oasisCHURCH

Thought of the Day is on Relationships

A while back a good friend asked me if I have ever considered gathering all of my materials that I use for marriage counseling and binding them into a book. I hadn't considered it. But lately I have been going through them just to see if it might be beneficial. Today's writing is actually an excerpt from that material. It applies especially to marriage relationships, but some parts can also be applied to any relationship.

One of the first questions I ask when beginning to counsel a young married couple is, "Why do you want me, a Pastor, to perform your wedding ceremony" when you can have any justice of the peace do it without the amount of time you will have to spend with me? This ultimately launches us into discussion about how they desire to have a "church" wedding because it's the most traditional form, or their parents would have it no other way... and they sometimes discuss how they want to do the pre-marital counseling because they believe it will help them grow closer together and discover more reasons why they love each other, etc.

Then we go directly from that question to the Gospel. Why? What's marriage have to do with the Gospel, you may ask? Everything. In fact, marriage is one of the great illustrations of the Gospel story (the Good News). If a couple first understands the Gospel, then they will have a good understanding of marriage. On the other hand, if one or neither understand or have put their faith in the Gospel, until they do they will never have a good understanding of marriage and a grasp of what it is intended to be. Everything points back to the Gospel. Everything begins with the Gospel. If we have problems in our relationships, we could spend countless hours trying to deal with all of the issues, and even spend endless dollars hiring counseling services to walk us through all the issues... but until we go back to the Gospel, and get a proper understanding of God, the Good News, and it's implications on our lives... the problems will never be dealt with properly. The Gospel gives us a greater perspective on all of life. It is the lens by which we must see everything else. However, sadly, most people view the Gospel through the lens of the issues of their lives instead of vice versa.

To further illustrate what I am saying... about 5 years ago I began to come to this conclusion after dealing with several issues in youth ministry and feeling like it was a never-ending cycle. I cried out to God, asking Him why it never seemed to stop! If it wasn't one issue it was another. I felt like a pinball machine bouncing back and forth from issue to issue. God spoke, and I eventually realized that if kids were sleeping with their girlfriends it was not a "sex" problem, it was a Gospel problem; if they were smoking pot it was not a drug problem, but a Gospel problem; if they were getting drunk it was not a drinking problem, but a Gospel problem. The Gospel is the heart of the issue... always. It always has been... when we are dealing with sin and the effects of sin... and it always will be until we leave this fallen world.

The real issue is not what we see with our eyes, but what we can't always see. It can be found, however, by asking a question... "Who is Lord?" If I am Lord then I will not seek to serve, but to have others serve me. If I am on the throne, then it will be much easier for me to see the shortcomings of others, and very difficult to see my own. In fact, I will become offended if someone dares to point them out to me. But imagine how differently things might be in a relationship if, with all parties, Jesus is Lord? If Jesus is Lord, all other issues bow down to Jesus. If Jesus is Lord, we both serve Jesus... and in times of adversity we have confidence that Jesus walks through it with us. If Jesus is Lord, we both recognize our humble sinfulness, and therefore have no problem communicating with one another (communication is a whole chapter in and of itself... actually it will be the whole book... it is woven through every aspect of marriage and relationships). But if anything or anyone other than Jesus is Lord (even our spouse), then things in the marriage will have drastically greater potential to get screwed up.

So... in conclusion to this initial conversation with a couple who desires to be married, and to have a Pastor perform the ceremony... I say something like this:

"In the coming weeks we will look at the Scripture and see how God designed marriage to be an illustration of the Good News of the Gospel (His relationship with all of humanity). My prayer is that you would do one of two things... either (1) give serious consideration to responding to the Good News, God's gift of grace and reconciliation in right relationship with Him, and begin to experience the life He always intended for you to have... then you will understand marriage better; or (2) reconsider having a church wedding and a Pastor do the ceremony. If there is no acceptance of the Gospel then a church ceremony is meaningless. And I am not into doing meaningless things these days."

In the case of pre-marital counseling I am always bluntly honest in everything we discuss. We try to hit every crucial issue of marriage... through the lens of the Gospel. I can always tell if couples are not used to speaking in an atmosphere of complete and total honesty. I do everything I can besides force them to be transparent. If they cannot do this with each other (in everything) then they have no business getting married.

my brain is exhausted

Yesterday was a theologically exhausting day. It's funny how when you exert yourself mentally it makes you physically tired. I was worn out by the time I drove home from Waverly last night.

My morning teaching with Oasis came from John 18, and we discussed the doctrines of foreknowledge and sovereignty as Jesus is arrested and put through a series of false trials. In the evening I went to Waverly for the joint Lotus Fellowship/Community Church gathering and discussed John 6, where Jesus gives an obvious "hard teaching" according to the disciples. There we entered into a discussion of the John Calvin versus Jacob Arminius debate over interpretations of passages dealing with predestination and free will, etc.

I've added both of these teachings to the list of "teachings on John's gospel" to the left. Or you can simply click on the links below to listen.

Oasis Gathering - John 18 "Jesus is Arrested"

Lotus Gathering - John 6b "This is a Hard Teaching"

Peeking Into My Brain

Today I took one of those free online personality tests again, just for the fun of it. I think it's pretty wild how close these can get to describing your mind and your personality. check out this paragraph from my personal profile.

Rationals have an insatiable hunger to accomplish their goals and will work tirelessly on any project they have set their mind to. They are rigorously logical and fiercely independent in their thinking--are indeed skeptical of all ideas, even their own--and they believe they can overcome any obstacle with their will power. Often they are seen as cold and distant, but this is really the absorbed concentration they give to whatever problem they're working on. Whether designing a skyscraper or an experiment, developing a theory or a prototype technology, building an aircraft, a corporation, or a strategic alliance, Rationals value intelligence, in themselves and others, and they pride themselves on the ingenuity they bring to their problem solving.

Give it a try and let me know what you ended up with.

Wow! Good Stuff!

I had such a good time reading all of the thoughts that were posted in the comments of my last blog. There were some very insightful perspectives and wise words posted. If you haven't read them I encourage you to scroll down and take a look.

Yesterday's teaching has been uploaded under "Teachings on Topics." It's called Jesus Is Here.

Have a great week everyone! My wife is on spring break this week, and it looks like the sun will shine for the majority of it. Then opening day of high school baseball begins next week. Yeehaw!!!

In the world | Protected from evil

Click heading for the MP3 of last Sunday's teaching.

"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." - Jesus, as he prays for all of his disciples (John 17:15-18)

Our discussion from last Sunday centered around John chapter 17... Jesus' prayer for us. As he recognized that his work on earth as a human being was nearly accomplished, he prayed for his disciples and for all of those who would come to believe in him. In his prayer he mentioned that he was sort of "tossing" us into the world... a place that is full of all kinds of evil... but that we should not seek to remove ourselves from it. Rather, he prayed that we would simply be "protected from evil."

This has historically been a difficult concept for Christians to grasp hold of and to ultimately live out. There is so much tension between being "in the world" and being "protected from the evil one." So traditionally we have created many rules to help keep ourselves "protected" from the evil one. And we've struggled so much with being involved in the world... I mean fully involved... without at least some fear that we are being "pulled down" by the evil which lurks all around us.

An excellent example of this can be found in the life of an Old Testament prophet... Daniel. I wanted to mention this on Sunday but decided to save it for a mid-week discussion or devotional thought. Chew on the life of Daniel for a couple of days. Ponder these things...

Daniel was raised in Israel, a place where everybody understands God. They know who He is, what He has done for them, how they should respond to Him. They know God. They know the rules of life with God. And in this Israelite world Daniel is a good boy. He's a very good boy... the poster youth group kid. When he's 13-14 years old, Daniel (along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) is kidnapped and taken to Babylon. Babylon is a bad place... in fact, it is a very bad place. And it's ruled by a bad man... King Nebuchadnezzar. King Nebuchadnezzar realizes that these boys could be very helpful to him in his kingdom, and so he sends them to school. So Daniel goes to school in Babylon! And we think public school is evil! LOL. Daniel goes to the equivalent of "witchcraft academy," or the "University of Satan." While enrolled there he studies sorcery, divination, necromancy... he learns to consult the dead and conjure up spirits. And better yet, he gets straight As! He's so smart! He's the top of his class. I'll bet his parents were very proud... "That's our boy! We're proud parents of a necromancy honor's student! Woo-hoo!" To go even further, his name is changed to Belteshazzar... a tribute to the pagan god Marduk.

Now, when it comes to being "in the world" Daniel is going pretty far, wouldn't you think?! Better yet, how does Daniel feel about Nebuchadnezzar? Does he want to rally the people and vote the evil Nebuchadnezzar out of office? Does he hate him? Not really. He likes him. He's nice to him. He helps him... by interpreting dreams for him. When you pause to consider these things (all from Daniel chapter 1) it certainly appears that Daniel has crossed a line. But does he? Where does he draw the line? In three very specific areas Daniel draws a hard line and will not cross it. (1) He will not worship false gods, (2) He will not eat the king's food, and (3) He will not stop praying.

Daniel does a tremendous job of setting an example for us of what it looks like to participate in an evil world without crossing the line of sin and compromise of the truth. Granted, some people would have probably pointed at Daniel much earlier and said, "That's too far! He shouldn't allow himself to listen to that evil teaching," etc... But the fact is, Daniel goes as far as scripture and his conscience will allow him to go, but he does not sin.

Some people may think that Daniel went too far, while others may think he didn't go far enough. There's a tension of "being in the world and protected from the evil one." If you are getting shot at from both sides then it probably means you are doing something right. Tension is a great place to live. I used to think tension was a bad thing... and that if I felt it then I must be sinning, and that I would be stunting my spiritual growth. But the fact is... tension actually helps spiritual growth. It is good for us. We don't get stuck in our own ruts, our own systems of thinking... we don't get too comfortable... too complacent... too arrogant.

So I vote for tension. I vote for being involved in an evil world... going as far as I can to befriend, help, and encourage my neighbors, but without giving up my convictions or bending my conscience. Just a word of warning, though... if you decide the same then you must make a personal commitment to know the scriptures. One reason why Daniel was such a great example for us was because he knew God... and he knew the scriptures well. He was grounded in truth.. and could therefore wade in the waters of evil without being tossed around. We must do the same.

I'll stop there. Your thoughts?

Post Postponing

I was planning to make a couple of posts today that have been steeping in my brain this week, but due to unforeseen circumstances (Mawmaw Mary couldn't come to our house today) I will have to postpone the posting until tomorrow.

However, I will ask a couple of prayer requests... for those of you who intercede:

(1) Both vehicles we own are in need of service. They both have oil leaks, transmission leaks, and over 190,000 miles. The van also has a radiator leak, a bad compressor, and no heat in the front. These vehicles have been very good to us. They are certainly very important to us. We drive an average of between 300-400 miles a week in those cars. For the most part we have been very blessed, with little maintenance needed. But we know, just like anything, they won't last forever. And they are both beginning to show signs of that truth. Maybe it's time for us to find another vehicle. If so, we will need God's help.

(2) Still looking for that neutral place in Athens for Oasis to have a presence and invite people to conversations about God, the Bible, Jesus, etc... We know God already has a place chosen. Pray for our faith to be increased and that we would join Him in His will for us.

I need to end this post now because I'm getting distracted by The Cat In The Hat. It's almost over and we need to make a trip to the bank and to the grocery store.

More tomorrow... comment or email if you have any words or insight for us. Thank you.

Some Things to Inquire of Lord

Yesterday I wrote about some of the personal convictions I have developed regarding church and its’ function from community to community. Today I want to call you to pray with me regarding some very practical aspects of Oasis church as it relates to Athens, Ohio.

The more time I spend uptown Athens (over the past 3 or 4 months I have planted myself there nearly every day, for several hours each week to meditate, pray, study, meet with people, etc.) the more I am convinced that ministry “function” will more likely occur uptown than anywhere else in this city… perhaps even more so than in homes. The house church “function” of ministry is still very necessary in Athens, I believe... just as it is anywhere in the world if we expect to function like a good family. But we must think in terms of principle rather than practice. The principle will remain, but the practice will be much different. The Athens Oasis will look much different than the Meigs Oasis… in practice. But in principle we will be very much the same.

I must say that when it comes to “vision” for Athens, we are sort of taking two steps back before we take one step forward. But that is very necessary and good. I do not want to begin with a “church” in mind, but rather, with “disciples” in mind… with people who are interested in conversations about Jesus and following Jesus.

So, in short, we are looking for a centrally located place to have those conversations on a regular basis. As I look at Jesus’ ministry on earth, I see Him putting Himself in places of activity (or perhaps it always appears that way because he was so popular, and thus created the activity around Himself). Either way, He was where things were happening! Now, here are a few things I have observed about Athens:
· The center of activity is Uptown.
· The center of activity is Ohio University (during the majority of the year).
· Walking to and fro is of great value and importance to people… or necessity… either way, it happens.

What does this mean to us if we hope to actively engage people with the Gospel story and conversations about Jesus? It most likely means that the “form” of our ministry will be primarily located uptown and then spread from there.

Now for the prayer request…

God must open the door. I began by looking at the current vacancies of buildings uptown that are for rent, and the best price I have found is $2000 a month (just for rent). This was a 3000 square foot space on Washington St. (Washington intersects Court St.). There are a few other second floor vacancies with businesses below who perhaps use the second floor for storage, or nothing. I plan on seeking out the individuals who own these spaces and talking with them about our intentions.

My desire is simply this… to obtain a neutral space, and then go from there. Like I said, I do not wish to begin with a “church” in mind… but with conversations in mind. Perhaps we could use the space as an office/meeting place for Bible study, worship, coffee, and conversation… a centralized location for mercy ministry and outreach. The options would be numerous… but the key idea is to have a place to which we can (like Philip, the disciple of Jesus) point people to “come and see” (John 1:46).

So if you are reading this, inquire of the Lord about a place that would be suitable for such ministry in Athens. I am confident it is a good request. And I am confident He already has the place picked out for us, as well as the resources to pay for the space. Now we just have to get ourselves aligned with His will. Pray that He will remove whatever obstacles are keeping us from getting there. Pray that He will arrange meetings, contacts, conversations… so that the doors will open and we will see His plan more clearly.

+ + + God, give us hearing hearts, clear minds, and a sensitive spirit to where You are leading. Like Your servant Solomon, we seek wisdom and understanding. We seek to align ourselves with Your will, Your desires, Your ministry to people in our world. We know You are drawing people in Athens to Yourself, and we desire to work with You in Your plans for this city. Show us Your will, oh God… that we might follow You rather than ourselves. It’s not about us. It’s not about building a great church, it’s not about anything except pointing people to Jesus. We want to point people to Jesus. We want to be the church, and make disciples. Thank you for giving us vision for Athens, Ohio. Thank you for stirring our hearts for the people of this city, and for the students of OU. Now, show us what You would do here. Open our eyes so that we might see clearly. Help us find the place you have already picked out for us. We are Yours. + + +

Some Things I Believe In

As most of you who read my blog on a regular basis know, during the past couple of years I have been personally challenged in my theology of church. Many of the things that were once very important to me no longer have great significance in my practice of ministry. This is not to say those things are wrong, or should never be considered significant for anyone else. It just means I believe God has called me to something different. Something simple. Something that appears very “stripped down” compared to my former church work and experiences. Again, I am not bashing or putting down those former things. I have refrained from writing about these things for a long time because I have had a tendency to come across very strong about such matters. But if you could see my heart today you would know that I love ANY and ALL forms of ministry that point people to Jesus. If it points people to Jesus, and not to us, or to the form, or whatever… just to Jesus… then it’s okay in my book.

Now, having said that. Here are some things that I believe regarding church and how we ultimately end up with a “form” for what our church “looks like” in the community in which we live:
· I believe Jesus desires relationships with his children first… before anything else, relationship first. When relationship comes, then comes worship and devotion, Bible study, etc.
· I believe relationships do not require much formal space, training, teaching, buildings, etc. Relationships simply require time, conversations, and ultimately love.
· I believe that when all of the church is boiled down to the simplest factor, it ends up being me having a relationship with Jesus, and me having relationships with others… so that they, too, might meet Jesus through me. That’s being the church.
· I believe it is more important to “be” the church than it is to “go” to church, “get involved” in a church, “attend” a church, etc. I believe this because as I examine the Gospels and the life and teachings of Jesus I find that he gives very little instruction about church forms, and what the church should look like, its’ leadership, it’s programs, etc. However (and this will sound like a contradiction), he actually does give us plenty of instruction through his example of what the church should be, look like, etc. He and his disciples were the perfect example of church life. Always on the move, always doing good, reaching out, healing, giving, teaching, loving, etc. They did this without any of the formalities we have today.
· I believe that Jesus cares little about our forms, and a whole lot about us.
· I believe that God honors many different forms of church today. We live in a variety of cultures and settings that are very different from Jesus’ day, and therefore the church should look different… but it’s actions, it’s heart, it’s ministry should be the same as His.
· I believe the church is the body of Christ, a community, and should look and function very much like a good family.
· I believe it is easy to live and function like a good family when the church gathers in simple settings, such as homes, or in coffee shops, or parks, etc.
· I believe God honors and enjoys our gatherings for worship, whether they are small or large.
· I believe that when it comes to church forms, what works for one town or city will most likely not work for another town or city. Every city has its’ own personality, its’ own culture. And it takes time to discern what that is, and more importantly, to become what that is. Only then will you be ready to gather people into a “form” of church.
· I believe the reason we have the church is because of relationships, not vice versa. The church did not come first, relationships did. This is a very important thing to remember in evangelism… a very important thing to remember when considering our motives for worship gatherings, outreach programs, etc.
· I believe the Gospel does not exist for the church, but the church exists for the Gospel. We ought not view the Gospel through the lens of the church and culture… but rather, view the church and culture through the lens of the Gospel. Only then will our perspective be right for who we are and what we are doing in the world.
· I believe the church is a community of people on a mission. Jesus demonstrated and proclaimed to us the best example of our mission… (1) To seek and save that which is lost; and (2) Not to be served, but to serve.
· I believe God is constantly at work in the world… and as long as I am giving my heart, my love, my devotion to Him first… I will be in His will for my life. His will for me is that I believe in Him and love Him. From that point everything else will fall into place (John 6:29; Matthew 22:37).
· I believe that the Gospel story (the big picture of God and His people) is the most important thing for a person to hear and learn… not all of the peripheral issues the church has added to the gospel story throughout the years of its’ history.
· I believe that a person can focus so much on the peripherals of Christianity that they completely miss the point (John 5:39-40). It happened when Jesus was on the earth, and it happens today… people educated beyond their intelligence.
· I believe that knowing God has nothing to do with how much you understand or can figure out, but everything to do with how much you love. The Bible says, “God is love”… therefore this idea makes perfect sense.
· I believe Jesus loves the church in the same way I love my wife… therefore I should watch my mouth when speaking about it. We have always heard Paul’s command to love our wives in the same way Jesus loves the church. It’s a great comparison when speaking in the context of husbands and wives. But think about that statement in the context of the church. Jesus views the church like His wife. Who are we to smear her name through the mud and bad-mouth her? This is a great lesson I am still learning.

There are many things I am learning and developing as I do my best to walk in the light of Jesus’ love and grace. I prefer not to call it a theology, although that is what it is. I just know that it is constantly changing, constantly moving. It’s a “liquid theology” if you will. It doesn’t mean it is wishy-washy… it just means I don’t have a corner on understanding and enlightenment. And according to the apostle Paul we will never have a corner on them until we leave this imperfect and cursed world (1 Corinthians 13:9-12).

Your thoughts?

followers, not admirers

This morning I was reading more thoughts from Soren Kierkegaard. I liked these:

It is well known that Christ consistently used the expression "follower." He never asks for admirers, worshipers, or adherents. No, he calls disciples. It is not adherents of a teaching but followers of a life Christ is looking for.

Christ understood that being a "disciple" was in innermost and deepest harmony with what he said about himself. Christ claimed to be the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6). For this reason, he could never be satisfied with adherents who accepted his teaching - especially with those who in their lives ignored it or let things take their usual course. His whole life on earth, from beginning to end, was destined solely to have followers and to make admirers impossible.

Christ came into the world with the purpose of saving, not instructing it. At the same time - as implied in his saving work - he came to be the pattern, to leave footprints for the person who would join him, who would become a follower. This is why Christ was born and lived and died in lowliness. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to sneak away from the Pattern with excuse and evasion on the basis that it, after all, possessed earthly and worldly advantages that he did not have. In that sense, to admire Christ is the false invention of a later age, aided by the presumption of "loftiness." No, there is absolutely nothing to admire in Jesus, unless you want to admire poverty, misery, and contempt.

What then, is the difference between an admirer and a follower? A follower is or strives to be what he admires. An admirer, however, keeps himself personally detached. He fails to see that what is admired involves a claim upon him, and thus he fails to be or strive to be what he admires.

What's This Life For?

::: click title above to download the teaching :::

What I love about king Solomon is his frank and brutal honesty about the human condition. He searched everything "under the sun" and concluded there is absolutely no meaning to it whatsoever.

"Under the sun"is a key phrase throughout his book, Ecclesiastes. It appears 29 times and means simply "life on the earth"... no revelation from God... no God revealing himself... no God speaking or breaking in to our lives. Just life in the natural, physical realm of this earth.

Ecclesiastes is a book about the meaning of life. It raises the question that the rest of the Bible is written to answer... "Why are we here? What's the point? What's this life for?" It's the same question that every generation seeks to answer. Every generation that has ever lived comes along with this naive notion that they're going to fix things. We all think we have a new idea, a new revelation, a new angle, a new religion, a new philosophy... and with it we are going to change this world and make it a better place. But we don't realize that life isn't a forward, linear progression... life is a circle. We mistake moving for progress. Solomon realized this 3000 years ago. Life is a cycle of frustration that will never change, never get better, never make any new progress. Sure, it looks different with each new generation. But when one dies another comes along and recycles all the same problems, frustrations, and routines.

There is nothing under the sun that gives us any indication of where we came from, where we are going, and why we are here. People may seek answers to those questions, but they will never find... under the sun. We can obtain all the information the world has to offer, and it won't matter. Solomon has already been there. He lived it. He was the wisest, richest, horniest man that ever lived. Just like many people in the world today, he had all kinds of information, but no ability to fix the problem of the human condition. Every day I hear and read so many answers... so much "new" information people have obtained that will revolutionize us as a society. But it's all a chasing after the wind. It's meaningless. And some people are so educated they will never see it... never understand... never get it.

Soren Kierkegaard said,

"It is perfectly true, as philosophers say, that life must be understood backwards. But they forget the other proposition, that it must be lived forwards. And if one thinks over that proposition it becomes more and more evident that life can never really be understood in time simply because at no particular moment can I find the necessary resting place from which to understand it—backwards."

Our goal is to define life forward, then live it backwards. KNOW why you are here, then LIVE! In living life there really are only two options: (1) ourselves, or (2) God. We can look for meaning in what we, ourselves can accomplish (just like Solomon as described in his book of Ecclesiastes). Or we can take the advice of Jesus, who said "...as soon as you lose your life you will find it." Jesus came not just to inform us (like Solomon)... but he came also to transform us. There is a great difference between information and transformation. The fact is, Solomon was right. Life has no meaning, no purpose, no goal... unless the creation and the Creator is reconciled.

Every new movement... every cause... every "ism" is an attempt to bridge that gap, but there is no hope. We cannot fix ourselves. And so God came down and bridged it for us. Solomon gives us that brutal and honest reminder. Take a listen to the download for further thoughts on this age old philosophical discussion. Also, post your thoughts. I'd love to see your insights from your study and contemplation of these things.