I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me (I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength to me; I am self sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency). (Philippians 4:13 Amplified Version)

Many of us as children have called out for our parents when faced with a tough situation. I remember when I was five I decided to climb the maple tree that cast a shadow on the sand box beside our house. As a new tree climber I never considered that going up also means coming back down, and when it was too late to realize this I looked down and froze. I remember crying, and my brother went inside to get my parents. First Mom came out and didn’t know what to do, as I was quite high in the tree. Then my Dad came out and seemed to know exactly what to do… “Jump!” In my five-year-old mind, my Dad was smarter than Superman and almost as tough — so I jumped from what seemed like 100 feet and miraculously didn’t come out looking like a run-over pop can. This kind of faith as a young boy wasn’t just a rational weighing of the facts. It was a faith that came from some deeper form of knowing my Dad.

In the above passage we see the result of the Apostle Paul’s relationship to Christ: a faith that can be tested and come out stronger than before. Paul knew much hardship in his life and work. He listed the many trials in his letter to the Corinthians: whippings, shipwrecks, hunger, violence, and loneliness. Still He could say, “I am ready for anything.” The only thing to which we can attribute this kind of faith is knowing the one in whom our faith is placed. Earlier in the letter to the Philippians, Paul shared that his life’s goal was “to know Him” and that because of knowing Him (Christ), his perspective on every threatening circumstance was changed. Some say faith is a jump in the dark, but for those who know the one calling in the tough circumstances it becomes a step toward the one who personifies trustworthiness.

After looking at the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday we followed up the next Sunday by looking at the reaction of Christ’s followers to this event, and if we look closely we can see ourselves in their reaction. What we see, is Mary at the tomb looking for the corpse of her Lord and the disciples hiding out somewhere behind locked doors “for fear of the Jews.” What is amazing about their reaction is that they all assume Jesus is dead and gone, when he clearly told them what was going to happen many times and in different settings: “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day raised to life”(Matthew 16:21).

 You would think after all the details of what his mission would look like the Apostles and followers of Christ would be expecting something supernatural. They had seen the miracles and the unexplainable wisdom of Christ, yet the idea of someone overcoming death? Not possible! And so they went around blinded to what Christ had told them until he shows up and the reality of the supernatural sinks in. How often have we had the supernatural at our front door and called it coincidence, and so missed an opportunity to experience the love of a God, who cannot be explained by the human mind. Even in the day of information we still can’t grasp the vastness of the material universe or the complexity of the cell. Being amazed and in wonder, it seems, is the first step on the road that leads home. And just as Christ knocked on the physical door of the house the disciples were hiding in, he speaks today to the one who has ears to hear: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Amazing!!!

The pinnacle of the Easter weekend as celebrated by the Church is the Easter Sunday, when we celebrate the miracle of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Sometimes I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of resurrection as I have never seen a person who was dead come back to life, but over the years, as I’ve read the scriptures and the accounts of those who verified this event, I’ve realized that the reality of what I’ve experienced personally (in my relationship to Christ) is actually grounded in a historical event; An event that was confirmed by many witnesses from varied backgrounds and cultures in the second century.

Not only does the resurrection of Christ give me an opportunity to walk and talk with a living Lord (rather than pray at some grave or shrine), the resurrection of Christ Is the promise that at the end of life there is more than a hole in the ground. It confirms that longing suspicion in the heart of humanity: that there is an unseen realm that is the actual reality, of which the visible realm is a shadow. If the cross of Christ is the means by which humanity is forgiven, justified and reconciled to God, the resurrection is the promise and window of how far this reconciliation goes. In the words of Apostle Paul: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

 Death is always an insult to our relationships. It is the end of the friendships and grace we’ve shared with our loved ones. It is a tool of fear used by tyrants, and an enemy that it seems no one can escape, but for those who have seen and experienced the risen Christ in their lives, death is something that no longer has the final say, and the sting of its pain will not be the last word.

          God gave Jonah the task of preaching to the city of Nineveh, a city filled with his oppressive Syrian enemies.  After initially running from the task God had given him, which included a near shipwreck and a mysterious large fish, Jonah finally relents and preaches to the city.  To his anguish, the people of the city turn from their “wickedness and violence” (Jonah 3:8) and are spared the judgment of God.  Jonah was upset with this outcome because he had a deep- seated hatred for the Ninevites, who had long oppressed his people.  He was furious that God would show kindness and mercy to the Ninevites; he didn’t share the compassion that God had for the people of that city. 

         If there is a lesson we might miss from Jonah it is this:  We all can be familiar with the words of God yet remain at a distance from His heart.  No doubt Jonah grew up reading Scriptures like the Psalms, which speak about God’s compassionate love for all people of the earth. 

          Could it be that Jonah didn’t share the heart of God because he himself had never had his heart broken?  Sometimes it’s only the broken-hearted that understand the heart of God because they’ve felt the deep pain of separation from the one they love.  That is why each Sunday we gather at the foot of the cross where we see to what extent God’s heart was broken for lost humanity.  As we kneel and ponder such a heartbroken Father, we open ourselves up to go beyond knowing about God, to actually sharing his heart of love for families, towns and cities filled with lost people.

I’m sure all of us have had experiences where the hair on the back of our neck stood up because some unexplained circumstance that defied the odds played out in our lives.

A few years ago I was taking a few young people from church on a trip halfway across Canada. As I was driving I shared about a friend of mine who was dying of cancer. I had met Dave through teaching Sunday school years ago, and we immediately shared a special bond in our faith and love for the outdoors. Dave was a father figure to many young guys and had greatly impacted my life; how sad it was that the cancer was getting the best of him. I dropped off the young people at their destination and decided to start the two day drive back home.

Dave had been given only a few weeks to live. And that was his plan: to live until he died. Unbeknownst to me, Dave had decided to leave the hospital he was in and travel across Canada rather than wait around to die. Dave and his wife slowly made their way across Canada, stopping when he needed to and continuing on as he felt able. This is where ‘more than coincidence’ comes in. As I was leaving the town I was traveling through, I stopped into a restaurant to grab a bite to eat — and guess who was walking in at the same time. We both just looked at each other and knew that this was a God moment. We laughed and ate together; I knew of a fishing hole nearby so we went and fished for a few hours. It was the best orchestrated goodbye I’ve ever experienced. I hugged him and his wife and said “I don’t know when I’ll see you again” as his wife laughed and said “I do.” As Dave drove off, tears filled my eyes and I looked up and said “Thank You.” Because of Jesus I knew who I was thanking that day.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:15-20)

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves as all such things as these: anger, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of it’s Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, cloth yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:5-14)

Whoever coined the phrase of “old dog new tricks” in reference to people must have never read the New Testament. It seems the pages of the New Testament are packed with stories of tyrants, prostitutes, thieves and the like being transformed into shining examples of integrity and sacrificial love. In the passage above Paul is painting a picture of what change looks like when Christ takes his place as lord in someone’s life. It may seem like a list of do’s and don’t that he’s asking his readers to fallow to be right with God, but we know that this is not what it is, from reading the chapter before this. Paul never strays from the message that its Christ’s indwelling presence in the believer’s life, that is the origin of this process, of being renewed in the image of the Creator. What he is doing is painting a picture of what the presence of Christ looks like as Christ doesn’t just teach the old dog new tricks, but actually changes the Dog. So what Paul is saying in essence, is that since you’ve had a spiritual heart transplant and now you live in the light of God’s love and grace, don’t let the old life lingure, Make decisive choices to say goodbye to it and live out of the love and truth of Christ’s indwelling presence. And for 2000 years this message has been proving that the power of God’s grace stands the old saying “You can’t teach an old Dog new tricks” on it’s head.

Ingredients of True Spirituality.

Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!?’ These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. (Colossians 2:20-23)

In the letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, he addressed some of the problems that the church was encountering as a new community of Christian faith. He uses his letter to teach them what true Christian Spirituality is and to avoid the fake spirituality of legalism.

Repentance and faith, submission to Jesus as the Lord, making space to let the mind, will and emotions of Christ become an inward reality and adopting the new language of gratitude are all marks of what Paul calls true spirituality. His focus is that we are changed by God from the inside out, and that this change comes through these elements, not following rules or traditions made up by people.

One of the easiest things for us to do is to become a legalist. What I mean by legalist, is that we adopt a certain set of rules that we are able to keep (thinking it pleases God) and then we usually judge everyone else by our rules. The problem with this type of fake spirituality is that it not only makes us self-righteous and hard to live with, but it also has no power to really change us on the inside. Christ came that we might actually have a real connection with God, and that from this connection, there would be seeds planted in humanity that change us into what we are created to be, and the hope of what those seeds will one day fully become. Paul’s letter in essence is a warning not to go back to legalism; it does make people look shiny on the outside, but those who live with a legalist know it’s not what’s on the inside. He encourages them to keep their connection to Christ as their means of true spiritual growth, letting him change the inside as we become what we were meant to be, from the inside out.

Faith or Addiction

When life is tough or unfair we all come to questions in our mind about the reason for those trials. Sometimes it seems impossible to make any sense of the events and circumstances that shock us and bring us to our knees in grief. I’m reminded of the story of Nehemiah in the Bible. We can see in the first chapter of the book of Nehemiah a man who’s wrestling and grieving with life and God. Nehemiah was a nobleman and an educated man in the nation of Israel, who now finds himself as a slave in the courts of a king whose army had killed, raped and burned his hometown to the ground. He now finds himself as the cupbearer for the king; A crash test dummy to test the drinks for poison before they get to the kings lips. Grief and humiliation of this sort is the kind that shakes a person to the core, but as we see when we read through the book, Nehemiah becomes one of the most inspiring leaders of hope as he is granted his freedom to return to his burned out city to rebuild. Nehemiah wasn’t in denial about what had happened to his home and family, his grief was very real, but it was his faith that the God of heaven had not abandoned him in his grief that allowed him to face reality again with hope. I’m sure there was the temptation to throw in the towel and allow the wounds of his heart to be drowned by some form of an addiction, rendering him useless to his future as a leader of hope and inspiration. It seems we all come to places of decision like this in our lives. We are faced with the tough questions about God:

Why didn’t you keep my parents from divorcing?

Why didn’t you stop the abuse?

Why didn’t you prevent the accident?

Pastor Eugene Peterson has said…. God will answer no such questions, no matter how often and how passionately we ask. Instead, he invites us to weep with him and receive his mercy. And he roars in anger with us and calls us to take up his sword to wage war against that which broke our heart. It is faith, in the God who has joined us and grieved with us, just a Jesus did, and that transforms our broken heart of grief and anger, to a heart that is enabled to face reality with more honesty, hope and passion. This is why the apostle Paul has said “we don’t grieve as those who have no hope”, but we have a relationship with the God who came as a man and was no stranger to our grief. With this hope we are no longer alone in our grief and our anger is transformed to passion, waging war on that which would crush hope in the lives of others. Without hope, the nearest soul numbing addiction, so often becomes our epitaph.

The Medium is the Message

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:15-20).

As a teen I would pick up a Bible from time to time and try to read something out of it. I was always perplexed as I read a bunch of jumbled stories and teachings that seemed to make no sense at all. “How can anyone say this book is God’s word?” I thought. Does God expect the average teen to be able to make sense of all these random stories and sayings? It all seemed like a strange mystery to me, until one day it seemed that someone had given me a key to the mystery. It was like I understood for the first time what the apostle Paul was saying in the verses above. I finally understood that all of these stories and sayings were pointing to the One who unlocks the mystery of God and history. As I began to pray and reach out to Jesus it was like a wave of refreshing reality flooded my soul. Truth had made an entrance point into my life and it wasn’t a philosophy or a theory, but a Person. I understood that Christ was the perfect image of God and that through him, there is restoration of the distance between God and people, and when that gap is closed, we start becoming who we were created to be: image bearers. This is an amazing thought: of actually finding our truest purpose and destiny in life. It seems many people tread lightly around Jesus, and for obvious reason. As Nelson Mandela said, “It’s not our smallness and weakness we most fear, it’s our greatness.” When I am faced with the God that sent the perfect One to die on a cross for me, it causes me to tremble. How could God see something of such greatness in me, that he would invite me to draw near to him through the costly price paid on a cross. It may be fearful to think why God would invite us to draw near, but the invitation stands. May we not let fear rob us of answering such an invitation.