A Spiritual Man

Last week my mother and her husband came for a visit from Florida. It was wonderful having family visit.  I threatened to drive them over the bridge into Washington state so that they could say that they traveled from one corner of the country (Florida) to the other. Given that they had been on a bus and a plane for numerous hours my threat was abated, especially since they had an hour car ride to my house. A very long day...

I always seem to get a unique feeling when I am in the airport - like there is a hidden part of me that comes out - someone I would like to be. I love people. I love meeting new people and developing unique relationships with others. I'm guessing this is why I'm in a Chinese Church and also having the opportunity to teach Korean students at an academic level. It in some way affirms who I want to be - what I want my life to be. 

I love waiting in the connect area and watching loved ones being greeted by family and friends. It reminds me of what the world is supposed to be and again, what I desire to be. I want to be someone who is missed, someone who is longed for, someone special in someone's eyes and I long to be that person for others as well. I am thankful that I have that in many ways already but I desire more. I'm hoping this doesn't sound narcissistic or selfish. My heart is really trying to capture what God has designed for us to all be in His kingdom. 

Last time I wrote I looked at Andrew Murray's carnal (worldly) person and this week I want to examine what I want and desire to be:  a spiritual man. 

The first thing that we must admit to ourselves and to others is that being a spiritual man is a reality - a "this world" possibility. How can we attain to something that in our heart we believe can never happen? Not only is it a defeatist attitude but an unbiblical one as well.  

The second thing that we must do is see the shame and the guilt of not having this type of life that is so readily available to us. We choose sin. 

Andrew Murray writes, "There are those who live in self-pity, admitting that they are living in such a contrary life, and all the while saying, "How sad that I am too feeble for it!  How sad that God gives it to others but has not given it to me!" 

"They should rather say, 'It has been my own unbelief, my own disobedience, that has kept me from giving myself utterly unto God.'" 

A person needs a general conviction of sin in order to receive the wonderful gift of salvation. A person needs a second conviction of sin to deal with that particular sin "that besets" him - that sin that he will not let go of in order to be what the Father wants him to be. 

The first sin carries the weight of hell itself, the second sin the residual affects of what that hell might be like. It is knowing what we could be but not having the fortitude or desire to grasp it. The second sin is far more blamable than the first for we do it not out of ignorance but through a willful disobedience to God, trampling upon the blood of Christ as if it were of no effect. 

Becoming a spiritual person will never be fully attained until we recognize this issue in our life and humbly fall at the feet of our merciful Father and ask Him for release. A child will always clutch his hands in a defiant way, unwilling to release his prized possession.  But he will willingly let it go when he sees something else he desires. May the spiritual man be our desire and may we let go of that which is so tightly clenched. 

Murray continues, "If any man will come and say, 'I have struggled, I have prayed, I have wept, and it has not helped me' then you must do one other thing. You must see that the living Christ is God's provision for your holy spiritual life."

"You must believe that the living Christ who accepted you once at conversion, in his wonderful love is now waiting to say to you that you may become a spiritual man, entirely given up to God."

"If you will believe that, your fear will vanish, and you will say, 'It can be done; if Christ will accept and take charge, it shall be done.'" 

Third, you must tear out the root. It does one no good to eliminate the symptoms when the disease is still present. In the end you will die thinking that you are well.  

You beg and plead with God to take away the sickening fruit but you are unwilling to let him dig down deep and extract the very thing that gives it life and nourishment. You don't want to be free. You want to be a hybrid - a mixture of both. 

A painter will not paint a masterpiece on a canvass that he does not own and where others will do with it what they like. 

In the same way, Jesus will not give himself wholeheartedly to a person who will not be His and who will do as they please with their own life.  

We must humbly submit ourselves to the Master Gardner, to not only be pruned but to have the parasitic vines disentangled at there roots so that what is left will be the beginnings of a spiritual man. 

Do you want to be a spiritual person, one who in every aspect is led by the Holy Spirit of God, experiencing what it means to be "perfect" and "holy"? Then humbly agree that it is possible and humbly go to the one who, if allowed, will make you into that person.  

Babes

I Cor. 3:2-3a, "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it.  Indeed, you are still not ready for it. You are still worldly."


I spent the last week teaching a class of Korean doctoral students the subject of Islam in Los Angeles. It was a great blessing and opportunity since receiving my own doctorate early this summer. Those types of opportunities refresh my soul and 
fill the cross-cultural academic need in my life. 

In the airport I sat next to an agnostic. On the plane I sat next to a Mormon. Needless to say I had some rather riveting and spirited conversation. One might think that I go into attack mode with these encounters but honestly, I have found that being a good listener has been my greatest weapon. 

If there is one thing that I have learned as a teacher of Islam it is that most people have little if any true understanding of the religion or the people who practice it. It wasn't hard to teach this subject given what ISIL, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al-Nusra are doing in the Middle East. The hard part was to have people look at this faith as they would their own. 

Christians watch the news and become experts on Middle Eastern affairs but cannot speak intelligently about their own state of spiritual affairs. I'm not talking about an individual's state but the state of Christianity. 

In tandem with my studies in Islam I have been engaged in mental self-debate with end-time writings, blood moon tetrads, raptures positions, and the status of possible prophetic fulfillment in my lifetime. 

I have found, generally, that the average church going Christian knows as much about Christianity as he or she does about Islam. I know where the worshippers are, but where are the students? I know who watches every football game during the week but who is looking into the Word to find the answers to the above investigations? I know who can give me directions to all the great restaurants in Portland but who is giving me directions to strategic passages of Scripture that may unfold the deep truths of Jesus and his prophetic plan for this world?

Some people just choose to go about life and seek to be Jesus. Wonderful. I wish more people would aspire to such a goal. But to do this one has to be in the Word more than once a week. One has to be a student as well as a worshipper. One cannot live on a diet of milk when meat is the intended goal.  

Perhaps its not the prophetic but some other subject. I'm looking to meet with parents of our youth on Friday nights and begin a "Parenting thru Proverbs" class. It has two purposes. Get parents the help, support, and answers they need to rear their children in a godly manner, and get them to find it in the Word themselves. 

This whole idea of self-feeding was what Paul was talking about and what Andrew Murray was concerned about. Murray gives us four conditions of someone who is still stuck in the worldly mindset. 

1.  This person is in a protracted state of infancy.  In other words, this person never seems to grow up spiritually. I was reminded of this when I attended my last high school class reunion. Some people are in larger bodies but they have really never grown up. Not only is this not healthy for the person, it is not healthy for those around him or her. A baby is always keeping others occupied with meeting his or her needs. Spiritual this person is always running to the pastor or church leaders for help.  This person is always showing up at prayer meetings so that they can be the subject of everyone's prayer. Babies are consumers not givers. They have not yet developed to a place where they can feed themselves or help feed others. 

2.  A second sign of spiritual infancy or worldliness is that a person continuously fails to overcome sin. 

This person keeps manicuring the weed but never pulling out the root. Love and peace are not the fruit produced but anger and discord are found on its tree. 

3.   The failure of sinning can be found in the spiritual gifts. 

The fruit of the Spirit is literally "grace-gifts." One must have and experience the grace of God before one can exercise the gifts of God. 

"A man may teach the Word beautifully, have social influence, and a large congregation but he may still be a carnal [worldly] man. This man may be a blessing to others and yet worldliness may still mark this man's life." 

Just because a man is blessed does not mean that he is a spiritual man. A spiritual man is not a sinless man but one governed by the Holy Spirit.  A carnal [worldly] man is governed by the world and cannot have hope of ever conquering worldly sin. 

4.  Carnality [worldliness] makes a man unfit for spiritual truths. 

People admire and appreciate a pastor's message but if it does not change the heart and life, it is may mean that one is a spiritual babe and cannot understand the deep truths of God. [The preacher might be boring but if he preaches the Word faithfully the heart will respond]. 

Murray asks, "Why is the Church so feeble?" The answer: Milk is cheaper and easier to digest than meat. 

I have been practicing a Jewish rhythm of reading the Scriptures for the last 6 months. I read early in the morning for about two hours. I read for an hour at lunch. I read before I go to bed. I started reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in January and I am now on my third time through. It is amazing the blessing of insight that I have received since I have been doing this. Someone is saying, "You're a pastor. You get paid to read the Scriptures." My answer:  "This is not for work. This is on my own time and for my own spiritual journey." 

I want a deeper knowledge and experience with God and I cannot do that by being attached to the things of this world. The time is short. Jesus is returning. I want to be watching and waiting not having someone watching and waiting on me. I want to be a spiritual man. 

The next posting will focus on how to do just that. 

Thoughts?

A Rare Jewel

I have a lot of books. Deb has the official count since she logs them in for insurance purposes but I think its well over a thousand. About half are reference books and commentaries, some are vintage editions, the rest are divided up into meticulous categories (at least in my brain) from Eastern Orthodoxy to Islam, from worship to church government and everything in between. Many have been bought along the way in my studies and some have been graciously given to me. Often those given to me get recorded and put in their proper topical place for future reading...and then are forgotten. And every once in a while I'll extend my hand to something unfamiliar and not required. 

One such book was written by Andrew Murray titled, The Master's Indwelling. I was actually very familiar with Murray's work, With Christ in the Schoolhouse of Prayer but I neglected to see if he had any other works of interest. 

This summer my hand extended and with great joy my heart followed.  

For those not familiar with Andrew Murray, he was born in South Africa to missionary parents in 1828. His ancestors were from Scotland and when he was 10 years of age he was sent back to his country of ancestral origin for a proper education. In his early adult life he would return to his beloved South Africa where he would pastor for the rest of his life. And in the midst of his pastoral duties he wrote works that stirred the soul and challenged the mundane. The Master's Indwelling was originally from a series of lectures that he gave at the Northfield Conference in 1895, later re-written, revised, and published. 

In subsequent blogs I would like you to journey with me through the pages of a book that had a profound effect on my inner longing to be more like Christ.  

If you've ever struggled with why you can't seem to get victory over a specific sin, I hope you'll allow me to convey Murray's timely counsel. 

If you've ever wondered what it means to truly die to yourself so that Christ might live through you, I hope you'll prayerfully walk beside me as I go through Murray's biblical exhortations. 

Perhaps you are waiting on God and feel like nothing is happening or what true biblical humility looks like - then join me on this journey. 

Ultimately Murray's heart was the fulfillment of God being "all in all." 

This is more than a book to me.  It was a timely answer to prayer reminding me of what is important as a follower of Christ and as a pastor/teacher. It affirmed that God is omniscient and omnipotent. He took a book that has been on my shelf since 2005 and placed in into my life when it was exactly needed. If you can pick up a copy and follow along...great. If not, I hope you'll  be provoked by my inner musings along the way. 

The first time through was relief to my soul. I'm wondering how I will describe the review?

As a side note...he was 67 when he wrote these....perhaps their is hope for me yet. It also reminds me that great men of thought are usually the ones who have lived life and experienced the Scriptures in such a way that they have become a part of them. Unfortunately, we put men out to pasture at the time where they could offer the body of Christ the best that they have. 

The Witness

I was sitting in my office last week and I witnessed a crime. Around four o'clock the perp (that's TV slang for perpetrator) was walking on the other side of the street when this person stopped, looked back at my neighbor's porch, and saw a garment package leaning against their door. The perp turned, walked up to the door, and stole the package. 

As one can imagine the effect of witnessing such evil, my heart was racing. I yelled out the door in my most thunderous voice, "Put it back!" The perp looked back thinking it was the thunderous voice of God. Well...the perp looked back because I was yelling from my upstairs office window out of view from where the perp had already walked. 

Ready to right a social wickedness I ran downstairs with my phone loaded and ready to shoot. The problem is...I am absolutely ignorant on how to use the thing. I couldn't figure out how to take a picture and what is the non-emergency number for the police? The perp was long gone when I finally arrived outside to call them. 

However, my keen skills of exegetical prowess, examining the Scriptures for details, have well-equipped me for giving complete descriptions.  I proceeded to describe the perp to the authorities with almost divine precision. 

For a brief moment I panicked. I thought that I was going to have to pack a travel bag, leave Deb a note, and go live with an Amish family in Indiana (reference to the movie The Witness with Harrison Ford).  But that's probably where they would look first since I grew up around there. I was a witness to a crime. I snitched. And now the full wrath of the ungodly was probably coming my way. Thank God I'm saved. "O Death where is thy sting..."  I didn't want to know. 

Things were made worse when the police knew this person by name, proceeded to bring the perp over to MY HOUSE, and ask if this was, indeed, the perpetrator of the crime. Shaking internally, but with steel outward resolve, I affirmed. 

Of course there was immediate denial: my word against the perp's. But I had done my civic duty and if I must suffer, so be it. I began to pray the imprecatory psalms where David asks the Lord to cut the hands off of his enemies. However, in my heart I knew that there was a heart issue at hand. Something was broken inside this person. There was a need...not for stuff...this person didn't look poor, but a need for...purpose...I don't know.  Why does anyone steal things?  Because they can?  Because they want to? 

Yes, the thought of wondering about the quality of the parents entered my mind but then I was reminded that King Saul had his Jonathan and King David had his Absalom. The parent does not necessarily make the child. Military or some rigid boarding school might.....

Anyway...just a reminder that my world is broken.  Thankful it wasn't my stuff. And thankful it wasn't one of my girls.  You see the perp was a teenage girl. 

I'll never be able to walk comfortably in a mall again....

Longing

While preparing a message in the Gospel of Matthew, I was reading through the prophetic words of Isaiah today. 

I am still amazed at how truthful and accurate the Word of God is in predicting events and...predicting events that have a near and yet future fulfillment. It's hard enough to predict one but to have a double fulfillment....statistical improbability. 

It is even more amazing to see how the Scriptures can even predict the human personality.

It did this with the yet-to-be-born Son of God. 

Isaiah 42:1-4 is this wonderful passage. 

"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.  2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.  3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;  4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope." 

I was standing at the sink doing dishes the other night and I muttered, "God has to be grieved at the wickedness in this world."  I don't know why I said it out loud. I'm guessing that it poured forth from a heart that was just overflowing with that particular emotion. I thought about Noah and how God was grieved that he had made mankind. I also thought about how I yearn for a just world (whatever that means). 

I clearly am not a perfect person but I am striving to be. I have done my share of ungodly things and thought ungodly thoughts. I have been on the receiving side of swindlers and thieves, abuse and lies. I have prayed for forgiveness, offered forgiveness and...yes...prayed the imprecatory psalms over people with "just" intentions. There is something inside of me that just wants to live in world where things are made right. I long for that hope. Perhaps I'm just tired of the struggle, tired of being inundated with the negative all the time. Sequester would be an option but that didn't work well for the monks nor sleep for Ichabod Crane. You just end up being irrelevant and more depressed at the changing times.  

So when I read the description of Jesus given about him 700 years before he entered this world, I found great solace in knowing that the Father planned for him to have a heart for making things right. He has a spirit of justice within him. And the wonderful thing is that, not only does he have the heart, but he has the power to change things. 

Come to think of it....so do I. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_RjndG0IX8

Nobody

First, a word of thanks to all of you who participated in my doctoral survey.  I was able to get enough to formulate some general observations and to move forward on my remaining chapters. Words cannot express my gratitude. 

Second, I have been reflecting on Isaiah 53 for our Good Friday service, especially verses 1-2.  

I have seen hundreds of pictures of Jesus…. long flowing hair….beautiful brown eyes that are filled with kindness and gentleness.  If he were born today he would probably be the captain of every sport he played. He would be the lead in all the plays at the theatre.  He would be the cool guy that everyone wants to be like and liked by everyone. He would be mister popular, mister sophisticated.

Since he is God he would never have acne or have to deal with oily skin. His teeth would always be as white as Mount Hood snow.  His robe would never be dirty and always have a slight glow to it.  All the mothers would be asking Mary what laundry detergent she used. 

Whatever he put his hand to was perfect.  When he worked for his father he never cut a board too short or mis-measured.  When he was called to cut a slab of stone his first swing split it perfectly and he was the envy of all the neighborhood masons.

Of course this is not an entirely accurate view of Jesus.  It certainly isn’t a biblical view of him.  The truth of the matter is that he was insignificant.  He was a nobody from a nothing town.  Up until he started his ministry it would have been “Jesus who?”  Son of Joseph and Mary.  Joseph and Mary who?  He was a nobody and the son of a nobody.  He was a plain boy who grew up into a plain and ordinary man.

His was simply described as sensitive toward the things of God; someone who never really fit in to this world, someone who belonged somewhere else. 

As I was writing this I thought, "I guess I am being made into His image."

Doctoral Survey

This blog post is for my doctoral dissertation survey.  I'm looking for individuals between 18 and 30 years of age to help compare two presentations that have to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You don't have to be a Christian to take this survey, in fact, I'm looking for those adventurous souls who are not. Your help and feedback would be greatly appreciated. The whole survey should not take more than 45 minutes and 25-30 minutes of that is clicking on and watching through my two Power Point presentations. Please be honest in your assessment but also respectful. I'm not trying to convert anyone or offend anyone. I'm just looking for some honest feedback on comparing the two presentations. 

Please review the overview and consent form.  You do not need to sign anything. The survey is an anonymous survey. You simply need to be aware of what will be taking place. 

Your first question will be a statement that you have read and do consent to take the survey and view the presentations. 

Thanks.

Daniel

Survey