N. T. Wright on Jesus

N. T. Wright latest book "Simply Jesus" tries to take up where "Simply Christian" left off or maybe more accurate, tries do something similar in presenting Jesus to the modern world in a way that simply makes sense. I actually like "Simply Jesus" better than Wright's earlier work. I am only about half way through it but Wright gives so many insights into Jesus teachings, that alone is worth the price of the book. Wright is known for keeping things close to the Jewish culture of Jesus day and has an engaging way of us possibly getting a glimpse into the mind of Jesus in the ways he looked at things from a Jewish perspective.

Some of the engaging ideas that have huge discipleship implications is looking at the world with an apocalyptic vision, reading the Bible as a kind of "resistance manual" and living way in such a way that heaven and earth connect. When it comes to God's heavenly kingdom on earth, don't miss it!

A Discipleship Question

Everyone has questions for the Bible but how often do we listen to the Bible question us? In this vital area of discipleship which prepares God's people for mission and unity, here is a striking question that comes from God's word to us today.

"God's Word says in the last days there will be great tribulation and persecution and many Christians will even die for their faith. How are we preparing God's people to go through this?"

I will be praying and reflecting on this more but it seems to me one group of people who are living this out is the persecuted global church around the world outside of western Europe and North America. How they are doing it and how they are being trained, equipped, and prepared for a kind of "last days" ministries is a burning question that should haunt each one of us until we begin discovering the answer for ourselves and for those around us.

Holy Hilarity

LIFE IS A TEST AND MONEY
IS ONE OF THOSE TESTS

"And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury" (Mark 12:41). Jesus often spoke of money and draws our attention to look at our ways of giving. Do we do it cheerfully or begrudgingly? Does money call the shots in our life on what we can afford to buy or not buy and are we really free from the love of money?

If Christ has made us free, he has freed us from the power of money over our lives. Christ's continual presence with his community guides us through the unpredicatable ways of the Holy Spirit (see John 3:8). The Christian life is not some new rigid legal code. Rather, it is the church's response to the Apostles teachings and the Spirit's leading. We squirm when reading "No one claimed that any of his possesions were his own, but they shared everything they had . . . There was no needy person among them" (Acts 4:32, 34a). The resurrection reality and Spirit's guiding power allowed the early church to have a holy, almost reckless spontaneity. Are we today as secure in God's care to provide and the Spirit's ability to lead?

The Spirit blows where it wishes and we are free to respond to needs as the Spirit leads. So as I reflect on this issue of holy hilarity in our giving, here are some thoughts I jotted down in preparation for our discipleship study on God's economy:

1. Soak yourself in the Bible's sometimes soothing, but also unsettling words about trust.

2. We need to make the issue of our finances a matter of regular prayer. Do we pray for greater trust and open-handed generosity?

3. We need to a good conversation and to listen to the community of other believers. Money and finances are not just a private matter but communal and best done within a community context.

4. Freedom in Christ and freedom in our giving means sacrificial giving, even when our finances seem tight. Giving releases the grip money has on our lives and even breaks the poverty mentality ("I never have enough").

When we do these things, we discover freedom worth far more than any amount of money we might have saved in our withholding. God has been dealing with me about Sabbath----spiritual times of rest and focus as well as discipline. Has God given you a vision of liberation in Christ from Mammon's bondage? How are you doing?

How has the Holy Spirit led you into a moment of hilarious giving or spontaneous generosity?

An Arrow Pointing to Heaven

"GOD GAVE US THE BIBLE NOT TO PROVE
THAT WE WERE RIGHT ABOUT
EVERYTHING BUT THAT GOD IS RIGHT,
AND THE REST OF US ARE JUST QUESSING"
- Rich Mullins


James Byran Smith wrote an amazing devotional biography on Rich Mullin called AN ARROW POINTING TO HEAVEN (Broadman Press, 2000). Most people remember Rich as a powerful Christian singer. But what many people may not know is Rich was a radical lover of Jesus who lived among Native Americans for a while as he served the Lord. In Brennan Manning terms, Rich was a ragamuffin who loved other ragmamuffins.

Rich Mullins had a depth of quality to him that is difficult to put into words. I remember hearing him in concert one time and he spoke genuinely and deeply about God's love and brokeness and how God's Word defined him and everything around him. He was a man from Indiana who had both substance and character in the way he conducted the affairs of his life. May God raise up more disciples with soaring spirits and passionate love for the weak and downtrodden of society.

Looking Through a Glass Darkly

When you read the Bible, what do you see? Are we reading Scripture or books about Scripture? Is the Bible reading us or are we simply browsing through it? The Bible is to be a mirror that shows our true nature and self. Many are afraid to look into this mirror because it disturbs, challenges, and will not leave us where we are at. When we read the Bible, if we do not see ourselves in its mirror, we will have missed what God truly wants to show us. It takes courage to look deeply into the mirror of God's Word!

Have you looked in the mirror today?