Well Fare not Welfare

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord...
Jeremiah 29:11 and following

These verses are found in Jeremiah and are directed toward the children of Israel, and specifically relate to God's promise to restore them from captivity.

Another version translates "prosper you" as "your welfare," and there are some who would use these verses to promote a "health and wealth gospel." While I do not think that this is an appropriate application of this promise for today's believer, I do think that there are some general principle's which can be drawn from this passage.

When one calls to mind Jesus' promises relating to ask, seek, and knock, then it follows that this is an Old Testament (OT) promise which relates to the same idea - if we will earnestly and actively seek God, then He will draw us to Himself.

Further, we can certainly juxtapose these verses with Paul's promise in Romans chapter 8. As long as we do not over-emphasize the positive aspect of these verses and verses 28 through 30 or Romans 8, then we can rest assured in the knowledge that God has plans for us. Plans for our welfare, our well being, and not for our destruction.

More to the point, Paul speaks in Ephesians 2:8-10 that God has already prepared good works for us to do. While there are many who adhere to a complete Calvinistic doctrine as it relates to the sovereignty of God and His foreknowledge, I would submit to you that these verses should give rise to intense joy and excitement on our part.

Why?

Because as we take into account the whole of Scripture, we understand that God wants the best for us, His children. He has created us with unique gifts, talents, and abilities and desires that we would seek to explore them in concert with our worship and adoration of Him.

As we invest ourselves into the good works that God has already prepared for us, we acknowledge His sovereignty in our lives. While at the same time, we pro-actively interact with who we are, what we can do, and what it is that we ought to do in light of Scripture. It is a curious thing that the sovereignty of God is just as true as our ability to exercise our free will.

I'm sure that many of you have seen Spiderman, or read the comic books, remember what Peter's uncle says to him - "With great power comes great responsibility." The same is true of our free will. Our ability to make choices obligates us to exercise it, carefully and judiciously, not for our own aims but for the cause of Christ.

Back to my question, why should we be full of joy and excitement?

Because I have a heavenly daddy that is in complete and total sovereign control. Nothing can happen to me that he doesn't already know about. He has already prepared things for me to do. As long as I am earnestly seeking to find Him, I will find Him. In finding Him, in building a closer more intimate relationship with Him, I will recognize the fingerprints of God on those things that God has set before me to do. How Awesome is that?

Stew or Salad?

The Christian life...Followers of the Way... Wayism... How do we follow the Way of Christ?

The concept of community is evident in Scripture, but I don't believe that it is something that we as Christians really sit down and think about. Yeah, right, of course - community, that's what it's all about - some would say. But, what does community look like?

I just finished reading the book Waking the Dead (Eldredge 2003) and think that the author has expressed ideas about community in Scripture that made me sit up with a wow. It's not like I haven't heard the idea before. It's just that his way of expressing it suddenly connected with a very deep part of myself.

So what is community, and not just "the community" where you live? I mean what is real true intimate community, the kind of community that gets in your face and walks alongside of you at the same time?

One of my favorite themes for Christian living is our willingness to be open and transparent with other believers. Granted the setting must be appropriate and safe, but if we never enter that haven then I submit to you that "real community" will never happen.

For most believer's, I think that their sense of community is like a salad, whereas real and intimate community is like a stew. Huh?

A real and intimate community is one where heat and pressure are applied to a wide range of ingredients that through intimate interaction over time produce an amazing flavor and aroma that everyone enjoys. More importantly, you can taste the flavor of all the ingredients in every part of the stew, but each part still retains its identity. This is just the way an intimate community should be - we all "rub off" and season each other. The only way we can season each other is if we are real and open about our lives with fellow believers. And you know, I don't know about you, but a stew on the second or even the third day tastes better than the first day it was made. A real community, the longer it lasts the better it can taste.

A salad on the other hand, while the ingredients and flavors can widely vary to produce a great flavor, it cannot stand the heat or the pressure. As soon as heat or pressure (disagreements - division) are applied, the salad is ruined. It's best when it's fresh and the ingredients have spent the least amount of time possible touching each other. The members of this group cannot be open or the whole thing gets ruined. Stay light, stay positive, don't be real and for God's sake - don't have problems, or needs, or talk about your struggles with sin... The idea of Christian Salad can taste really good, but it doesn't last. How many of us have tried to experience community in a church, only to have it wilt and go bad?

What kind of community are you a part of? Are you willing to be open and transparent and "stew," or do you want to get in and out of the salad bowl as quickly as possible?

The Easy Yoke

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:30

Continuing with the thought line from "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell, when understanding the concept of "Bind and Loose" (previous blog: Forbid & Permit), a Rabbi's yoke is the whole scope of his understanding of how scripture applies to living for God.

When we read about Jesus' condemnation of the spiritual leaders of his day, he was condemning them for putting a heavy burden on the people of God. He was telling them that their yoke was too heavy. Further, he condemns them for getting the minutiae of the law but missing the weightier concepts of the law (Matthew 23:23-24).

I do not believe that the Christian life should be one that is caught up with self-condmenation and recrimination for failing to meet some list of "Christian Values." In some circles of Christianity, we have created a new kind of Pharisee-ism, by having both tacit and explicit rules of conduct for defining what it means to be Christian.

This is not an excuse to sin, or have weak moral fibre (Romans 7), rather it is a call to the believer to seek a closer, more intimate walk with Jesus. When we love someone, when we have a close relationship with someone, we do not find it so difficult to sacrifice for that someone (Romans 12:1-2).

The weight of the gospels, and the exhortation of Paul to various churches throughout the Mediterranean World speak to the importance and centrality of the heart, or the core of our soul. If we know Him in our hearts, then we will know how to live a life that is pleasing to God.

If within our souls, we are seeking to have that intimate relationship with Jesus, then his yoke will be easy and his burden light. If Christianity seems to be a great burden, then I would submit to you that you are not bearing Christ - but someone else's version of what they think it should be.

If your life is dull, if your walk seems not so Christian, if your ears cannot seem to hear God, then perhaps it is time to draw closer to Him. Jesus promised us that if we seek Him, we will find Him.

If you feel down, if you feel over-whelmed with life, if your prayers seem to bounce off of the ceiling, if it seems like the only ears that hear your heart are your own - Then my prayer is that the God all Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) would draw your spirit unto His. Whatever binds and cripples your heart, whatever keeps it from experiencing the love of God, I pray that it would be cast aside and that you would understand in a deep and personal moment what God's love is for you right now. Your enemy Satan and his minions fear hearts that are unleashed in the power of Christ and upheld by the love of God. May they fear your ransomed heart today!

Forbid and Permit

I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.  Matthew18:18-20


I recently read a book entitled "Velvet Elvis," by Rob Bell, published last year (2005) by Zondervan. I found chapter two, Yoke, which is found on pages 40 through 69, to be some of the most thought provoking words I have read in some time. The author delves into the Jewish roots and context for the passages about Bind and Loose, such as Matthew 18:18-20 which I have included above.

The meaning of the words Bind and Loose can be better understood as meaning Forbid and Permit. So, when Jesus is giving Peter the "keys of the kingdom" what is really being said?

Since there is no literal key to open or close the kingdom of God, Jesus certainly is making a specific spiritual reference to open and close something. Jesus not only tells this to Peter (Matthew 16:19) but also later includes the other disciples as a group (Matthew 18:18-20).

Understanding that in Jewish Rabbinical tradition, Rabbi's would "Bind and Loose" spiritual practices - or actions that had spiritual impact. For instance, how far one could travel or what "work" was permissible on the Sabbath are examples of things that a Rabbi might clarify by either binding it, or loosing it.

Jesus, who is repeatedly referred to in the Gospels by both his disciples and those who approached him as teacher and rabbi, empowered the disciples to forbid and permit. The concept of bind and loose (or forbit and permit) specifically relates to a Rabbi (teacher) examining the scriptures and then making an interpretation as to whether or not something was/is permitted or forbidden. Further, the process usually involved a great deal of discussion within the community as to all facets of the topic at hand.

In other words, Jesus is giving the disciples, the directive to continue to interact with Scripture in order to help others to understand better how to live by God, for God, with God, and ultimately how to live for God's pleasure.

It makes sense then, that Jesus is promising in Matthew 18:18-20 to be actively involved in our discussion as as a community of believers as to how we should live. As our world has continued to develop and change, whether we admit it or realize it, there is a continual process of interacting with scripture as we seek to understand how to live for God in a modern day world.

Rob Bell references Jerusalem Perspective Online as an excellent source of information from some of the most knowledgeable scholars in the world on the Jewish context for the Scriptures.