When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn’t know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point–He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only–my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.
Oswald Chambers
It is deplorable
that the gracious gifts of brass and metalworking
are used both to fashion bells and trumpets
to sing of the bountiful love and mercy of God
and to craft cartridges and artillery shells
to take the lives of those fashioned in his image.
This thought struck me in worship this morning as we sang joyfully of Christ’s advent accompanied by trumpet, French horn, and bells then soberly pleaded with God to grant comfort, peace, and hope to those affected by the shootings in Connecticut. How it made me long, more than usual, for the words of Micah to become reality.
[God] will settle disputes among many peoples
and provide arbitration for strong nations that are far away.
They will beat their swords into plows,
and their spears into pruning knives.
Nation will not take up the sword against nation,
and they will never again train for war.
But each man will sit under his grapevine and under his fig tree
with no one to frighten him.
– Micah 4.3-4 (HCSB)
Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
It is far easier for us to point out fault in others than it is to recognize it in ourselves. One of the most pointed teachings of Jesus centers on forgiving others again and again and again.
The Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ ’I tell you, not as many as seven,’ Jesus said to him, ‘but seventy times seven.’
Matthew 18.21-22 (HCSB)
According to the rabbinic teaching of the day, believers were required to forgive a person three times, so in all likelihood Peter thought he was being more than generous in asking if seven times was enough. As usual, Jesus’ response blows us away–seventy times seven. “Forgive your brother as many times as he is truly repentant,” Jesus might as well have said.
This kind of love is hard. In our own strength, this kind of love is impossible.
Honestly, we don’t like the idea of forgiving someone this many times. ”Enough is enough!” we’re tempted to cry out. Even though God continues to forgive our sins again and again and again, there is a part of us that hates the idea of extending this same kind of grace to others. And yet, the attitude Jesus exemplifies and demands of us is precisely the attitude that realizes that ceasing from sin–especially a long-standing one–involves much more than simply willing ourselves to stop.
There is an archaic English word used throughout the King James Version that describes God’s attitude toward our never-ending cycle of sin and repentance. The word is “long-suffering.” According to Merriam-Webster, long-suffering means “patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship.” That pretty well sums up God’s attitude of grace in the face of our sin.
Here is my 70×7 prayer:
Amen.
Therefore let us unite with those who devoutly practice peace and not with those who hypocritically wish for peace.
– 1 Clement 15.1
Let us fix our eyes on the blood of Christ and understand how precious it is to his Father, because, being poured out for our salvation, it won for the whole world the grace of repentance.
– 1 Clement 7.4
The Church Fathers are some of the richest and (especially in the West) most overlooked writings in all of Christianity. Today I discovered Read the Fathers, a website dedicated to a seven-year (gulp!) reading plan to “study a vast library of theology, history, liturgy, apologetics, biblical commentary, and devotion written in the first seven centuries of the Christian church.” Importantly, the site is built on the premise of community discussion, encouragement, and accountability.
Here’s the real treat–this seven-year journey begins today. There is a little bit of introductory material by way of background, and the first readings dive right into 1 Clement, a letter you may never have heard of but which was considered part of the canon of scripture by some in the first few centuries of the infant Church.
Head on over to readthefathers.org and subscribe to the readings by whatever means works best for you!
Suffering is inevitable. Pain is unavoidable. Life, quite often, hurts.
The litany of the agonies and struggles Christians face is no different than those of the rest of the world:
Contrary to what we sometimes hear or want to believe, the promise of Christ to his followers is not that we are immune or exempt from these. The promise of God is that we do not face any hardship alone…
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
I will be with you
when you pass through the waters,
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not overwhelm you.
You will not be scorched
when you walk through the fire,
and the flame will not burn you.Isaiah 43.1b-2 (HCSB)
Read those words again. ”When” you face difficult, painful times…and they will come, it is certain…God says, “I will be with you.” We would doubtless all love to avoid pain, I know I do. The idea that we can do this, however, is both unrealistic and unbiblical. When we cry out to Christ he may calm the storm–he has done it before and we will continue to pray that he does it again. Whether or not the storm subsides is not the real point.
In the midst of suffering, God is there.
In the midst of pain, Christ is found.
In the midst of hurting, you are not alone.
The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
– Brennan Manning
(h/t: Chris Marlow)
I have to learn that the aim in life is God’s, not mine. God is using me from His great personal standpoint, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him, and never say—‘Lord, this gives me such heartache.’ To talk in that way makes me a clog. When I stop telling God what I want, He can catch me up for what He wants without let or hindrance. He can crumple me up or exalt me, He can do anything He chooses. He simply asks me to have implicit faith in Himself and in His goodness. Self-pity is of the devil; if I go off on that line I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world.
– Oswald Chambers
Protestants, especially conservatives and/or Evangelicals, are often hesitant to champion social causes or acts of mercy…typically equating them with the ‘social gospel’ of the early 20th century and its associated liberal theology. The connection, however, is clearly unwarranted and unscriptural. Hopefully that incorrect connection will soon fade away into memory as more and more Christians get involved in reaching out to help those in need, as Jesus did.
Richard Stearns’ Hole in Our Gospel is a powerful antidote to this kind of thinking. If you haven’t read it, you should. You won’t be able to put it down, and then you won’t be able to get it out of your head. Also, Jeremy Tate has just written a wonderful post of being a Church of mercy. While I don’t agree with his conclusion that her consistent acts of mercy show the Roman Catholic Church to be the one true church, the example set by Catholicism in this respect is definitely humbling and worthy of others’ imitation.
read: A Church of Mercy