We decided to spruce up the blog by giving it a new look and a new name. Our church motto is ‘share the journey’. It’s more than a motto really. It’s a conviction about the nature of life. Journey language is used this way throughout the Scriptures. The newly birthed nation of Israel’s trip (that took a lifetime) from Egypt to the promised land stands out in this regard, but there are also the many times the word ‘walk’ is used metaphorically to speak of the living of our lives. Note that Jesus says “Come, follow me.” And the apostle John writes, “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1John 2:6)
Life is a journey, but it’s a journey we do not take alone. For those who respond to God’s gracious invitation in Christ, we have the assurance of His presence, that He walks with us. And we are also called to share the journey with others. That means reaching out to those who have yet to experience the love of Christ. It also means seeking to be an encouragement to those who have.
And so, a word on the way is simply a continuation of my life’s love for all of you. Sometimes the journey isn’t easy. We encounter all kinds of different things along the way, some pleasant and perhaps even humorous, but some things that are down right scary. Through it all, we need to be encouraging one another and the best way to do that is with a word from the Lord.
Here is a quote from the very first blog post from me in September 25/2008:
“Sharing the journey isn’t just about knowing that other people are making the same trip, it’s about being able to talk about it with someone who can understand; who can sympathize. It’s the opposite of the ‘aloneness’ that characterizes so much of our contemporary culture.”
I hope that a word on the way will continue to be one source of encouragement for you and me both as we travel through this thing we call life together. And don’t be afraid to offer a comment. This isn’t supposed to be a monologue.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Doctor Harry
I remember hearing a story many years ago about Harry Ironside. Harry (or Doctor Ironside as he was commonly called, though an honorary title) was a Canadian born evangelical preacher extraordinaire and pastor of the famous Moody Bible Church in Chicago back in the 1930s. I had the good fortune recently to come across the story once again and I’m delighted to be able to share it with you here.
Harry had just finished preaching the gospel to a university audience in California (imagine that!) when he was approached by a student with a question:
“Dr. Ironside, there are literally thousands of religions, how do we know which is true?”
Harry’s reply was such a classic, you just gotta love it:
“Well, before we can get into the question of which one is true, we need to clarify something. There are not thousands of religions. There are not even hundreds of religions. There are only two: one which tells you that salvation comes as a reward for what you have done, and one which tells you that salvation comes by what somebody else does for you. That’s Christianity. All the rest fit under the other. And if you think you can get your salvation by your own efforts, then Christianity has nothing to say to you. But if you know you need to be saved, then you are a candidate.”
It’s true! All of the religions of the world teach some version of man somehow striving to reach up to God, pulling ourselves up by our own boot straps as it were, in order to somehow be accepted by Him. Only in the Christian faith do we have the wonderful news that God has come for us. Christ has given His life for us, and anyone who wills may come and receive the free gift of eternal life. No matter what you may have done, and quite apart from anything you think you might be able to do, you can become a child of the living God! He has done it all. He has completely satisfied all of the righteous demands of the holy law of God. He has satisfied every bit of justice and taken away every charge that stood against us. Now all of the blessings of heaven in the world to come and the personal companionship of God Himself to walk each step of the way with you in this present world is made available to you simply by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. That is the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and it is MATCHLESS. In the words of Paul …
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
Colossians 2:13-15
Here is one of my all-time favourite poems that says it well:
O long and dark the stairs I trod
With trembling feet to find my God
Gaining a foothold bit by bit
Then slipping back and losing it
Never progressing; striving still
With weakening grasp and faltering will,
Bleeding to climb to God, while He
Serenely smiled, unnoting me
Then came a certain time when I
Loosened my hold and fell thereby;
Down to the lowest step my fall,
As if I had not climbed at all.
Now when I lay despairing there,
Listen … a footfall on the stair,
On that same stair where I afraid,
Faltered and fell and lay dismayed.
And lo, when hope had ceased to be,
My God came down the stair to me.
Author Unknown
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Appreciating The Apostles
Last week I mentioned a very interesting blog post by Mart DeHaan where he sets out a mystery – why did the apostles stop using the term ‘disciple’ when referring to followers of Christ? Mart actually referred in the same post to another mystery – why is it that the apostles do not quote Jesus more than they do? Again, this is a very curious fact. I’m struggling in my mind to think of any direct quote from Jesus’ earthly life in the apostolic letters?
For his part, Mart sees a connection between the two mysteries. He points to the dramatic changes that resulted from the finished work of Christ that not only changed forever the institution of discipleship but also the nature of the revelation of God.
Here is some of how he puts it:
"Seems to me that their New Testament letters speak for themselves. Individually and together they advance the ongoing drama of all that Jesus taught and did. Their letters reflect what Jesus had said about who he was; about why he had come; and about what he expected of those who wanted to be true to him—as they wait for his return. The Scriptures would never be the same again; neither would the law of Moses; nor the institution of discipleship. Jesus had fulfilled the Scriptures; satisfied the legal demands of Mosaic law; and placed an ultimate claim on the goal of learning. The demands of Scripture, the Law of Moses, and Jesus’ own conditions of discipleship would no longer disqualify or condemn anyone who wants to know the love of God in the face and scars of Christ. Now Scripture is his story. The law of Moses becomes a chapter that helps us understand why we need him. And discipleship becomes our opportunity to use our failing grades as an opportunity to learn from the One who is able to do for us immeasurably more than we could ever ask or think. So… the link I suspect… is that, just as the story of Jesus is told by all Scripture rather than by just his direct quotes, so… being accepted in his school …is not limited to those with passing grades, but is available to all who humbly take our place at his feet… wherever we are…"
Personally, I really think that these are very important points being made. It is of the utmost importance that we understand that the revelation of Christ was not complete in the earthly teaching ministry of Jesus nor even upon the events of His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. The revelation of Jesus Christ was completed by the writings of the apostles of Christ whom He personally chose, commissioned, authorized, inspired and authenticated to finish the revelation, giving us the complete Bible. Not only do we not have anything written directly by the hand of Christ, we only have one reference that he ever actually wrote anything and we have no idea what it was (John 8:6).
While Jesus Himself taught publicly for three years, His teaching ministry while on earth was set within a specific time frame which was part of our salvation history with a specific purpose. If you really study the gospels you will see that, though Jesus taught many wonderful truths personally, there were areas He left unaddressed for example, and others that He dealt with in a very reserved manner. For example, Jesus only used the word ‘church’ even a couple of times that we know of (Matt 16:18 ; Matt 18:17). And often when referring to His death and resurrection, He was very reserved with that information. It is not until we read the letters of the apostles that we have a full revelation of all that Christ accomplished for us, all He is prepared to do in us, and all that lies before those who belong to Him.
So, in all likelihood, the reason the apostles didn’t quote directly from Jesus more is that they did not need to because they were very conscious of the fact that He was speaking through them. Some of us need to develop more appreciation for our Bibles. So before you run out and buy a ‘red letter’ edition of the Bible (one where the ‘words’ of Jesus are printed in red), just a note – you may as well take a red highlighter and highlight the entire New Testament because every word of the NT is inspired by Christ. And while you’re at it, you might as well highlight the entire OT as well because Jesus authenticated all that as well.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Matthew 5:17,18
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35
For his part, Mart sees a connection between the two mysteries. He points to the dramatic changes that resulted from the finished work of Christ that not only changed forever the institution of discipleship but also the nature of the revelation of God.
Here is some of how he puts it:
"Seems to me that their New Testament letters speak for themselves. Individually and together they advance the ongoing drama of all that Jesus taught and did. Their letters reflect what Jesus had said about who he was; about why he had come; and about what he expected of those who wanted to be true to him—as they wait for his return. The Scriptures would never be the same again; neither would the law of Moses; nor the institution of discipleship. Jesus had fulfilled the Scriptures; satisfied the legal demands of Mosaic law; and placed an ultimate claim on the goal of learning. The demands of Scripture, the Law of Moses, and Jesus’ own conditions of discipleship would no longer disqualify or condemn anyone who wants to know the love of God in the face and scars of Christ. Now Scripture is his story. The law of Moses becomes a chapter that helps us understand why we need him. And discipleship becomes our opportunity to use our failing grades as an opportunity to learn from the One who is able to do for us immeasurably more than we could ever ask or think. So… the link I suspect… is that, just as the story of Jesus is told by all Scripture rather than by just his direct quotes, so… being accepted in his school …is not limited to those with passing grades, but is available to all who humbly take our place at his feet… wherever we are…"
Personally, I really think that these are very important points being made. It is of the utmost importance that we understand that the revelation of Christ was not complete in the earthly teaching ministry of Jesus nor even upon the events of His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. The revelation of Jesus Christ was completed by the writings of the apostles of Christ whom He personally chose, commissioned, authorized, inspired and authenticated to finish the revelation, giving us the complete Bible. Not only do we not have anything written directly by the hand of Christ, we only have one reference that he ever actually wrote anything and we have no idea what it was (John 8:6).
While Jesus Himself taught publicly for three years, His teaching ministry while on earth was set within a specific time frame which was part of our salvation history with a specific purpose. If you really study the gospels you will see that, though Jesus taught many wonderful truths personally, there were areas He left unaddressed for example, and others that He dealt with in a very reserved manner. For example, Jesus only used the word ‘church’ even a couple of times that we know of (Matt 16:18 ; Matt 18:17). And often when referring to His death and resurrection, He was very reserved with that information. It is not until we read the letters of the apostles that we have a full revelation of all that Christ accomplished for us, all He is prepared to do in us, and all that lies before those who belong to Him.
So, in all likelihood, the reason the apostles didn’t quote directly from Jesus more is that they did not need to because they were very conscious of the fact that He was speaking through them. Some of us need to develop more appreciation for our Bibles. So before you run out and buy a ‘red letter’ edition of the Bible (one where the ‘words’ of Jesus are printed in red), just a note – you may as well take a red highlighter and highlight the entire New Testament because every word of the NT is inspired by Christ. And while you’re at it, you might as well highlight the entire OT as well because Jesus authenticated all that as well.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Matthew 5:17,18
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35
Monday, March 5, 2012
What's In A Name?
Mart DeHaan posted a couple of really interesting blog posts a few weeks ago. In them he ponders a mystery. Why is it that the New Testament writers stopped using the word ‘disciple’? While the word ‘disciple’ or its plural version occur over 250 times in the Gospels and Acts, they don’t show up even once in all the letters that follow after that! I have found myself wondering the same thing at times in the past though I have never given it enough attention to identify a plausible explanation.
The mystery is accentuated by the fact that the great commission given by Christ is to “Go and make disciples…”. Now, we can hasten to point out that the concept of following Christ and learning and practicing His teachings is certainly prominent in the letters. But it is still curious that the word disciple(s) is not used. Instead, other words are used in its place, words like ‘brothers’, ‘saints’, those ‘in Christ’, ‘children of God’, ‘church’, ‘family of God’, ‘beloved’, and so on. Why would this be? And what is the significance of it?
Mart offers the following as a possible explanation:
What makes sense to me is that we’re seeing here something similar to what happened to the law of Moses once Jesus perfectly fulfilled it. Even though the practical truth, heart, and implications of the law continue to be useful for wisdom (2Tim 3:16), the Law as a binding national constitution was set aside, having served its purpose in bringing us to Christ (Gal 3:23-26). The institution of discipleship seems to follow a similar pattern. Jesus fulfilled the perfect teacher in that, as the Living Word of God, he walked just as he taught. He also fulfilled the perfect learner in that, as a faithful son, he became a perfect example of listening, being, and doing.
In the process, however, the requirements Jesus gave for being his disciple parallel the law of Moses. His principle of discipleship (Luke 6:40) brings us to the end of ourselves, and to him, when he makes it clear that no one can truly be his disciple in the full sense of the word (Luke 14:26-27) (Luke 14:33).
The result is that other identifiers that emphasized who Jesus is and what he did for us (saints [set apart ones], children of God, followers, family, servants [in a grateful self-identifying sense], people of the Way, Christian [i.e. in Christ]) became the identifying norm. This seems so appropriate since, although we no longer sit physically at Jesus feet, and walk with him through olive trees, we do live by in his Spirit, by his grace, in ways that would earn us failing marks as disciples.
…
Now Scripture is his story. The law of Moses becomes a chapter that helps us understand why we need him. And discipleship becomes our opportunity to use our failing grades as an opportunity to learn from the One who is able to do for us immeasurably more than we could ever ask or think.
So… being accepted in his school is not limited to those with passing grades, but is available to all who humbly take our place at his feet wherever we are…”
There is a lot of food for thought in those words. We do well to remember that, though the four gospels are part of our New Testament, the events chronicled in the gospels technically come under the governance of the old dispensation, ‘under the Law’. It was a time of transition and the New Covenant was arriving and the Messiah was present to save, however, Christ Jesus had not yet suffered and died and the Spirit had not yet been given (Galatians 4:4,5). Add to this fact, as Mart points out, that the kind of discipleship that Jesus called people to was an exceeding high mark that we all come far short of.
I particularly like the thought that Mart mentions how the identifiers chosen in the New Testament letters all seem to emphasize “who Jesus is and what He did for us...” This may just be the real crux (Latin for cross!) of the matter. The clear emphasis of the letters of the apostles of Christ to the churches is not about what anyone might be prepared to do for Him. It’s about Him and what He has done and is prepared to do for, in, and through us, for His glory alone. This is something that the word disciple just does not convey.
So, what do you think?
The mystery is accentuated by the fact that the great commission given by Christ is to “Go and make disciples…”. Now, we can hasten to point out that the concept of following Christ and learning and practicing His teachings is certainly prominent in the letters. But it is still curious that the word disciple(s) is not used. Instead, other words are used in its place, words like ‘brothers’, ‘saints’, those ‘in Christ’, ‘children of God’, ‘church’, ‘family of God’, ‘beloved’, and so on. Why would this be? And what is the significance of it?
Mart offers the following as a possible explanation:
What makes sense to me is that we’re seeing here something similar to what happened to the law of Moses once Jesus perfectly fulfilled it. Even though the practical truth, heart, and implications of the law continue to be useful for wisdom (2Tim 3:16), the Law as a binding national constitution was set aside, having served its purpose in bringing us to Christ (Gal 3:23-26). The institution of discipleship seems to follow a similar pattern. Jesus fulfilled the perfect teacher in that, as the Living Word of God, he walked just as he taught. He also fulfilled the perfect learner in that, as a faithful son, he became a perfect example of listening, being, and doing.
In the process, however, the requirements Jesus gave for being his disciple parallel the law of Moses. His principle of discipleship (Luke 6:40) brings us to the end of ourselves, and to him, when he makes it clear that no one can truly be his disciple in the full sense of the word (Luke 14:26-27) (Luke 14:33).
The result is that other identifiers that emphasized who Jesus is and what he did for us (saints [set apart ones], children of God, followers, family, servants [in a grateful self-identifying sense], people of the Way, Christian [i.e. in Christ]) became the identifying norm. This seems so appropriate since, although we no longer sit physically at Jesus feet, and walk with him through olive trees, we do live by in his Spirit, by his grace, in ways that would earn us failing marks as disciples.
…
Now Scripture is his story. The law of Moses becomes a chapter that helps us understand why we need him. And discipleship becomes our opportunity to use our failing grades as an opportunity to learn from the One who is able to do for us immeasurably more than we could ever ask or think.
So… being accepted in his school is not limited to those with passing grades, but is available to all who humbly take our place at his feet wherever we are…”
There is a lot of food for thought in those words. We do well to remember that, though the four gospels are part of our New Testament, the events chronicled in the gospels technically come under the governance of the old dispensation, ‘under the Law’. It was a time of transition and the New Covenant was arriving and the Messiah was present to save, however, Christ Jesus had not yet suffered and died and the Spirit had not yet been given (Galatians 4:4,5). Add to this fact, as Mart points out, that the kind of discipleship that Jesus called people to was an exceeding high mark that we all come far short of.
I particularly like the thought that Mart mentions how the identifiers chosen in the New Testament letters all seem to emphasize “who Jesus is and what He did for us...” This may just be the real crux (Latin for cross!) of the matter. The clear emphasis of the letters of the apostles of Christ to the churches is not about what anyone might be prepared to do for Him. It’s about Him and what He has done and is prepared to do for, in, and through us, for His glory alone. This is something that the word disciple just does not convey.
So, what do you think?
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