TransFormed in His Image

As I think on a few things this morning, I cannot help but be bombarded once again with thoughts, now that our new President has entered his 100th day as Commander-in-Chief. At the beginning of his campaign, I was unsure of his possiblities of becoming this countries leader. Fortunately, (or unfortunately) he was successful in his quest, largely due to the morale of the American people with American (Republican?) politics over the past decade. I want to express that culturally as an African-American, I was elated to see a seemingly impossibility become a reality with Barack Obama becoming the 44th president of the U.S.A. But in all as a member of the Kingdom of God all human governments are contrary to God’s Kingdom advancing, rather republic, democracy or dictatorship. It is at times like these the contradictions man is faced with come into complete confilct, though some would say that these are in no way conflicted issues. Christians would choose to use Scripture totally out of their context to combat this argument. Truly that does not bother me, this is really the contradiction that America was built on, misunderstanding and mis-representing Holy Scripture. I use for example, the simple truth in which Paul admonishes the people of God to build with proper materials on the Foundation (1 Cor. 3:11-15). Here it is said that no other foundation can be laid, but that it is our duty to build (I’d rather use “advance” instead of build) upon that foundation. 6 different materials are used to describe our work, gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, and straw. The former 3 are unburnable objects, the latter all are consumed and destroyed when contacted by fire. Paul goes on to say that there will be a day of testing, what I refer to as a “Day of Reckoning”, in which the fire will test the material a man chose to build with. The objects used were metaphors for our actual work as men. I used this example to evoke a sense of discernment in us to see what man has become and what their methods have produced, “righteousness or futility”. What has our governments produced, what will they continue to produce.

Thus I entitled today’s entry “The Ignorance of ‘Change’” it is impossible for lasting change to be accomplished in the futile attempts of humanity that lay their hands and trust in Government and institutions. Change, in Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined to be synonymous with Transform which literally means to reform and repair the condition of the root cause of any issue or disease.

I cannot expect anything much more than futility, from those that have an uncommitted relationship or no relationship at all with Jesus Christ. From those that have a relationship with Jesus, not in word but in deed, I not only expect, but it is mandated that there be a difference in us. If we take a hard look at what happened at the inaguration of human governments for God’s people (which is  very important to the argument) we will only be indicted as God indicted Israel.

1 Samuel 8:1-8 (KJV)
¹ And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
² Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.
³ And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
⁵ And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
⁶ But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
⁷ And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
⁸ According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

2 problems, 1 is openly addressed the other is a bit ambigous but not unknown. The 1st problem is that the people rejected God as King and wanted a man. Their problem really lied in how they related to Samuel. Though Samuel was righteous and good by God and man’s standards he was not intended to “reign” over them eternally, he was an example for how they as a people were to be a sign to the other nation’s as Prophet and Priest. The 2nd problem lies in a human defect that always wants to dodge responsibility (I am the chief of sinners). God told Israel as a nation “you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” their response was “Moses, you speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die” The man of God responded, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” but the narrative goes on to say that they stood at a distance while Moses went on.

WOW!!!!!
Dodging responsibilty as Priest was there first problem, a true relationship with God, thus the Psalmist sings “He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to Israel.” In short, Israel knew “what” God did, but Moses knew how God did it but  not only that, he was also able to do what God did. Moses was a Prophet. Which leads me to my final conclusion.

Israel were intended to be prophets, from the mouth of Moses, he proclaims, “I wish that all God’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put  his Spirit on them” I believe this was the intention of Yahweh, but he didn’t have anybody who was willing to endure His terror to hear His voice as we see above. This lack of relationship hindered them in their purpose and caused them to look elsewhere for examples.

What strikes me most about Israel in the 8th chapter of Samuel is that they knew their peculiarity, their difference ‘make us like the other nations’.

My point in writing this blog is not at all about politics is about returning to God’s intention, though He allows us to continue in our futility is a mark of His enduring with us rather than his “weakness” or “changing”. He does not change nor is He weak. But He is compassionate and full of Grace and Truth. I hope that we see a different economy with a better King.

Grace and Peace

Over the past 2 years I have made it a great focus of mine to build genuine relationships within the Christian community with my peers regardless of age, race or religous affiliation (denominations). At the outset of my adventure, I knew that this would be a tough challenge because it is completely contrary to the type of Christianity that has emerged over the last few decades. What I have come to find out about American Christianity (what I have come to refer to as the Empire) is that its greatest nemesis is not at all the Devil (though in reality it is, by the subtleties of comfort) but it cannot at all suffer conflict and confrontation. It is thought of as spiritual kryptonite. In fact the imperial doctrine often teaches that conflict and confrontation disturbs the peace rather than preserve the peace. Scripture does encourage us to the keep the peace but human authors of divine scripture could not and would not forbid men from dealing with the issues head on, that affect their sacred peace.

I have determined by God’s grace that I will not perpetuate this cancerous evil and will confront the issues that have divided us and have been quieted by religious jargon.

“Only in the empire are we pressed and urged and invited to pretend that things
are all right–either in the deans office or in our marriage or in the hospital room.
And as long as the empire can keep the pretense alive that things are all right
there will be no real grieving and no serious criticism(confrontational conflict with the
false realities).”

Walter Bruegemann, from The Prophetic Imagination (emphasis mine)

I have a very recent personal experience that can be used as a testimony to the productiveness of conflict and the bondage one brother was in  and the reservations of the other brother by not confronting their own personal dislikes with another.

“2 brothers from similar yet varied backgrounds, have built a relationship intentionally with one another. Both at the time they were introduced were youth pastors laboring in the field and wanted to assist one another in their journey. As time progressed they sensed their theological and methodological differences (which is never a bad thing) So you could imagine that the way they dealt with the apparent conflict was completely different. the younger of the two (the age discrepancy plays a bigger part than the eldest would admit) chose to confront the issue, but in his immaturity decided to agitate rather than confront head-on. Because he knew there were extreme differences that could possibly stunt the growth of genuine brotherhood, he felt it necessary to confront, though in a negative sense. The elder, chose to use prayer and non-confrontational tactics to ward off his frustrations which caused him to be distant in his relation to his brethren (there were other men involved in this building process, not imperative to this story. Of course the issue grew to a boiling point and could not help but be confronted. It was! But in good ole Godly fashion the Lord provided peace in what man is always afraid to encounter, Conflict. God created a unusual sensitivity to one another and to others a”brokeness” (termed by Watchman Nee in his Release of the Spirit) that enables men to feel (not emotionally, synonymous with discern) the weariness and conflict of those under duress.”

Though this story was given in abbreviated form, it was not intended to document what I or those involved experienced, much was an invisible battle neither men were aware of until the “peace that surpasses understanding” occured in their lives among one another. My Encouragement intended for this entry is not to replicate their encounter, but to confront your own inhibitions (which is what they truly are in hindsight) with those you walk in this journey with, between the porch and the altar, my personal interpretation would define this as everyone you encounter in Christ from the time you leave home and before you offer at the altar of the Lord, this is what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:23-24

²³ “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there  rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; ²⁴Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”

Reconciliation is not an easy process, nevertheless it is the ministry of every believer be willing to to confront conflict in the name of Jesus Christ for he can only be  the Balm in Gilead when we know of our issues and willing to expose ourselves in confrontation.

Grace and Peace

The night before Good Friday and this night of Good Friday, I sit and I wonder greatly on really what literally happened on this day around noon when the powers that be escorted, nailed and rose Jesus to his dying altitude upon a cross displaying “our” not His shame to the whole world. I cannot fathom, nor can “the Passion of the Christ” by Mel Gibson depict what went on this day. Scripture even, cannot explicitly depict the anguish of our Lord and His Passion. As I tried to place myself in the setting of this grave murder of a perfect man, I decided the closest I would get to the experience was through the pages of Scripture. So reverently I turned to the Gospels.

I wanted to find something I had not found before in this story, not for theological reasons per se, but something that freed me from the ritualistic observation many of us have fallen guilty of during this Easter season. My focus then became toward no more the Divine purposes of this event that pertained to Jesus, I chose to focus on the people who experienced what I can only wish to imagine, not the court rulers, but simply the ordinary people. The lonely deceptive disciples, the spectators and what this says about humanity as a  whole and possibly how this indicts and admonishes us even today, was my intentions in seeing it through this lense.

What I found is that the men who were there to experience it, the spectators were blessed to be there far more than those who watched from a distance and those who had gone hiding.

Luke 23:44-48
⁴⁴ It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,
⁴⁵ for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
⁴⁶ Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
⁴⁷ The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
⁴⁸ When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.

But there is a missing verse in the context more on that later.

Jesus had taught the disciples an extremely pertinent principle many days maybe even years before this day that was a great indictment on their actions.

Luke 12:1-9 
¹ Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
² There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
³ What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
⁴ “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
⁸ “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.
⁹ But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

These men (the 12) had spent time discussing the nature of Jesus (his Divinity, even proclaimed that he was the Christ) behind the walls of safety in the comfort of their homes or gathering places (see 9th chapter of Luke). They were taught to pray (see Luke 11), but where were they on this day in which the Body would be killed? Hiding!?!?!?

Luke 23:49
⁴⁹ But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Except for the apostle John and Mary, The Mother of Christ and a few other women according to the Gospel of John (unsure if I historically believe this to be the way it really was, but for the sake of reflection and not theological or historical debate it stands true) no one was around the people(unbelievers at the time) who needed their(the disciples) witness most. Though it was such a monumental experience that it needed no prophetic voice and it remains to this day an event unsurpassable in all of history, I still find it a indictment against men that walked with the Lord both physically and us who have embarked on a faith journey with Him. We remain distant and disconnected from the audience that we were called to be witnesses to. On this Good Friday I didn’t find anything new as I had hoped for just a recurring message that both liberal and conservative, emergent and evangelical, young and old, hip and lame Christians alike can be admonished by. Know Christ and the power of his resurrection? Yes but, share in his sufferings and be made conformable to his Death!!!

Grace and Peace

“God became man so that man can become God”

This morning’s devotion with the Early Church Fathers brought me to the life and teaching of St. Athanasius. I have personally sought to really be faithful to the purpose in which God created me (humanity as a whole literally) and most importantly his purpose in redeeming me and what significant differences are found in these works of Yahweh.

This morning my hidden thoughts were given language. Thoughts that I was afraid to share for fear of being cast-away as a young-minded heretic, or a liberal and theologically bankrupt theologian of some sort. But to my suprise my idea of God’s redemption and its parameters has long been viable and practiced by the Church for many centuries.

The above-mentioned statement has been my internal debate for a few years now. I think it is the most significant and complete description of the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This idea, too, gives Grace a greater value than just a “crutch” in the life of Believers but has, in its truest sense, given us a new and better nature than Adam ever could have imagined in his own perfect nature at the beginning of time.

“God became man, so that man can become God”

Many conservative thinkers will be alarmed at such statement, many liberalist will sparkle with excitement, but neither will be comforted in their stance, for each uses human intuition in assessing such words. This is God’s will and shall no man “glory” in this.

Grace and Peace

In approaching the “ministry” given to mankind from the Heart and Nature of our Lord, I have tried to gain a keen sense of how the apostles and leaders in the early church  related to their congregation. I have tried to chronicle, embody and even imagine the mindset that seemed to produce such a thriving community. It is necessary to rid any misconceptions others may think my infatuation with the early community may produce. The members of the early church was as tumultuous and petty as what we experience today in our local communities. Which I think is what impresses me most with their leaders, the pastors and prebysters (elders).

I wonder so intently on how they could commit themselves not only to the ministry of reconciliation (wholly a commitment to what was first committed to them) but to the people (the seemingly hopeless reconciled ones).

At this point in the story, I have to learn to possess a completely transformational perspective on what I percieve as “ministry.”

Ministry can never be performed without it first being embodied…we have failed to understand fully what ministry is about and I have chosen to give a brief synopsis on what I have gathered…

Beginning with the word “ministry” translated in greek diakonia (prounounced dee-ak-on-ee-ah) which sounded familiar to me, I am no greek scholar but it possessed a resemblance to another greek word I had become extremely familiar with….the word “koinonia” which translates in english as community or fellowship. Now I may be stretching this here  (this is not sermon in which my gathered thoughts are not up for disagreement, if you have some please feel free to express)but I believe that there is an extremely connected understanding of these 2 words that to the common eye (I possess this too) will be missed without further study. But after thinking and meditating on my discovery I came to this conclusion:

   Ministry in its truest sense is the property of the community …and its function cannot be completely expressed without the contribution of desperation (extreme need) possessed by the community. The appointment by the Church of their own ministers is a great example of these ideas that I gathered lets look at Acts 6….notice the men did NOT conjure up or as we often say “the Lord has told me I am such and such” the communitywas to recognize among them those who had progressed and who possessed the qualities that would bring the greatest contribution to counter the issue at hand.

I have much more to say, but I hope to begin a dialogue with you so offer your thoughts and we will find a common ground in hopes of growing in the Grace of our Lord

Grace and Peace

To be prophetic I believe is the goal of every confessing body of members rather institutionally or organically. As it is also the goal of these to be apostolic, evangelistic (not necessarily evangelical) pastoral and academic. These particular gifts were not given as title’s but were given as functions. If we were to release the hold in which our inner ambitions grasp so tightly to these oft mis-represented gifts, a much more energized and effective community would evolve.

“The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us,”  says Walter Brueggemann. This culture he writes concerning can and should represent both that which is operating outside of our own confessing community and that which often develops in time with-in that community. I have chosen to express in this entry, thoughts pertaining to that of the latter, which poses often the greatest challenge than any other opposition.

From the same literary work, Brueggemann, offers other enlightening words for the discerning of “popular” culture and its infections, here he uses the word “empire” to describe the culture. “Only in the empire are we pressed and urged and invited to pretend that things are all right—either in the dean’s office or in our mariage or in the hospital room. And as long as the empire can keep the pretense alive that things are all right, there will be no real grieving and no serious criticism.” To discuss further these evoking words, I would simplify it suggesting that Brueggemans conviction came from the fact that the “key”of the Kingdom is the act of repentance, that requires a “real” confrontation with what is and what should be. Throughout bibilical “reformation” the nucleus of it lied in the contrite hearts of its participants. Which I find missing in the attempts of “reformation” in our society both in our present time and those that precede us.

Internally, the Church’s sole intention is under attack. Our intentionality is simply being “real” with He who is Real (no pun intended) who to our hurt is being reduced to a mere “knower of hearts.”

Here, is where the old cliche’ in the Pentecostal church (in which I grew up) has viability, ‘The covers” are about to be removed, for the sake of the mission in which he gave to us ”go out into all the world.” Many prophets would say and have said, it is a time of prosperity, that everything is “alright” when indeed something is wrong and He is about to expose the wrong doing. Regardless of what it is God is doing and how good you think you’ve been and feel you deserve, REPENTANCE is the key to access it…No prophet of the Almighty God, no ministry, No Church of Jesus Christ will ever invoke the gift of God without warning of need of repentance…

The challenge is that we must have the courage to criticize our current condition and its superflous pretenses…our rebuilding of an unnecessary “temple” if you will, and  learn to live vicariously upon the Spirit of God among the heathen, showing mercy, doing justice…a basic return to the “basics.”

Grace and Peace

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!