Month: February 2013

Ziklag

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

“And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” (I Samuel 30:6)

David knew that God had promised that one day he would be king, but now, on the run from King Saul; he and his men were living like bandits. They had left their town of Ziklag, and had gone to try and join the Philistine army (go figure) in battle. When the Philistines refused them, they made their way home only to find that the Amalekites had raided them and taken away everyone in town. Their wives and kids had all been taken captive, and the people considered killing David. You have to admit, that would be enough to at least bum you out a little. “But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”

People may not be thinking about stoning you right now, but you may be going through something that has you demoralized and ready to give up. Perhaps you had been cruising along, enjoying victory after victory in Jesus, when BAM!! You wake up to find your whole world has changed. Or maybe, it’s just a series of things that has you bewildered, unsure of what to do or where to go, and you’ve gotten really depressed. I know I’ve been there, and I still go there too. I think there’s something we can learn from David. “But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”

I don’t think David got all psyched up doing some kind of positive confession mumbo-jumbo, telling himself that he was the head and not the tail, blessed and highly favored, above and not beneath  or anything like that. Notice, the Bible says he strengthened himself in the Lord. David didn’t try to pump himself up by telling himself how awesome he was, I believe that he began to recall how awesome God is. I think David remembered the faithfulness that God had shown him throughout his life. He recalled the victories and the hardships of the past, remembering that his faithful Shepherd had not once abandoned him, even in the valley of the shadow of death. Perhaps he even pulled out his “guitar” and worshiped the Lord, singing of His beauty and steadfast love. And as David waited before God, and allowed the Spirit of God to restore him and cause his faith to rise; he was strengthened in the Lord. He was able to believe that God was still with him, and able to deliver him out of his trouble. And that same God is able to deliver you my friend! In times of trial, the enemy wants you to give up or find consolation in a bottle or drugs or whatever, but your strength lies in the Lord my dear brother and sister. No matter what loss you have suffered, no matter how dark it is around you right now, no matter if those closest to you have begun to doubt you; God will give you strength.

In I Samuel 30, David strengthened himself in the Lord (v6), and then inquired of God as to how he should respond to the situation (vv7-9). The Lord did not disappoint! David and his men were able to rescue their families and return home safely. Don’t give up or give in my friend. Instead go, strengthen yourself in the Lord. I know it’s hard, but get up right now and go pray! Go and seek the face of God, for you are dear to Him.

Imago Dei

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

In Exodus 20, Moses commanded the people that they were not to “make an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.” The people were to know that there is nothing that they could create that would adequately reflect who God is. God is holy, all together different from anything or any one in all creation. The second commandment explicitly forbade man from trying to make an image of God. But did you know that God himself did make something that would reflect his image? Yep, he created it from the dust of the earth, breathed the breath of life into it, made it a living soul, put it in a garden, and called it Man. Have you ever really taken the time to consider what God meant when he said, “Let Us create man in Our own image.”?

Most of the time, when you talk with folks about being created in the image of God, it always comes down to, “Well, we are spirit, soul, and body, and that’s kind of how God is a Trinity.” Well, I think that’s a good start, a legitimate point, and we’re headed in the right direction, but I believe there is a lot more to it than that. Let’s dig a little deeper. Who is God? What is his essence, his nature? I think we need to look into this in order to understand just how we were created in his image.

First, I have to say that the words I am going to use to try and explain my point will fall way short. Honestly, how do you describe the holy indescribable? But, words are all we have, so here goes. The One God is Triune. He is Father, Son, and Spirit. He exists as three “Persons,” while at the same time; He is One. Within the Trinity there is love and communion, worship if you will. Theologians call this Perichoresis, complete and perfect unity without absorption. This is the perfect, holy God. And we are created to reflect this perichoretic image! Although, man is not God, and never will be God (this is a shock to some of us I’m sure), we are created to exist in a similar form of perichoresis through our union with Jesus. This is what Dr. Jim Gifford refers to as perichoretic salvation. Yes sir, a kind of mutual indwelling without absorption, thereby reflecting the image of God. I believe that’s what being created in the image of God means. In some wonderful, mysterious way; we partake in the eternal Trinitarian life of God. Hallelujah!!

Consider the words Jesus prayed in John 17: “[I ask] that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us…I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one.” We, as believers, are in God and he is in us. There is so much more to being a Christian than talking about sin all of the time. Yes, we know that prior to being born again; we are dead in our sins and separated from God. We must repent and turn from our sin. But when will we understand that salvation is about more than sin and death? Your sin has been dealt with on the cross; it’s time to get busy living my friend! “[O]r have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”(Romans 6) We have new “perichoretic” lives that partake of the life of God, and reflect the very image of He who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (I John 1)

Jesus came not only to die for our sins, but to extend to us the very life of God whereby we may have fellowship with him, the kind of fellowship that has eternally existed in the Triune God. You have been invited to experience this life. You were created to reflect this glorious image.

 

 

 

Wax on Wax off

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Maybe I’m a little touched as they say, but riding down I-85 this afternoon, I began to see similarities between the relationship of Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-Son in the “Karate Kid,” and the way God’s Spirit works in the life of the believer as He conforms him to the image of Christ.

Remember how Daniel came to Mr. Miyagi? He came as a broken, bullied kid, believing that Mr. Miyagi would show him the secrets of martial arts. Daniel was thrilled to have this wonderful teacher, this savior who would show him how to defend himself. It seemed like Daniel figured that it wouldn’t take long and he’d be a master. He had preconceived ideas as to what the teacher student relationship looked like, and the methods the teacher should use to bring him along. Not so fast Daniel –Son!

The so-called lessons begin and Mr. Miyagi makes Daniel wash and wax his cars, paint his fence, and “sand the floor!” Daniel was a good kid, he did as he was told, but after a while; it all seemed like such a waste of time. He had been promised that he would be taught karate, that he would become a fighter, not be some old man’s personal slave.

 Mr. Miyagi: “You in karate training.”
Daniel: “I’m what? I’m being your [expletive] slave is what I’m being, man. Now, we made a deal here.”
Mr. Miyagi: “So.”
Daniel: “So, so, you’re supposed to teach and I’m supposed to learn, remember? For four days I’ve been bustin’ my [expletive] and haven’t learned a [expletive] thing!”
Mr. Miyagi: “You learn plenty.”
Daniel: “I learn plenty! I learned how to sand your decks maybe. I learned how to wash a car, paint your house, and paint your fence. I’ve learned plenty. Right.”
Mr. Miyagi: “Not everything is as it seems.”

Daniel couldn’t see that Mr. Miyagi was indeed keeping his end of the bargain. He had no idea what was being done to him, how he was being changed. So often, we respond to the Spirit’s teaching the way Daniel responded to Mr. Miyagi.

We come to the Lord, and we have all these preconceived, Westernized, Hollywood ideas about the Christian walk. We figure it won’t take long and we will have arrived.  When we encounter the valleys, the hard times, and suffering, we look to the Lord and say, “You promised to teach me!  You said I’d be like you; now all I’m doing is sanding Your floors and waxing Your cars! Why are you allowing this to happen to me?” Like Daniel-Son, we don’t comprehend what is being done in and to us. We balk at the hardship, not understanding that it is the trials themselves that are producing in us an “eternal weight of glory!” God’s Spirit is at work in us, transforming us into the image of the Son. He knows that the way to do this involves our sanding some floors, painting some fences, and waxing some cars. “I promise teach karate. That’s my pact. You promise learn. I say, you do. No question. That your pact.”

In the end, Daniel-Son did become that great fighter. (He also got a really cool vintage car as a gift from Mr. Miyagi.) What lies in store for you is beyond comparison:

“There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” (I Peter 1:6-9)

 

Work It

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Any one that knows me or has heard my testimony knows that I’m all about grace and mercy. I will never understand why a holy God would extend to me this awesome love. I know that it is by his grace, through the faith that he gives us as a gift, that we have been and are being saved. However, we have to understand that being in relationship with God also involves (I’m gonna say it) WORKS.

Check out what the Apostle James has to say:  “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?  Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: ‘Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.’ He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.”

This portion of scripture troubles a lot of people as they see it in opposition to being saved by grace through faith. I believe that in this passage James is showing us what real faith looks like. True saving faith involves more than just an acknowledgement of the gospel’s claims concerning Jesus. Even the foulest demon of hell believes that Jesus is the Son of God. What a travesty it is that America is filled with folks who believe that they are in Christ because they were sprinkled as babies or 20 years ago walked some aisle and shook a preachers hand and said, “I believe.”  Their relationship with sin has never changed, they look and act no different from the world, and yet they believe that all is well. We have done a great injustice for which we will be held accountable if we do not seek to correct this faulty understanding of saving faith. Faith that is real is faith in action. When you truly believe, there will be corresponding works that attest to the validity of your faith. Authentic belief (faith) is always accompanied by a tangible response (works).

James points out the fact that Abraham’s faith was proven to be real by the things he did. He did not merely profess belief in God; he obeyed him by not withholding Isaac. Rahab the prostitute demonstrated her belief in God by her actions. The truth is that we can say anything, but who we are is ultimately revealed by what we do. If a man tells his wife that he loves her, but doesn’t speak to her, hold her, kiss her, protect her, or in any way demonstrate his professed love; would she be inclined to believe that his love for her is real? Even so, if we say we have faith in God, but live the same way we did before we came to faith, if we never speak to him, serve him, or in any way demonstrate the faith we say we have; is there any reason to believe we truly have faith?

We are saved by God’s grace, apart from anything we could ever do. Our salvation is a result of a loving God extending faith, grace, and mercy to us in Jesus. We can’t do anything to deserve God’s grace and the faith we have is given to us by God. But James reminds us that the one who possesses the real deal will be one whose life demonstrates its reality by the things he does.

Another like the Other

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

As the cross came nearer and the hour of his departure was at hand, Jesus promised the disciples that he would ask the Father, and he would send them another [H]elper who would remain with them, and then later, reside in them. It’s interesting the word John uses when he writes another [H]elper. The word in the Greek is ἄλλον / allon. The use of this particular word is important because it signifies that he is talking about another like himself, another of the same kind- Another like the Other! In fact, many theologians will use this word in discussions on the Trinity and the deity of the Holy Spirit. I really don’t want to get into a bunch of academic theology (and you’re glad I know); I just want to use this word to communicate something I think will help us in our daily lives. Walk with me.

Jesus was a Rabbi and taught using tried and true rabbinic methods during his earthly ministry. The rabbis would speak in ways so as to conceal a truth within “surface” words. They would seek to make their disciples dig for the wisdom and truth. They would say things, all the while hoping that their followers would perceive the deeper spiritual lessons they were really trying to communicate. Remember when Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up on the third day.”? Well, we know that he wasn’t talking about the physical temple that stood at the time. He was talking about his death and resurrection. How about the time he told his disciples, “Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees.” The guys thought he was mad at them because they had forgotten to bring along bread on their journey. But again, Jesus desired to teach them spiritual truths. What about Philip and the feeding of the 5,000? Jesus asked Philip how they could feed so many when he knew beforehand what he planned to do. And the woman at the well, with whom he spoke of living water? Once more, he was trying to direct her into deeper, spiritual considerations. Jesus was always teaching. Everything he did and said was designed to communicate the heart of the Father. Every situation he exposed the disciples to was designed to teach them. That’s how a rabbi did it. His followers ate with him, slept with him, worked with him, lived with him, and sought to emulate him in every way. Life was the classroom. So, if in the person of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was sending us Another Helper just like himself; why would his teaching methods be any different?

Here’s my point. With the Holy Spirit as your teacher, your whole life is the classroom. So often we complain about this or that, and we fail to realize that each situation we find ourselves in can be another learning opportunity. Our first impulse is to ask God why we are going through a particular thing, when perhaps our question should be what are you trying to teach me. If we come to an understanding that the Father desires to reproduce in us the image of his Son, it will affect the way we respond to life. Now, let’s not get crazy and look for the secret meaning of the two birds that just flew overhead. Chances are, it was just two birds flying overhead. But we should pray that we discern what it is the Holy Spirit is teaching us as we find ourselves in different life scenarios. As a disciple of Jesus, God is at work in you by the presence of his Spirit to bring about that which is pleasing to him and eternally good for you, i.e. , you looking like Jesus! This happens not just by Bible study and prayer, but within the context of your everyday life.

You have received Another just like the Other, just like the Rabbi that taught his disciples in Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago.  Because we are children of God, “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,” and he wants to make us like Jesus. Let us walk in the Spirit, and be taught by him. With God’s Spirit as our teacher, may we move past the obvious “knee-jerk” responses to life, and search for the treasures God has hidden within even the most trying of times. Let our prayers be not “Why Lord?” but “What Lord, what are you teaching me?” I pray that you follow so close behind your Rabbi that you are covered with his dust.