Hello and Shalom to all!

(this was posted this past May, but I wanted to include it here!)

Hello to all!
I'm back, alive and well. What a trip! What a journey! I apologize for not writing sooner, but I've been recouping and been out of town on business this week. I want to let you all know that Israel is everything anyone has ever told you and more. I would highly recommend to every Christian who can to go at some point in their life - but only with an experienced tour guide and driver. It's such a land of beauty and spiritual power, but if you don't know where you are going, you'll only find trouble. I had many thoughts during my time over there and I'll work to share them in the days to come. By the way, my new profile pic was taken on top of Mt. Arbel in Galilee, as were these fine shots.



Back to the profile pic: directly behind me is a 400 meter drop, which is only accentuated by the surrounding land, as the Sea is below "sea level". The Sea of Galilee is to the right of the picture. The city of Tiberias is out of view, but was almost directly below. The small town of Magdala is directly behind me. That was the home town of Mary Magdelene. Below my left hand, sort of in the haze is the Mount of Beautitudes - so named because this is the site of many of Jesus' sermons, fully recorded in Matthew 5-7.


It is also directly near the site of the feeding of the five thousand - the only miracle of Christ recorded in all 4 Gospels.
There's no possible way that I can convey all of the visceral aspects of the place, but let me tell you that I was blessed with the presence of the Holy Spirit in a powerful way at the Church of Beatitudes.


I wasn't expecting it, but he came and moved me to tears and sobs that were so beautiful, so cathartic, so healing, that I must praise the Lord right here and now!

A quick word
Very quickly I'd like to bring one point across in one word: devotion. This word, this action, devotion, was readily apparent in the land of Israel. As Americans, quite frankly, we have possessed a sense of entitlement in regards to our spiritual life. We abound in grace. While it is true that we are saved by grace and not by works, works need to be evident in our lives, as they demonstrate in a tangible way, our love for Jesus Christ. Once again, we aren't saved by works, but as the brother of our Lord wrote, "So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (James 2:17, NRSV). Devotion is the recognition and admiration of the life and works of Jesus Christ here on Earth, set into motion in order to give us eternal life for all who would believe (John 6:47). In short, this means that we need to change our perspective from "what can I get away with and still be Christian?" and begin to say "as a Christian, what must I do to express my love for him?" This is a paradigm shift of immense proportions. We then no longer get concerned with the "thou shalt nots" and become wrapped up in the "thou shalts". Do you see that? I think that we tend, myself included, to skate by too often on the merits of grace. We might attend a few church services, we might even tithe and teach a class here and there. But really, what is the measure of our devotion? Have we really invested ourselves in our relationship with Christ?
I saw people in Israel who wept, who knelt before and on and who draped themselves over the places of Christ's birth, his passion and his resurrection. While the motives for doing so may be varied, one thing became apparent. Am I as devoted to Christ? Am I truly thankful, in a transformational way, for Immanuel - God with us? It's a question that doesn't have a quick answer.While other religions have a works based salvation plan, Christianity is distinct in that we are saved by grace and belief. Yet, we can still earn lessons from others. Should our devotion to the one true God and Lord of all be less than that of a person who does not? What have you done in your life to truly make Jesus your Lord, the object of your greatest love and devotion? He has given you his life so that you may live. He is the bread of life that has given life to the world. (John 6:33) Eat of it, be filled, be devoted!
Devotion may be in the form of switching off the tv and taking time in prayer and study in the Word - not just one verse, but true contemplation and meditation on his precious words. I can tell you from experience that since I have been able to see the places of the Bible, my reading and understanding of them has changed forever. I also can tell you that this feeling is possible without having to go to on a trip. By spending time with the Word, by cherishing it, by ingesting it, you too can experience. This in turn should lead to a vibrant prayer life that puts you in tune with your Lord and God - thereby increasing that ever important word in your life: devotion. Won't you do that today?Thanks so much to all who have prayed for my journey and my family while I was away. Know that I prayed for you all as well. What a privilege and honor to lift up one another in prayer before the Lord! Have a blessed day!

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1.03.01

Completing the ENTIRE Person

Foreword
I'd like to let everyone know that I have been out of town extensively this past week, hence only one post. I'm shooting to begin a new series on prayer but it is more than likely going to be interrupted for some time. I'll be in Israel from the 9th to the 18th, so my access to the internet will be limited, at best. I'd really, really appreciate your prayers for that time, as it will be difficult for everyone, yet still an experience of a lifetime!

Introduction
Just as I did with an interesting theological topic, I also like to address general topics of interest from time to time. The concept of complete health is one that is not only of interest but one that hits me between the eyes right now. I believe that a person is physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. Pastors usually do their work in the realm of the spiritual and emotional. If you are a blessed communicator, the mental aspects of a person are also addressed. However, it is rare that a pastor ever addresses the physical components that help to complete the entire person. Yet without that, we never fully minister to all of the needs that a person may have. So, in the that spirit...

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" (I Cor. 6:19, NIV)
Last week I begrudgingly agreed to get some blood work done. When the results came back, I found out that I had high cholesterol and really high triglycerides. I wasn't too thrilled, to say the least. I used to run track and was very active until a few years ago. I'm 37, 6'3" and about 215, so I figured that all was well, as far as cholesterol went. What I've not really mentioned is that for years, I would eat pretty much whatever, whenever. I did have my gallbladder removed a few years back, which has caused me to change my diet somewhat, but I guess that wasn't quite enough.I recently gave up pork and most red meat in order to deal with some typical post-op digestive issues, but this recent news has been quite sobering. I'm quite thankful that I have found out the news at my age instead of in 10-15 years. Heart disease is no joke and something that needs to be discussed on a regular basis, whether on Sunday or Wednesday night or at a time of convenience for the church. Why?The aforementioned scripture makes it very clear that our bodies are of great importance. The church is great at addressing issues of sin, but then we all shuffle off to the buffet line without giving it a second thought.

Diet changes?
I really believe that we need to become more conscious about addressing not only what goes into our hearts and minds, but into our bodies as well. The number one killer amongst human beings is heart disease. And what is the typical initial symptom of heart attack? It is typically death. That's right! In many cases, heart problems are diagnosed post-mortem. In other words, when it's too late. I believe that something can be done to reverse years of damage that we have caused, but it's not easy. It requires willpower and accountability. Frankly, this sounds familiar to areas of our lives that we already, as Christians, strive to surrender to the Lord. Should our diets be any different?If we are truly thankful for our gift of life, I believe that we need to be willing to care for bodies. Daily, regular exercise needs to begin. I'm not talking about becoming marathon runners. I'm talking about doing something: walking, lifting, stretching.. something. Granted, a doctor should be consulted if haven't exercised for many years prior to activity, but for most getting out and moving will be a great start.Next, our diets need to change. Fatty foods, while tasty, will cause problems sooner rather than later. I was shocked when I went through some food labels recently. Do I really need to get 200% of the recommended daily intake of sodium in one sandwich? I'm not saying that everyone needs to become a vegan, but the fact remains that most people have between 5-7 POUNDS of undigested meat literally rotting away in their intestines on any given day. mmmmmm - sound good?I've recently decided to kick nearly all meat to curb. This is a HARD step for a guy like me to make, but a necessary one. I've found that with Boca and GardenBurger, there are many viable and actually GOOD tasting options out there. NOW, it's not always the most cost-effective way to shop. However, most of us take better care of our vehicles and houses than we do our own bodies. Meanwhile, the church sits by and never addresses any such concerns. Sure, we may take stands against smoking, drinking and other vices, but if you want 3 quarter-pounders, knock yourself out. Really, it is time for us to be willing to address all the things that violate our personal temples. This starts at the dinner table, folks. We can have good food while still paying attention to the awful amounts of cholesterol and fat that many foods contain. More fish, more chicken - less breading on them, too, by the way.

Conclusion
So why would a pastor address these issues? Because for one thing, if they don't, they might wind up in no shape to pastor. If they say nothing, there might not be too many people left in the congregation. I believe that we have a responsibility, as pastors, to address all of the needs of the congregation that we can. Only as complete and healthy people can we fully enjoy this blessed gift of life that God has granted us. Seek to have a healthy and vibrant walk with Jesus Christ. Get your blood checked. Make appropriate dietary changes. Exercise. Pray. Read your Bible. Witness to and love others with the love of Christ. It ALL works together! Have a blessed day - and really, start taking care of your bodies as well as your spirits!

Peter and Judas: Part Three: Perspectives

Introduction
I want to thank everyone who has made a comment throughout the life of this series. This subject is both intriguing and difficult. The intrigue lies within trying to ascertain the ways in which Peter and Judas dealt with their respective failures. The difficulty lies within our attempts to empathize with Judas without forgetting about his repentance and to keep from glossing over Peter's glaring inadequacies. At no time has this series attempted to make statements about the eternal destinations of either Judas or Peter. This is in line with the Biblical mandate of Matthew 7:1-2. This statement about avoiding judgments refers to our penchant for determining the outcome of the lives of others, which clearly the work of God alone.In wrapping this topic up, I want to look at what I believe to be the final and ultimate difference between Peter and Judas. The difference can be summed up in one word: perspective.

The crisis of introversion revisited
Why is perspective important in this case? It seems that the perspective of each of these men is what drove them towards their ultimate positions, one of shame and one of honor. One man seemed to have spent three years in the presence of Christ yet remained completely focused on self, literally consumed with an internal perspective. The other man was, at least eventually, able to change their perspective to one that was conducive to helping, leading and inspiring first the remaining apostles and then much of the early Christian movement.This crisis of introversion, as spoken about in an earlier post, is what kept Judas isolated from the fellowship of his brethren. It kept him focused on his needs and desires. He illustrates this by being labeled a thief in John 12:6. Judas was so focused on self that he failed to see the enormity of Mary's act of love and lack of concern for financial security in exchange for devotion to Jesus. Morris points out the significance of this passage. "This is the one place in the four Gospels wherein Judas is shown to be of bad character prior to the betrayal... and if this is the character of the man, we may well feel that he was dissatisfied with the way the mission of Jesus was turning out" (Morris, 1995, p.513, 514). In other words, Judas cared more for self, more for money and more for personal gain than he ever did others. This would explain how Judas was both able to be possessed by Satan directly and how he was able to betray Christ. Furthermore, it would seem to illustrate how he was unable to get over his own guilt, hence his ultimate act of suicide as a type of conflict resolution.

The eventual outward perspective of Peter
Peter, the prophesied rock of the church, acted in a way that was completely contrary to his eventual status as one of the pillars of the early church. He proved himself to still be impulsive and emotional, hence his ability to deny Jesus. Yet, we still must deal with he fact that Peter ultimately behaves in a way that is quite different from Judas. Like Judas, Peter is confronted with the finality of the earthly ministry of Jesus. Similarly, Peter is wracked with guilt after his failure, as was Judas. Two things seem to separate Peter from Judas. One is the fact that Peter isn't directly possessed by Satan. This speaks of the character and internal spiritual state of the man. Despite his massive foibles, Peter still, at least on some level has a heart that loves and longs to serve Christ, if not imperfectly. Second is this idea of perspective.While Matthew tells us that Judas is alone when he confronts the priests, John 20-21 shows that Peter was constantly in the company of others. The difference that shows between Peter and Judas cannot be overstated. One would only have to look to our own day and age, at Blacksburg, Virginia to show what happens when one person is consumed and overrun by an internally focused psyche. Peter is never mentioned as being alone or isolated. This is key! Peter stayed surrounded by others. Perhaps this was due to the man himself or perhaps it is due to divine intervention. While the cause of Peter's social interaction may not be correctly ascertained from scripture, the impact of that action may be.Peter is able to be present on the day of resurrection. He is able to witness the bodily resurrected Christ not once or twice but three times because he stayed with the brethren. This leads to his ultimate restoration and fairly exalted status as leader of the apostolic group. None of this would have been possible if Peter had remained wallowed in self-pity and isolation. By keeping a perspective of outward motivation, Peter is able to stumble along the path towards restoration rather than destruction.

Conclusion
While we may never know the impetus for Peter's remaining within community, what we can take away from the comparison between Peter and Judas is this idea of perspective. Judas was consumed and destroyed by maintaining an introverted life. Peter is eventually able to be restored by Jesus largely because he stayed available and in community.We, too, need to stay connected with a body of believers, both locally, through a church if at all physically possible and globally, through evangelism and interaction with others. I cannot discount the fact that Judas fulfilled prophecy, but I believe that his choices opened the door for these actions to occur.
I've tried to be fair to both, not too light on Peter and not too heavy on Judas, in order to illustrate that both real men illustrated truths for our enrichment and growth today.

Application for us
Please, don't stay isolated from your Christian brethren and from the world at large. Don't allow yourself to be consumed by self. Even Christians can fall prey to the crisis of introversion. It is something that I constantly battle. I have both succeeded and failed with this issue. Yet through it all, it is a focus upon the Lord Jesus Christ that is responsible for lifting me up and out of my crisis of introversion. So today, please don't just walk away with having just read this post. If all that you have read our words, then I haven't been clear enough. Only by living a life guided by the Holy Spirit, directed in love for others and devotion to Jesus Christ will you be able to stretch out past an inward focus. And only by focusing outside of oneself will restoration, just like that given to Peter and just like the one that each and every one of us needs in the form of forgiveness from Jesus Christ, become readily available to you. It's all a matter of perspective. What will yours be today?

Peter and Judas: Part Two

Introduction
In the first part of this soon-to-be series, we took a look at some comparisons between Judas - insert boo here - and Peter - insert cheer here. It seems that the overwhelming view of these two men is characterized in exactly the same way as how I just presented them. Judas is hated and Peter beloved. Yet, I believe that the case for both men is not as cut and dry as we try to make it, with us having the benefit of hindsight. If we were to zoom back to their time, would we be so sure of the outcome?

One possible KEY difference
John 13:27 reads, "After he (Judas) received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "Do quickly what you are going to do" (NRSV). Similarly, "Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve" (Luke 22:3, NRSV). Luke 22:31 states, "Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you (Peter), when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (NRSV). These accounts point out one similarity and one difference between Judas and Peter. All of the disciples were tempted, Peter included, in a spiritual way to abandon Jesus in crunch time. However, Satan only seems to be able to tempt Peter. John and Luke both tell us that Satan actually entered into Judas. What a difference!
First of all, what must Judas's spiritual condition have been like in order to have been able to have been possessed? Second, what must Peter's have been like if he wasn't possessed? This might be the very answer to the overriding question about Judas. While demonic possession is mentioned extensively in the gospels, save for John, in no other case is it stated that Satan entered into someone directly. By the way, as a side note, I've often wondered how someone, particularly a Christian, could think that Satan doesn't exist. He seems to be very real in the gospels!
It would almost be fair to say that Judas wasn't fully under his control during the betrayal. We're not told when or if Satan left Judas, either. Possibly, just speculation here, but perhaps Judas acted under his own power in Matthew 27, when it is stated that Judas repents and seeks to take back the silver to the priests.

Back to Matthew 27:3-4 for a moment
In this text, as mentioned above and in part one, Judas is spoken about as being repentant for his actions. He feels, rightfully, culpability for his role in the betrayal of Jesus and seeks at least some form of restitution for his actions. It should be noted that perhaps Judas was acting in response to Deuteronomy 27:25, which called for a curse to put upon anyone who betrayed innocent blood for money. This is certainly a possibility as Judas specifically mentions that he betrayed innocent blood. So once again, we must notice here that Judas possesses at least a modicum of repentance - at least as much as Peter, perhaps even more.

Getting it
Another issue that has been raised throughout the interactions based on part one is the idea that somehow Peter understood the gravity of his situation more so than Judas did. Honestly, I can't really find much scriptural basis for this. I do tend to agree that in the long run Peter came to understand more than Judas did. Yet, in the immediate days of both Christ's death and resurrection, this doesn't seem to be completely accurate.We know from the text in Matthew 27:5 that Judas went and hanged himself after being unable to cope with his guilt. Later in Acts 1:18-20, Peter himself explains that scripture had to be fulfilled in regards to Judas. We may then ascertain that while Judas didn't get the concept of Jesus as a suffering messiah, he also is acting under direct satanic possession, yet all the while under God's provincial knowledge, hence the fulfillment of prophecy.
But before we slap Peter on the back, we need to do a Lee Corso (college football guru) - "Not so fast, my friend". Peter was obviously slow in some areas of acceptance of Christ. While he is applauded by Christ for acknowledging him as Lord, he is in the next moment HARSHLY rebuked - the get behind me, Satan quote of Matthew 16:23. Additionally, it must be noted that the account of Peter's threefold restoration in John 21 is the THIRD time that Jesus appears to Peter after the resurrection. Three times! John 20:19 and 26 account for the first two times. Additionally, it is recorded that Thomas - the doubting Thomas - is in fact restored BEFORE Peter. The man who said he'd only believe if he touched Jesus is restored prior to Peter. Is this to imply that unbelief is less of a sin than denial?In any way that you look at it, Peter just doesn't seem to grasp the situation. He never ACTIVELY seeks forgiveness and restoration. It sort of comes to him. Looking at the threefold restoration, some debate has arisen about the language that is used during the exchange.
It may be postulated that Jesus in both the first and second instances of "Do you love me?" is using a higher form of love, in the Greek text, than is Peter. Only in the third statement are both words for love the same. Does this imply that Peter didn't quite get it? Furthermore, does this show that Christ was willing to work with Peter, so to speak? I seem to have more questions than answers on this.

Conclusion
What I want to point out in this second part is that although we are quick to dismiss Judas as hellbound and clueless, the Bible itself paints a slightly different picture. Likewise, while we love to see that Peter is forgiven and restored, we tend to miss out on the fact that he was fairly slow in accepting that Jesus had to and needed to suffer as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. We may WISH to see Peter as one who was forgiven, like us, so we readily identify with him; foibles and all. Yet, why are we so quick to distance ourselves from Judas? Is it because he couldn't absorb his guilt and merely was repentant and not truly desiring of forgiveness? Or is it because, as Lora Mae and others commented, it's hard - and even painful to identify with Judas in any way? I'll continue this next post, but I'd really love to hear your take on these issues. Thanks for reading and bringing up valuable points and comments! Have a blessed day!