yesterday morning's church time was...well, we're the church. No matter how it "goes", we belong to Jesus. There is something there that is much greater than anything else. so how do we measure it?
I'll tell you what. The Word came. There was a word shared by several people. It took form as they each shared their part, or asked their question. JP and Lew preached, some commented, some questioned...
I left the time together freshly amazed at the God who has chosen us for His dwelling on the sole basis of his pleasure: he is pleased to have us! That from Ps.132:13-14
We stood amazed as God clothed Jeshua the high priest in Zech. 3
...marveled at Jesus calling us his friends in John 15:15
...rejoiced in Romans 5's good news that God has loved us while we were still His enemies, how much more now that our hearts yearn to love Him back?
Colossians 2:12-14 spoke of the "death warrant" being cancelled--God is now longer angry at us!
Micah 7:8-9 spoke of how Jesus has plead our legal case before the Father. We are fully reconciled.
All of this bundles with words from Zech 3 and Isaiah 6 that show that, as Jesus said, we did not choose Him. He has chosen us.
Please, read through these scriptures this week and think on the very GOODNESS of the news in Christ! No matter how you may have failed Him, He is on your side. Just turn to him in your heart, trust His atonement on the cross for your sins, and start fresh WITH HIM, TODAY.
String together a bunch of TODAYs and we'll catch up on the other side...
and happy new year.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
A Quote for you...
got this quote off another blog. interesting and good for us... it is from G.K. Chesterton, whose work I haven't read.
‘The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world … The reason is obvious. In a large community we can choose our companions. In a small community our companions are chosen for us.’ Community has been insightfully defined as the place where the person you least want to live with always lives! Responding to this Philip Yancey says: ‘we often surround ourselves with the people we most want to live with, thus forming a club or clique, not a community. Anyone can form a club; it takes grace, shared vision, and hard work to form a community.’ We might also add that it takes a miracle that only God himself can perform. But it is in such a community that disciples are made. To be a community of light from which the light of Christ will emanate we need to be intentional in our relationships: to love the unlovely, forgive the unforgivable, embrace the repulsive, include the awkward, accept the weird. It is in contexts such as this that sinners are transformed into disciples who obey everything King Jesus has commanded.'
‘The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world … The reason is obvious. In a large community we can choose our companions. In a small community our companions are chosen for us.’ Community has been insightfully defined as the place where the person you least want to live with always lives! Responding to this Philip Yancey says: ‘we often surround ourselves with the people we most want to live with, thus forming a club or clique, not a community. Anyone can form a club; it takes grace, shared vision, and hard work to form a community.’ We might also add that it takes a miracle that only God himself can perform. But it is in such a community that disciples are made. To be a community of light from which the light of Christ will emanate we need to be intentional in our relationships: to love the unlovely, forgive the unforgivable, embrace the repulsive, include the awkward, accept the weird. It is in contexts such as this that sinners are transformed into disciples who obey everything King Jesus has commanded.'
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Quick Morning update.
Its hard for me to believe it has been six days since I published to the blog... We've had a LOT going on around us. Seth has been sick, but got better. I got a little sick and had a sleepless night. We got new carpet in the downstairs guest quarters and third floor community quarters...
We've had Sam around for a while now, and we're seeing a great potential for a small community of men on the third floor. We're talking 3 to six men. Living together and walking a daily walk of Christian community and intentional mission among the church and our neighbors, here...
The roof is leaking because it is raining. I've been promising Judy to go up there, every day, but I'm actually kind of scared to. It is just soooo steep and 36 feet off the ground. cleaning a gutter at that hight is really daunting. Getting a ladder up there alone is a huge task for a... for a lew...
The leaks are coming through the guttering, onto the sill of a window, and down a wall in the house.
I got some inquiries aobut the boiler situation. Mostly about what is going on, not offers of help. Some kind folks have offered us used boilers and forced-air units, but whether or not they fit is in question, and a forced air unit will require us to rework our whole house with ductwork. A new boiler in the basement is what we're really praying for, here.
Thanks to all of you who lift us up in prayer. Our NEEDS are hard to discern, since each little trial we face drives us to fresh dependence on God. I suspect that He is working in each difficulty to bring us into faith, love and thereby holiness. We are filled with hope...
Just pray that we won't get swamped in the "daily", fretting about how to pull off this life together.
Someone got shot and killed on the street the other night.
Last night all the emergency vehicles were around the corner.
The City has required us to do some external repairs.
A number of the people who have come to our meetings over the years have wandered from the faith. Not the community itself, but visitors who were challenged and gave the faith "a try".
We're plotting to remove a lot of stuff from our basement this Saturday. We're on a push to de-clutter and refresh the inner workings of the house.
We would welcome your visits, all you church who speak well of us but haven't spent time here to feel what its like. We love you and need your prayers for all of us over here...
We've had Sam around for a while now, and we're seeing a great potential for a small community of men on the third floor. We're talking 3 to six men. Living together and walking a daily walk of Christian community and intentional mission among the church and our neighbors, here...
The roof is leaking because it is raining. I've been promising Judy to go up there, every day, but I'm actually kind of scared to. It is just soooo steep and 36 feet off the ground. cleaning a gutter at that hight is really daunting. Getting a ladder up there alone is a huge task for a... for a lew...
The leaks are coming through the guttering, onto the sill of a window, and down a wall in the house.
I got some inquiries aobut the boiler situation. Mostly about what is going on, not offers of help. Some kind folks have offered us used boilers and forced-air units, but whether or not they fit is in question, and a forced air unit will require us to rework our whole house with ductwork. A new boiler in the basement is what we're really praying for, here.
Thanks to all of you who lift us up in prayer. Our NEEDS are hard to discern, since each little trial we face drives us to fresh dependence on God. I suspect that He is working in each difficulty to bring us into faith, love and thereby holiness. We are filled with hope...
Just pray that we won't get swamped in the "daily", fretting about how to pull off this life together.
Someone got shot and killed on the street the other night.
Last night all the emergency vehicles were around the corner.
The City has required us to do some external repairs.
A number of the people who have come to our meetings over the years have wandered from the faith. Not the community itself, but visitors who were challenged and gave the faith "a try".
We're plotting to remove a lot of stuff from our basement this Saturday. We're on a push to de-clutter and refresh the inner workings of the house.
We would welcome your visits, all you church who speak well of us but haven't spent time here to feel what its like. We love you and need your prayers for all of us over here...
Thursday, December 6, 2007
That One Article (click for article)
Well, you may be here because of a certain article, today. If you are, I need to set a thing or two straight.
First:
that picture made me look like clergy. I'm not. I mean I am, technically, able to marry people because of some paper I got when I presented some papers I got to some people in Columbus and paid a modest fee... eeew. i am a "pastor" and a "preacher"--somethign that's easy to misunderstand for many of the very people for whom Jesus came.
I'm not different from anybody. I am the same as you... except maybe that I bear the stigmatizing name "Christian" in a generation whose image of that consists mostly of the waste of Millions of dollars in building funds, and scandals involving drugs, sex and money. I am a Christian. I'm not a "Christ Follower". You may hear that term around town. if that term is chosen because of shame at the term "Christian", I'm not one of those. I do want to follow Christ, and in my better moments, that's going on... But I am a Christian: someone who believes in Jesus and tries to obey Him. That obedience is the least I can do, in view of the great price of His cross...
I'm ashamed to have held a Bible like that for a picture... The Bible's not for holding, or even just for reading. It's for Listening to, and believing. Listen to the story of Jesus. Listen to what He taught. listen to who he Is! Go away from it changed.
Second:
The furnace is on "last legs" and is old. It could give out any minute, or last another few years. It DOES tend to leak Carbon Monoxide, but the house is drafty enough to keep that from killing us (kind of a joke, but actually true). We are keeping it way warmer than 52. Come over and see. We did keep it at 52 one winter, because of the problems and the potential of a boiler failure, and the very very high heating bill, but we aren't doin that now. Now, we keep it about 60. So pleaase understand that if you come over on a cold day and its 60 in here, we didn't intend to mislead... We trust that if the boiler fails, something will be provided in God's time to remedy that.
Third:
I guess we are open to help people all the time, but it isn't like that isn't something that Jesus taught ALL his Christians to do. In fact, the very point of our mission is to impart to believers that Jesus has taught and commanded us to live in a very different, generous way as a matter of course. It is nothing other than basic Christian obedience to welcome the poor and stranger in love. We don't run a household that's any different from the way that All Christian household's ought to run. I was ashamed that it seems rare for Christians to do this.
Fourth: Thanks!
I appreciate the intentions and efforts of all the people who have intended to help us here, in Northside. Thanks to John and Leigh for the article and the photos. Thanks to Cathy and Erwin and all you guys around us who think well of us. All of us who use this house hope to... well all we want to do is please Jesus. There are so many Christians in this city who are more courageous and more obedient, and more clear examples than I am or we are. But still, we only want to please Jesus.
That's right. Its all about Him. jesus is real. He really did come, live and die on the cross for us. All who take shelter in Him are spared judgment. All who come to Him, He will in no wise turn away. I'm just a preacher, trying to convince people not to go to hell. I had no idea when I started that it'd be so difficult a job.
So please forget about me with my sanctimonious Bible-holding, and the vain immodesty of my silly beard. Think about Jesus. Think about the Cross. He really really does love you.
We hope you can come and see... That's so much better than hearing and reading.
First:
that picture made me look like clergy. I'm not. I mean I am, technically, able to marry people because of some paper I got when I presented some papers I got to some people in Columbus and paid a modest fee... eeew. i am a "pastor" and a "preacher"--somethign that's easy to misunderstand for many of the very people for whom Jesus came.
I'm not different from anybody. I am the same as you... except maybe that I bear the stigmatizing name "Christian" in a generation whose image of that consists mostly of the waste of Millions of dollars in building funds, and scandals involving drugs, sex and money. I am a Christian. I'm not a "Christ Follower". You may hear that term around town. if that term is chosen because of shame at the term "Christian", I'm not one of those. I do want to follow Christ, and in my better moments, that's going on... But I am a Christian: someone who believes in Jesus and tries to obey Him. That obedience is the least I can do, in view of the great price of His cross...
I'm ashamed to have held a Bible like that for a picture... The Bible's not for holding, or even just for reading. It's for Listening to, and believing. Listen to the story of Jesus. Listen to what He taught. listen to who he Is! Go away from it changed.
Second:
The furnace is on "last legs" and is old. It could give out any minute, or last another few years. It DOES tend to leak Carbon Monoxide, but the house is drafty enough to keep that from killing us (kind of a joke, but actually true). We are keeping it way warmer than 52. Come over and see. We did keep it at 52 one winter, because of the problems and the potential of a boiler failure, and the very very high heating bill, but we aren't doin that now. Now, we keep it about 60. So pleaase understand that if you come over on a cold day and its 60 in here, we didn't intend to mislead... We trust that if the boiler fails, something will be provided in God's time to remedy that.
Third:
I guess we are open to help people all the time, but it isn't like that isn't something that Jesus taught ALL his Christians to do. In fact, the very point of our mission is to impart to believers that Jesus has taught and commanded us to live in a very different, generous way as a matter of course. It is nothing other than basic Christian obedience to welcome the poor and stranger in love. We don't run a household that's any different from the way that All Christian household's ought to run. I was ashamed that it seems rare for Christians to do this.
Fourth: Thanks!
I appreciate the intentions and efforts of all the people who have intended to help us here, in Northside. Thanks to John and Leigh for the article and the photos. Thanks to Cathy and Erwin and all you guys around us who think well of us. All of us who use this house hope to... well all we want to do is please Jesus. There are so many Christians in this city who are more courageous and more obedient, and more clear examples than I am or we are. But still, we only want to please Jesus.
That's right. Its all about Him. jesus is real. He really did come, live and die on the cross for us. All who take shelter in Him are spared judgment. All who come to Him, He will in no wise turn away. I'm just a preacher, trying to convince people not to go to hell. I had no idea when I started that it'd be so difficult a job.
So please forget about me with my sanctimonious Bible-holding, and the vain immodesty of my silly beard. Think about Jesus. Think about the Cross. He really really does love you.
We hope you can come and see... That's so much better than hearing and reading.
Emailing Tom Jewell in prison
Click the title, or click HERE to find out how to send emails to our dear incarcerated brother, Tom (clicking "Tom" will give you all the posts on him, up to this point).
His inmate number is 174893. He is in the Roederer Correctional Complex. That's all you'll need, outside a credit card, to do this thing...
love.
His inmate number is 174893. He is in the Roederer Correctional Complex. That's all you'll need, outside a credit card, to do this thing...
love.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
On Gillian Gibbons' release and return: Ali Calis
From my friend Ali Calis, who writes:
"I felt compelled to do it in regards to Gillian Gibbons treatment in Sudan and recently watching the documentary "Jesus Camp" for the first time. Fundamentalists are horbs!"
Well, I'm sure that Jesus Camp and Ted Haggard are FAR from a representation of the fundamentals of Jesus Christ.
I'm also sure that this is a great cartoon! enjoy. ...and what's a horb?
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Kingdom of God is Violent
The kingdom of God is fundamentally violent. And so am I. My behavior is not violent, for the most part. I am considered by many to be "against war" (although this isn't so. I just believe in a war that most people neglect to notice).
However I speak against the fundamental roots of "pacifism" and many teachings of christian nonviolence. Jesus' kingdom is fundamentally violent, and the engagement of suffering and slaughter by obedient servants of Christ, is an anticipation of the culmination of Warfare! There will be vindication. There will be retribution. There will be judgment!
One day Jesus will return with an army and execute violent Judgment, at the end of this world-age. (Jude, Enoch)
I also believe that one day I may be involved in the judgment of the nations, and angels (1 Cor. 6:1-3)
I have read in Matt. 11:12 that the Kingdom of God operates in the realm of violence and that the seizure of it is violent in nature...
I read in Ephesians 6 of spiritual warfare, illuminated in Daniel 10:12-14... I read in 1 John that He who is in us is greater than "He who is in the world..."
"He who is in the world" is illuminated by the first three chapters of Job.
2 Chronicles 18 has angelic counsel in it...
1 Chron. 21 has Satan in it...
Genesis 6 has gnarly interracial relations with angels producing a race of giants that pollutes the world and causes an intolerable wickedness to flourish...
What I'm trying to say is that at the heart, I am a believer in some INCREDIBLY VIOLENT things. I actually believe that this stuff is completely real and actual and active today... and I believe that Jesus is coming to reign for a thousand years over a rebellious and unruly mankind. i also believe that after that thousand years, all of the world will try to killl Jesus again. I believe that I stand a chance of being there. In Jerusalem, when they surround it--my eyes may look on the physical manifestation of the righteous judgment and retribution of God on a rebellious and ungrateful humanity. I think these thoughts all day long.
i believe that if I am not there, in that thousand-year "interim Jerusalem", that I will be awaiting the Second Resurrection, and that my actual eyes will look on the destruction of all the wicked sinners who reject God at the Final Judgment--the Second Death.
Until then, we live in a time between times. The violent, jealous, passionate YaHWeH of Holy Writ is the Spirit of Christ, and has come in the Crucified Jesus, who has given us for a time as a testimony of God's violent, jealous, passionate LOVE for a rebellious and perverse humanity.
And in this time between times, it is through suffering injustice while trusting God that we proclaim and herald the ancient kingdom of YaHWeH. His is a kingdom based on covenant, with threats and promises in full play with us. We live in the fear that Grace has taught us. We are subjects, subjected to a Great Force of violence, working out our faith in fear and trembling...
We are under strict commands from God to love our enemies. These commands have been uttered in the gentleness of our Savior, compelling us by love and shed blood to turn away from our own solutions and to join in His suffering. As we obey them, we find actual affection for these enemies, for we were oncelike they are. And we pray for them to yield to the loving offer of reprieve that Christ Crucified extends.
Here:
1 Peter 4:
"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin."
The Jewish followers of Jesus, during his earthly ministry, considered their enemy to be Rome and the Gentiles. JEsus knew it was SIN. http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
In this passage, we ARM (violent) ourselves with willingness to suffer, and are delivered from our enemy (sin).
Let this permeate your understanding of how to engage worldly evil.
Think about matt. 16, where jesus calls peter "satan". Why does he do that? Mind on the things of man, not of God. So much of this nationalism that has been coming from church leaders has "good things" and "god things" in mind, but they are fundamentally of this world--the things of man.
And the reality of it is that, though we may indeed be marginalized for our "lack of loyalty" to the world's system, we will have done no evil. We will have served God with no regrets. We will have preached the simplicity of the Slain Lamb, whose bleeding hands are extended in invitation to follow Him.
Please understand that this true, Christian understanding of violence leads us to obedience and wisdom in submission to the command of Jesus. We are not non-violent. We have resigned ourselves to the care of God, who is now our Father. We are joining in that blessed fellowship of suffering that the first Apostles commended to us. We are following the example of, no... not just the example of Jesus. We are following Jesus, Himself!
here is a Way that is jesus! Here is something I'd like to equip the Body of Christ to do more clearly and faithfully, every day. Here is something for a pastor to sink his teeth into! Listen to this, all you pastoral types! Get your flocks ready to walk with Jesus, not in zeal for the privileges of nationalism and citizenship, but for the joy of Jesus spoken of in Hebrews 12:
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
...consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin."
What is ironic about all this to me is how very full of sin American churches are reputed to be. Our reputation, whose weight far outweighs the gold we have spent on our facades and buildings, is dirty and bad. Divorce, Adultery, abortion, drugs, promiscuity, pornography, greed, false teaching... it is going on. it is commonplace...
We should have a push to eradicate SIN from our communities of faith. Seriously. Get rid of sin, all you christians! All you people who say you believe that Jesus will return to judge the quick and the dead , like the Apostles' Creed says... Get rid of your sin.
That would be an act of faith. Putting into practice what the Master taught.
However I speak against the fundamental roots of "pacifism" and many teachings of christian nonviolence. Jesus' kingdom is fundamentally violent, and the engagement of suffering and slaughter by obedient servants of Christ, is an anticipation of the culmination of Warfare! There will be vindication. There will be retribution. There will be judgment!
One day Jesus will return with an army and execute violent Judgment, at the end of this world-age. (Jude, Enoch)
I also believe that one day I may be involved in the judgment of the nations, and angels (1 Cor. 6:1-3)
I have read in Matt. 11:12 that the Kingdom of God operates in the realm of violence and that the seizure of it is violent in nature...
I read in Ephesians 6 of spiritual warfare, illuminated in Daniel 10:12-14... I read in 1 John that He who is in us is greater than "He who is in the world..."
"He who is in the world" is illuminated by the first three chapters of Job.
2 Chronicles 18 has angelic counsel in it...
1 Chron. 21 has Satan in it...
Genesis 6 has gnarly interracial relations with angels producing a race of giants that pollutes the world and causes an intolerable wickedness to flourish...
What I'm trying to say is that at the heart, I am a believer in some INCREDIBLY VIOLENT things. I actually believe that this stuff is completely real and actual and active today... and I believe that Jesus is coming to reign for a thousand years over a rebellious and unruly mankind. i also believe that after that thousand years, all of the world will try to killl Jesus again. I believe that I stand a chance of being there. In Jerusalem, when they surround it--my eyes may look on the physical manifestation of the righteous judgment and retribution of God on a rebellious and ungrateful humanity. I think these thoughts all day long.
i believe that if I am not there, in that thousand-year "interim Jerusalem", that I will be awaiting the Second Resurrection, and that my actual eyes will look on the destruction of all the wicked sinners who reject God at the Final Judgment--the Second Death.
Until then, we live in a time between times. The violent, jealous, passionate YaHWeH of Holy Writ is the Spirit of Christ, and has come in the Crucified Jesus, who has given us for a time as a testimony of God's violent, jealous, passionate LOVE for a rebellious and perverse humanity.
And in this time between times, it is through suffering injustice while trusting God that we proclaim and herald the ancient kingdom of YaHWeH. His is a kingdom based on covenant, with threats and promises in full play with us. We live in the fear that Grace has taught us. We are subjects, subjected to a Great Force of violence, working out our faith in fear and trembling...
We are under strict commands from God to love our enemies. These commands have been uttered in the gentleness of our Savior, compelling us by love and shed blood to turn away from our own solutions and to join in His suffering. As we obey them, we find actual affection for these enemies, for we were oncelike they are. And we pray for them to yield to the loving offer of reprieve that Christ Crucified extends.
Here:
1 Peter 4:
"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin."
The Jewish followers of Jesus, during his earthly ministry, considered their enemy to be Rome and the Gentiles. JEsus knew it was SIN. http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
In this passage, we ARM (violent) ourselves with willingness to suffer, and are delivered from our enemy (sin).
Let this permeate your understanding of how to engage worldly evil.
Think about matt. 16, where jesus calls peter "satan". Why does he do that? Mind on the things of man, not of God. So much of this nationalism that has been coming from church leaders has "good things" and "god things" in mind, but they are fundamentally of this world--the things of man.
And the reality of it is that, though we may indeed be marginalized for our "lack of loyalty" to the world's system, we will have done no evil. We will have served God with no regrets. We will have preached the simplicity of the Slain Lamb, whose bleeding hands are extended in invitation to follow Him.
Please understand that this true, Christian understanding of violence leads us to obedience and wisdom in submission to the command of Jesus. We are not non-violent. We have resigned ourselves to the care of God, who is now our Father. We are joining in that blessed fellowship of suffering that the first Apostles commended to us. We are following the example of, no... not just the example of Jesus. We are following Jesus, Himself!
here is a Way that is jesus! Here is something I'd like to equip the Body of Christ to do more clearly and faithfully, every day. Here is something for a pastor to sink his teeth into! Listen to this, all you pastoral types! Get your flocks ready to walk with Jesus, not in zeal for the privileges of nationalism and citizenship, but for the joy of Jesus spoken of in Hebrews 12:
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
...consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin."
What is ironic about all this to me is how very full of sin American churches are reputed to be. Our reputation, whose weight far outweighs the gold we have spent on our facades and buildings, is dirty and bad. Divorce, Adultery, abortion, drugs, promiscuity, pornography, greed, false teaching... it is going on. it is commonplace...
We should have a push to eradicate SIN from our communities of faith. Seriously. Get rid of sin, all you christians! All you people who say you believe that Jesus will return to judge the quick and the dead , like the Apostles' Creed says... Get rid of your sin.
That would be an act of faith. Putting into practice what the Master taught.
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