Jacob and the Church

A while back I read through Jacob's story again.  I was stuck by a certain resemblance between his journey and where I see the Church at this point in time.  I haven't been able to get it out of my mind for some time now.  I knew it was something that I really wanted to write about.  Not so much because of where I see the Church, but because of where I have been and where it seems He is taking me in the last several years.  I look at Jacob's journey and I see a man brought from a life of concern only for his own position to one that is completely overcome by the power of the sovereign Lord, Who doesn't just guide Jacob to Himself, but accosts Him and takes ownership of his life and future.  

In Genesis 28:20 it says, "Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you."

After essentially getting kicked out of Dad's house for robbing his brother's birthright, Jacob makes a vow that is "me centered."  He will make God his Lord if He continues to bless him.  Jacob, like many of us, looks for God to provide his success in this life and gives God glory based on the blessing he receives.  So, many times in our walk we will look to God when we need something or desire some sort of significance that is defined by our perception of success.  But is this not shallow?  Is this what God truly deserves?  Is this maturity?  Is it honoring to God if we look to follow His principals and Laws only for our benefit and as a means to a perceived positive end?  It reminds me of when I fell away from the faith in my teens.  Things didn't work out the way they were supposed to, and God didn't come through when He was supposed to.  After all, I didi everything I was supposed to do to be blessed.  So, when I wasn't, God was at fault, wasn't He?

But Jacob doesn't stay in this shallow state of belief in the Living God, but the change doesn't come as a result of any greatness in Jacob.  It comes by the direct power of the Living God in His life, changing Him by divine power and authority.  

First, we find a scene, in Genesis 32:22-32, where Jacob wrestles with an angel, and when, it seems, neither side can overcome the other, Jacob demands to be blessed in order to stop fighting.  Isn't the grace of God amazing.  We argue and wrestle, and yet God doesn't apply a smack down or cast us off.  What He seems to do, in Jacob's case, is point to a future where Jacob will be consumed with the grace of God because of Who He is and not for what he can get from Him.  However, Jacob is not yet there.  He still demands and expects a blessing  and will keep fighting for his way.

In Genesis 35 God again calls Jacob, but something is different in the way Jacob responds.  It is not with any expectation for himself, but he purifies his household and recognizes the one true God.  It is interesting how God calls to him.  “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”  Did you catch that?  "Make an altar to THE GOD who appeared to you."  It seems that Jacob had not truly honored his previous promise to God in 28:21.  At the most, it seems, that Jacob made YHWH his highest God, because God has to identify Himself apart from the others.  But still God blesses him and honors His end of the bargan.  

Genesis 35 seems to be a sort of experience, not unlike Paul on the road to Damascus, where he is arrested by God and called beyond himself and his desires.  The Jacob who says, "Bless me, bless me" is no more, now he is Israel, called and chosen by God for His purpose and glory.    This all pointing back to the wrestling match with the angel.  He gets blessed, but not on his terms.  This is a far cry from the manipulator that was concerned with only how he was going to get his blessing.   It doesn't seem to be about Jacob and his blessing anymore, but about God and His purpose.  This is a story that provides a picture of what God means when it says, "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6)

This is where I see us in the church today.  Our concern is what do I need to do to get my blessing, my promise, my breakthrough.  Our concern is for ourselves and our glory, rather than the glory of God in Christ Jesus alone.  Martin Luther called it "Soli Deo gloria!"  Glory to God alone!  If we really see Him, this will be the mark of our lives.  We will be satisfied for nothing but God being glorified.  Even if it means our suffering, not just our success.

So hear my cry in this.  It's not to be another voice beating up on the Church for her idolatry and apostacy, but a recognition of my own as well.  My cry is that the Father will arrest us all, and by His sovereign authority, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God through Jesus, cause us to come out of ourselves and into Him.  That He will bring us to a place where we see ourselves as nothing, unconcerned with how we may benefit, but completely given to the only right that we have been given.  That is to be Sons of God, and knowing that means we are slaves to the cross.

Joseph's Rise to Greatness

 

Genesis 48:5 "And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are."

 

Usually we think of Joseph's rise to power culminating in the statement, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life" in 45:4-5.  We think this is the big moment where Joseph is vindicated and the dreams he had as a boy, the ones that made his brothers so jealous, all come true.  But I suggest that this scene, where Jacob elevates Joseph's sons and takes them from the position of grandsons to sons, and brother to their uncles, is the blessing that God intended for Joseph all along.

 

Often we think of a position of great influence and power to be the real blessing, and it is, but is it the end that the Father has in mind.  Here by bringing up Joseph's sons to the position of sons, thereby becoming the patriarchs of Hebrew tribes, Jacob also elevates Joseph to the position of brother.  Joseph is now a forefather to the tribes of Israel.  This is the greater honor, even greater than being in command of all of Egypt with no one to answer to but Pharaoh.

 

How often do we see greatness with our limited carnal eyes, thinking that if we rise to some position of great power and authority, we have somehow received great blessing from God.  It is truly a blessing to have influence over those around us and be a marker post pointing to The Lord of lords and King of kings, but the greater blessing, and the greater goal, is the place we leave those who come after us.  What do we leave them to stand on?  Do we leave a legacy for them to carry on that is only of monetary value and powerful only in the moment or will it carry and increase throughout the generations.

 

If you think about it Joseph's power and influence gave him the ability to bring his family to Egypt so that they may live through the famine, but this decision progressed to the eventual enslavement of the nation.  But as a result of Joseph's faithfulness his sons were made coheirs of the promise of God.  Ultimately, whatever influence the Father blesses me with in this life, so be it, I pray Lord You keep me faithful in and through it all.  But what I want to leave behind more than anything else is my children's ability to say of me, "Dad was faithful."  If they can say that “Dad was a great man” that would be awesome too, but if I leave them with an understanding that they are coheirs of the promise and can say of me, "He was faithful," I have done my job.

Will you Throw Jesus Off a Cliff?

I am an ambitious individual.  I see what is set before me, and I go for it.  I want to be effective and successful in everything I set my hands to, be it ministry or the work that I do for the State of Vermont.  I have learned that as I am intrinsically motivated and driven, I need to continually search my heart and my motivations.  I often echo David’s prayer from Psalm 139, “Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”  I felt lead to study the following passage the other morning, and wanted to share what I learned.  I was struck by the question, “What is my motivation for being a Christian?  Am I in it for what I can get out of it, or have I received the call to His mission?” 

Luke 4:20, And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus has just read from Isaiah 61, and from that passage declares Himself to be the fulfillment of prophesy.

22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

Often times we read of the reaction His kin, in Nazareth, had to His self-declaration as negative, as if they did not believe that He was the fulfillment of the prophesy.  In actuality, their reaction was in reception of Jesus’ statement, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 

“Is not this Joseph’s son?” is not a dismissive statement, but one where they are recognizing that He is one of them.  Their recognition of His self-declaration coupled with their limited understanding of Jesus mission leads them to understand His mission as a benefit to them first.  They receive Jesus as a blessing from God, but primarily to benefit them His kin, as He is one of them and should be expected to have His hometown in mind before any other.  

23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

Jesus, knowing what they are thinking, responds to what is behind all that they are saying.   “Physician, heal yourself” is in reference to their thinking that He is one of them and should be there as a benefit to His kin first.  In verse 24, Jesus presents what their true reaction is to the real purpose of His mission.  His mission is to the lowly, the outcast, those who have no hope, and He goes on to parallel Elijah and Elisha’s ministry to Gentiles (those who were not people of the promise).

25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.

Now their true reaction to His ministry is seen, as, in finding out that Jesus mission is not to benefit them first, they want to kill Him.    

Do we receive Jesus as the answer for all, or only as our answer, individually, for our own benefit?  In our ministry to others, as we are all ministers, do we take joy in and glory in the Lord as others are healed and excel in their place and calling, even while we may suffer to bring the message?  Do we expect that Jesus’ ministry in our own lives will benefit us first and others after?  Or have we received His heart and love others before ourselves?  Do we expect Jesus to prosper us as a result of our ministry to others? 

We may never know great success, wealth, and full physical healing in this life, but will we continue to go out and proclaim the good news of a savior?  Or because we have not benefitted from Jesus directly in the way we expect and see others benefit, will we look to throw Him off a cliff?  Can we, as the Church, see that the beauty of the Gospel is the glory of the Father in Heaven, and that we may never know our reward in this life?  The minute we become Christ followers, it immediately stops being about us.       

Coming Glory

I'm sure you have noticed the leaves in our area.  They are changing their shade and putting on their coats of many colors signifying Yahweh's favor over them.  It’s just the beginning of the coming glory of this region during this season.  There is an excitement that I experience as I think about the family trips to harvest parties and apple picking. 

 

Then I am reminded of the coming frustration associated with this season, the “leaf-peepers.”  That is what we Vermonters call the "out-of-staters" who drive around gawking at the brilliant colors as they drive through the mountain passes.  These are those who drive 35 MPH in a 50 MPH zone and hold me up while I am in a hurry to make a meeting.  Even though there will be times of intense frustration, as I restrain my propensity toward road rage since I am originally from NY, it still doesn't compare to the anticipation of watching my daughter experience all the wonders of Fall in Vermont. 

This makes me think of something Paul wrote, "(18) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (19) For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God." (Romans 8:18-19, ESV) 

This glory, that we are empowered by, in anticipation through faith in His promise, far outweighs the frustrations we experience in this present age and life.  Whatever happens in our government, whatever the state of the economy, however aggravating and menial our tasks may be at work, or even the sin, or propensity toward doing the wrong thing, that I can't seem to shake even when I try so hard, none of these things outshine the coming glory we have guaranteed to us in Christ Jesus. 

This promise motivates us toward being like Him, loving like Him, and serving like Him.  All Creation looks forward, with us, with intense desire for "that day."  Even the leaf-peepers can't steal my joy! This promise, and the assurance of it, is the way we experience "that day" right now, even in the midst of our present struggles.  We walk in the Spirit, by faith, holding on to the future hope; this is our inheritance and our possession provided through the work of Jesus Christ!

Be the man that I have called you to be

"Be the man that I have called you to be."

Often times we know the things that God has set aside for us to do.  And often times we hold back from doing those things for reasons like: the fear of failure, concern over our ability or inability, what if I'm not liked or appreciated, etc.  The truth is that we have no idea how far we can go, in what we have been given to do, unless we step toward the goal.  Our perceived ability or inability is completely unknown as it has yet to be tested.  It is all, in reality, a unknown variable that is out of our control.

In the case where we look in our past a remember past failure and allow that to be the force that holds us back from a possible future, we are challenged to change our thinking about failure.  Is failure the mark of limitation, or is failure an opportunity to learn how to go farther?  

The challenge is to our way of thinking.  Do we believe that God can do things through people with failings?  Or do we believe that He labels us as unusable or somehow flawed in our design, even though that would infringe on His reputation as designer?  Or does He view our recognition of our inability to accomplish a goal with our present ability a catalyst for His glory?  If we are unable to accomplish a goal, and place ourselves in the position to trust Him to guide us through a process of meeting the right people, learning the necessary skills, and finding ourselves in the right moment for the right opportunity, then He receives the glory for the things we were unable to control.  In a sense, He shares the glory with us, as He brought us to the place where we enjoy a certain level of success.  

The outcome of a realized goal becomes a mosaic of variables that we could not fit in the proper place, and our steps, into what we cannot control, toward the goal is faith.  A faith in His ability to bring the pieces together.  A faith that He will use someone who might not have it all together, and may not be altogether complete when the goal is reached.  This is the progression "from glory to glory."  (2 Cor. 3:18)

And in this "progression" from one degree of glory to another, we find that the success we enjoy in a goal met was never the Spirit's goal.  His goal was primarily that we as individuals and as a corporate body would reveal the glory of Jesus to a greater degree.  And still in our success, by His power, He will show Himself to others, and this is where those who see Him will begin their "progression."

So, the Spirit says, "Be the man that I have called you to be."  As we deal with the insecurities that hold us back from moving in faith.  Remember that, rather in success or failure, He is moving us all to a place of real success, our projection of His image to a world, that when they look in the mirror, only see themselves and their limitations.  Don't be afraid to take a step toward what He has called you to do.  As the writer of Hebrews warned, "3:13 But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception. 3:14 For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence firm until the end. 3:15 As it says, “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."  

If you understand that He has given you direction, move.  

The Struggle to Serve

Romans 12:1 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." 2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

It is reasonable that, as a result of the grace that we have received through Christ and by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, we continually seek to know (both understand and experience) the ways of God, which are always good, acceptable, and perfect.  Not so much for the sake of how it affects life around us, but for the sake of it's affect on us.  "For this is the will of God, your sanctification." 1 Thessalonians 4:3  And, 1 Peter 2:15 "For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 

And therein lies my struggle.  I find that I am often frustrated by those in authority around me, as I disagree with some of their decisions and direction.  It is not something that comes naturally to me, as my ambitions rise up and compel me toward my goals, to honor them anyways.  Scripture teaches us to place ourselves as sacrifices for the whims of others, but not as victims complaining or congratulating ourselves for our pious suffering.  We are called to serve in every aspect of our lives, and this to the glory of God.  This, as His witnesses.  We have received a service beyond comprehension, that God came down to supersede His own religious system to set us free to love, in love, by His love.  And this is our testimony, not just by the things that we say, but by the lives we live in service to others.  

Serving those who take advantage of you, like humanity took advantage of Christ on the cross, will never get easy.  But this is what we are to prepare for.  This is what Scripture calls, "your spiritual worship," which could also be translated "your reasonable service."         

1Peter 1:13 "Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 14 "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance," 15 "but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct," 16 "since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”"  

Our "former ignorance" protects itself from the others, but the holiness of God conducts itself in service to others and not for selfish personal gain.  But for the benefit of those in need.

As we deal with the effects of the decisions those in authority over us may have on us, remember the service that Christ provided at the cross.  He served, and as we have received so should we give.  And this is the will of God.

Encountering God, Pursuit

Encountering God is a life's pursuit.  The moment that we cease to pursue Him we have become distracked from the goal.  The NKJV words Isaiah 50:7 like this, "For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed."  Even in times of pressure and struggle He must be the focal point.  If not, what we will encounter will be the consequence of denying Him.

Hosea 6:3 "Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; 

his going out is sure as the dawn; 

  he will come to us as the showers, 

as the spring rains that water the earth.”"

This verse is part of a call to repentance.  In this call we find a truth about knowing God.  What we know of God must be worked out in our experiences, and that "knowing" must me pursued.

Verse 6 "For I desire steadfast love (or mercy) and not sacrifice, 

the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

Our religious practice (a life of praise is an accurate definition of religious practice) must be the outworking of our inner reality.  We know and experience Him, and in turn our lives and choices are shaped by understanding Him.  We stumble, but we recognize our short comings because we know Him.  

Israel fell and Ephraim was judged, because of their pride (the ultimate in misdirected focus).  The knowledge of Him is the cure for pride.  In knowing and experiencing Him there is no place to think more highly of ourselves than we ought.  In knowing and experiencing Him we become acutely aware of our inadequacies and shortcomings.  Still, in knowing and experiencing Him, we find that the possibilities are endless, because He is endless.  And in knowing and experiencing Him we will begin to embody His image.  Even in times of trouble, our hope will not fail, our confidence will not be shaken, because we know Him.