Good Friday? Good indeed!

Chapter 3 - "No More Separation" is a chapter that I need to read once a month!  Better yet once a week, better still.....I need to hear Jesus' words, "It is finished" daily!

Pg 50 - "At the cross God suffers the abandonment so we never do! The cry from the darkness that shook the earth, split the rocks, opened the graves, tore the huge curtain has become the declaration: "It is safe to enter the Holy One's Presence. Come, just as you are. Everything that needs to be done has been done.  Forsakenness, alienation, abandonment are finished. Come!......There is nothing we can do to gain access to the Holy Place..... 
-Ritualism will not do it
-Moralism will not do it
-Mastering right doctrine will not do it
-Adopting the right lifestyle will not do it.....no of them overcomes the separation.  None of them opens the curtain. None of them opens graves!" (It is finished Pg 50-51)

I read that and my spirit cries out YES! Amen!  Then, not too long after, I find myself putting my faith in ritualism, moralism, mastering right doctrine, adopting the right lifestyle.  I am not comfortable with NO SEPARATION between the Holy One and I so I create the neccessary separation through the following!

1. Ritualism - I and everyone else must attend church, be in a bible study, tithe......faith in ritualism creates separation between me and the Holy One.........and me and everyone else!

2. Moralism - I and everyone else must obey the 10 commandments and the 600+ rules and regulations the priests attached to the 10 commandments.......faith in moralism only reveals my own depravity and sin to me and everyone around me. 

3.  Mastering the right doctrine - I am right and you are wrong.  If you want to be right you must believe what I believe.....faith in the right doctrine is telling people to NOT put their faith in Jesus but in law.  I am pretty sure faith in doctrine is PRO-REID and ANTI-CHRIST!

4.  Adopting the right lifestyle -  (See 1-3 above).   Author Parker Palmer states our predicament well in this quote....  "I pay a steep price when I live a divided (separated) life - feeling fraudulent, anxious about being found out,  depressed by the fact that I am denying my own selfhood.  The people around me pay a price as well, for now they walk on ground made unstable by my own dividedness.  How can I affirm  another's identity when I deny my own? How can I trust another's integrity when I defy my own?  A fault line runs down the middle of my life, and whenever it cracks open - divorcing my words and actions from the truth I hold within - things around me get shaky and start to fall apart.   (Palmer, Parker, A Hidden Wholeness. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 2004, 5) 

Everything that needs to be done has been done. Forsakenness, alienation, abandonment are finished. Come!......There is nothing we can do to gain access to the Holy Place..... The way is open. Come, just as you are.  There is nothing to fear!

There is nothing to fear!
There is nothing to fear!
There is nothing to fear!

Chapter 2 It is Finished - Torpedoes of Futility and Thundering Faith

Chapter Two “The Ransom That Sets Us Free” uses the words captivity, bondage, and freedom a lot.  With these concepts the following proclamations are given: 1. We are released from captivity. 2. He frees us from bondage. 3. He makes the exchange (His life for ours.) 4. His voluntary exchange was costly. 5. Jesus thinks we are worth the price. 6. We are now His. 

All these proclamations brought to mind for me the verses in Romans 8:20-27.   

²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

These verses remind me that the will of God is to reveal Christ in frustration, bondage, groaning pains, and weakness.  (Italicized words all came out of Romans 8:20-27) He even reveals Christ “our hope and savior” in the midst of completely clueless prayers (I am super glad for this HOPE!!)

I am emboldened by chapter 2 to trust the infinitesimal, teency bit of Faith of Christ within me that spurs me to pause for a moment and perhaps whisper  or maybe just grunt or groan this very, very, very basic request, “JESUS, HELP ME.”

Chapter 2 and Romans 8 reveal that in response to even my most feeble & timid expression of trust in Him, God always thunders on the grandest scale (perhaps in realms I don’t necessarily perceive clearly or understand)   “NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.”   In other words, little desperate prayers during a seemingly futile, frustrating day have full-tilt cosmic impact because God is such a good God with incredible, unimaginable power.

Thanks Jesus for being the author of life, salvation, & meaning in all circumstances.  Thanks for sabotaging my routine with torpedoes of futility and frustration so that I would turn my attention from created things and direct my attention to you, the Living Hope, for “in this hope we were saved.” Romans 8:24. 

The Ransom That Sets Us Free

Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Why? Why did He do it? That is the question I have been wrestling with this week in response to chapter 2. 

Pg 31. - "He looks at us and sees that we are in bondage from which we cannot free ourselves."

I struggle seeing the bondage of law, sin, unseen spiritual forces, vanity, and death in my life on a day to day basis.  I do not struggle however seeing the bondage of those things in other peoples lives.  This dichotomy only reveals that the bondage of law, sin, unseen spiritual forces, vanity, and death all exist in my life yet I choose to ignore them. 

"Lord help me to take the sin and evil in my life seriously! Help me fully embrace your gospel of redemption."

-Reid

It is FINISHED! There is nothing we can do to add to what Jesus has done for us. I think people want to "add" something to what Jesus has done because we inherently desire some kind of self righteousness. This chapter has helped us see that that is in no way possible. God is HOLY. I don't think I can even comprehend what that means, but I am so thankful for His death for me, bearing the punishment and wrath of God against my sin. Hallelujah! May we walk humbly in this knowledge and share this good news with others.

Just and Justifier

The words look strange paired together, and the concept is surely strange if you consider it alone. These two words describe God in his seemingly contradictory roles: the role of the just judge, and the role of the compassionate redeemer.
They're found in Romans 3:26, printed on pg15. The character of God continues to astound me and gives a sense of wonder that he is concerned with the trivial matters of our lives.
He is the ultimate standard of good, the epitome of holiness, and the antithesis of everything that is wrong with our world. But he is also the seeker of the lost, the changer of lives, and the lifeline of those destined for defeat. He knows we can't ever be perfect enough, but because of his love, he provided a way to make a right relationship with him.
A metaphor that helped me understand how God was still holy, even while allowing his creation to struggle in sin, was that of a guillotine. When mankind sinned, our head was put into the wooden stock, having been sentenced to death. But the blade of God's wrath stayed in its place, waiting for us to repent and be saved.
But Christ was put into the stock instead, and down went the blade.

Dan
(PS thanks for your patience as I dealt with adjusting to a new life during 1st quarter- I'll try to blog more regularly)

Living the Dream

"And all we need do now is throw ourselves into the arms of this God, offering ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). Amazing love, how can it be, that thou my God, shouldst die for me? Who could have ever dreamed up such a God?" (It Is Finished, 24) 

 Colossians 1:27 - To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The words written and spoken among gospel centered teams (like this one at Jim Elliot) provide a real-time, vivid revelation of this life-long question "who could have ever dreamed up such a God?"

Well, the rhetorical answer is "God dreamed it." But what stops me in my tracks is that your life (Colossians 1:27) in this community reveals God's dream. You are the unique revelation of Christ's person in this world. You are His body. "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?" I Corinthians 3:16

 Working shoulder by shoulder in a team effort (1 - Jim Elliot Team) while prying beneath the facades of fashion and etiquette through mentoring (2 - Jim Elliot Mentoring) is an amazing one-two combination punch into hearing and seeing God's person.

For in teamwork and mentoring God's extraordinary testimony is expressed in the perfectly unique form of each team member, mentor, and mentoree.

Ultimately God's dreams are not fake dreams, they are the very heart of everything that's genuine and true. And when you commune with Jesus and ingest His presence, His word, you are the living expression of all things true and real. You are the living expression of Christ.

So cheers to the left-brained-right brained, male-female, introverted-extroverted, logical-emotional, conservative-liberal, law-prophets witnesses that make up the team at Jim Elliot.

I listed these 1-2 combinations because all these 1-2 combinations highlight the unique witness that God has made each one of you to be. The 1-2 combinations remind me that each and every moment of our time serving together is packed with potential to see God's incredible, too good to be true (thus dreamy) heart in the countenances and words that we share in our work together.

The way that God's word reveals itself with such diversity among His people blows my mind. His creative capacity is beyond (for me at least) imagination and thus dream like -- but its real.

His creative capacity expressed through you is truth for Jesus is the truth and He is speaking and living truth before us right now as we serve each other and the students at Jim Elliot.

 In short, can I dream up such a God? Of course not, but your unique witness establishes in me the reality of that dream. Your unique witness reveals Christ in you the Hope of Glory and it is stunningly beautiful.

would I have understood?

pg. 8 - ..."But would we have understood what was really happening?"...  this sentence struck me this morning as I was reading the preface.  I continued reading but it came to mind again... would I have understood what was going on?  Would I have taken a moment to slow down, smell, hear, feel what was happening?  I want to put myself in the place of imagining all that He went through for me.  I want to read it, "stick my eyes in my ears", but at the same time I don't really want to be reminded, because it is easier not to.  It is easier not to face it - to stay focused in my busyness and not to understand what was really happening.  What was done at the cross was done for me... it was done for all of us at Elliot... and for every student in our mentor group..."everything that needs to be done is done."  I pray that as mentors we can share our struggles and model a lifestyle for these students that shows the grace and the power of Christ right through those weaknesses and struggles - that we may we live, fully aware of what was done for us and understand what was really happening.

"Simply have not understood who God is...."

Pg. 16 - "No human being, however good or noble, has lived up to God's expectations.  Those who claim they have, simply have not understood who God is and what He expects."

I have been  wrestling around with this quote as it pertains to mentors and young people at Jim Elliot.  Young people are looking for mentors, role models, examples to pattern their behavior and lifestyle after.  At the same time, young disciples of Jesus struggle with "religion vs. relationship", "faith vs. works", "performance based theology vs. grace & truth."

Young disciples of Jesus are struggling with the same issues I struggled with twenty four years ago when I was in high school and truth be told I am still to some degree struggling with those same issues!  (page 9): "For the longer we stand beneath the cross, the more we realize that we desperately need to have happen what happened. And either we believe that it has happened...it is finished...or we will spend the rest of our lives trying to make it happen ourselves." Pg. 16 - "No human being, however good or noble, has lived up to God's expectations. Those who claim they have, simply have not understood who God is and what He expects."

I confess to this community that too often I am concerned with making people think I can and I have lived up to God's expectations.  When I/we fail to embrace our own brokenness we involuntarily demand everyone around us to change.  This usually is carried out through exerting influence, authority, and power through a role (Teacher, mentor, administration, principal, CHRISTIAN!!!). When this happens I cease being an authentic person.  I deprive myself of grace and truth sabotaging the abundant life freely offered in Christ Jesus for a self manufactured counterfeit.  When I/we fail to embrace our own brokeness I/we fail to recognize an opportunity to grow in character and maturity.  Rather I/we continue the facade - "No human being, however good or noble, has lived up to God's expectations. Those who claim they have, simply have not understood who God is and what He expects."

Young disciples of Jesus will always struggle, but they should have mentors who are brave and courageous enough to not only tell them but MODEL to them a lifestyle that puts to death pride and image knowing that to die to those things is gain and to live is CHRIST!  

(II Cor. 12:9-10)   - But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."

May we be a mentor community who is strong by being weak!

-Reid 

I've Got to Stop Trying to Help Jesus!

As I began reading It is Finished, I was struck by a passage in the preface (page 9): "For the longer we stand beneath the cross, the more we realize that we desperately need to have happen what happened.  And either we believe that it has happened...it is finished...or we will spend the rest of our lives trying to make it happen ourselves."  Why do I keep thinking that Jesus needs my help?  Why do I think that if I just read my Bible more or criticize my fellow believers less, Jesus will love me more. Jesus loves me PERIOD! It is finished!

I love the way...

I love the way this author puts basic Christianity in simple, understandable terms, yet causes us to seriously think about what we believe! One thing that struck me in this chapter was how all cultures throughout history have stories or explanations for God and what He has done - everyone, everywhere, has an inner yearning for the things of God, and only He can satisfy.

On another note, I'm looking forward to what Mr. Johnson has to say in this particular book, but again I'm not - I cringe when I hear details of what our Lord had to go through. I used to go to Chuck Swindoll's church, and he once gave a sermon on the details of the crucifixion - I'll never forget it, though at times I wish I could. I wonder how detailed this book will be...perhaps it's something none of us should ever forget.

 

-Kathleen Elliot