bellowed the villain professor to his sidekick.  Though some of us are reluctant to leave the warmth of our beds on a cold morning, God created the sun to faithfully rise and shine.  The sun supplies light and heat according to God's design.

The sun shining is a declaration of God's glory as is written in Psalm 19:4-6:  "Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, ⁵ which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. ⁶ Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat."  In shining bright the sun is fulfilling its purpose, doing exactly as God created it to do.  It supplies heat for our planet, rays which nourish plants to grow and governs the day with light.  This call to rising and shining then is to embrace God's purpose and design with our lives to glorify Him.

When the moon is visible in the heavens at night and the manner of shining is different:  instead of being the source of light itself it reflects the glory of the sun upon the surface of our planet.  In a similar way man was created in the image of God and the glorious reflection of His qualities have been dimmed by our fallen, fleshly nature.  It is when we are born again the Light of the World Jesus Christ shines from us as the sun.  We can only "rise and shine" because we have been raised to new life through faith in Jesus Christ and it is His work.  The power to shine in the darkness is His alone and God desires our cooperation and willingness to this end.

Today in this sense is always our "time to shine," not of a desire for fame or fruitfulness but because God is glorious.  On our own we are barren, stark, and cold as the moon, yet after being born again we are filled with the supernatural fire of the Holy Spirit in power.  I am convinced the miraculous work God does inside one person is to be esteemed more greatly than the work He does through that person.  One heart set aflame by the love and fear of God--unlike the sun or moon which will one day cease to shine--will live forever in glory with Jesus Christ.  Our risen Saviour shines as the light of the world through those who trust Him and obey.  God does not need us, but He loves and calls us.  What He calls us to do He will empower us to do just like the sun that rises every day without fail.

The Unalterable Recipe

Since my mum taught me to bake as a child, I have enjoyed making tasty treats to share.  With the rise of the internet it has allowed me to branch out from my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook and learn to make an array of balanced meals and deserts.  My personal method regarding new recipes is two-fold:  the first time follow the recipe as precisely as possible before making any adjustments, and the second is always try out a recipe before serving it to guests.  Even if I suspect there is too much of one ingredient or not enough of another, I find it necessary to establish a baseline according to the actual recipe so I can know if I have found a keeper or should move on.

One of the greatest compliments as a casual baker is when someone enjoys my offering enough to ask for the recipe.  I have benefited greatly from people sharing recipes with me so I am happy to freely share the love.  Some of the best recipes I have my mother was given by an old lady down the street named Ginger!  I acknowledge people have different cooking and baking styles, but there is one common thing people do:  they ask for a recipe based upon the finished product they enjoyed, and when they receive the recipe feel the need to alter it.  There is no word I am aware of in the English language to describe this curious practice, but there should be.  I am open to suggestions! :)

During a walk yesterday with my wife we discussed this and how people can form opinions about certain ingredients being "good" or "bad."  There are arbitrary amounts we determine to be "too much" or some which seem too little; we make substitutions to cater to our particular tastes and diets.  There is no problem with this!  What I am pointing out is the human tendency to enjoy and want to replicate a finished product but simultaneously want to determine our own way to achieve the same result.  I am reminded of a quote from Leonard Ravenhill, a man greatly used by the LORD known for his praying.  He said, "Everyone wants to have my mantle, but nobody wants my sackcloth and ashes."  People who respected him wanted to be like him, to experience such a revelation of the living God.  They wanted to arrive in a place of spiritual authority like Ravenhill had in a moment when he by God had been brought to this place of humility through years of private prayer.  They liked the end result of a man surrendered to God, but weren't interested to labour in prayer.  Having his mantle given was preferred over following the recipe of surrender to God with perseverance.

If we desire to follow Jesus, He says we need to deny ourselves daily, take up our cross, and follow Him.  There is no shortcut to this complete surrender of our will and choosing to obey Him.  But we are not convinced of this.  So we experiment with various churches, focus in on doctrines of personal interest, buy popular books, and embrace spiritual disciplines others have found profitable--often with little success.  Baking and eating provides insight into our spiritual issues.  Often the problem isn't with the butter made from cows or the sugar refined from cane:  the problem is in our appetites, lack of self control, and unwillingness to submit to God in faith.  The cultures and people of the world bring rich diversity to the Body of Christ the church and Jesus is the Head.  The diets and tastes of people differ, and this is no problem because our unity does not arise from uniformity but from faith in Jesus Christ.

Because of the unique physical bodies we reside in there is a need to alter our diets accordingly:  diabetes, allergies, and intolerances dictate what is safe for us as we employ moderation in eating.  It is fine to steer clear of foods which make us feel ill or don't agree with our constitution.  If we want to follow Jesus we need to follow Him His way.  This life of faith and obedience to Jesus isn't like a recipe we can tweak to improve according to our arbitrary tastes and obtain ideal results.  There is no Christianity without suffering; there is no fellowship or communion with God without prayer.  There is no fruitfulness without faith demonstrated by obedience.  If we desire revival, we must personally embrace it ourselves as we yield to the Holy Spirit.  There is no substitute for Jesus!