Peacemakers

As I continue my Challenger Deep voyage into the mind of Christ, I consider his blessing on peacemakers. There are a number of conclusions I have reached and share with you.

* A peacemaker seeks to bring stability or homeostasis into a life.

*A peacemaker promotes reconciliation between estranged parties.

*A peacemaker has to work out "terms of peace."

*A peacemaker's outcome may be a sword or more conflict when the necessary terms of peace are rejected.

*A peacemaker's peace must conform to truth or reality or it is no peace at all.

*A peacemaker will be ineffective when others do not accept his/her role as a peacemaker.

*A peacemaker always pursues peace but recognizes he cannot always attain peace because it does not always depend on the peacemaker.

*A peacemaker seeks to bring the parties into agreement with God, not with one another.

*The resulting state is to be "undisturbed."

*A degree of peace must exist between or among people for the gospel to be heard and accepted.

*The battle for peace is the battle between flesh and Spirit.

This ten-fold outline is the framework for understanding the role of a peacemaker. Each component is essential to the process. Because there is so much conflict in marriage and in the church the process of peacemaking is so important to understand. Jesus has taught us. Will we listen or will we merely continue to separate and go our own way? Remember the peacemaker will be called a son of God.

Parental Agenda

Throughout the summer on Wednesday nights we have been considering those in need, thus far the orphans and the widows. We will consider the sick, the bereaved, the prisoners, the homeless, the alien, and others. The response required to each of these is no less the "heart of God." We might debate how to best serve each group and each individual within these groups, but it is demanded by God that we do serve those in these circumstances. Wisdom demands we understand the circumstance we walk into and understand our personal ability and responsibility in each situation, but each case demands we try to leave the person(s) better off than when we found them.

Parents have a great opportunity here. As parents do you insulate your children from the hardness of life, the messy folks, the needs, the difficult matters, or do you exposed them under your guidance and care to interact and understand? Do your kids know any orphans? Do they know a widow (or know that a person they know is a widow)? Do they know someone who is grieving over the loss of a loved one? Do they know a homeless person? Do they know sick people? Do they know aliens (the people kind)? Do they know a prisoner? Do they know poor people? And, have been instructed on how to understand each of these? Do they have a desire in their hearts to serve the unfortunate?

A huge part of a parent's curriculum should be in this area. Do you have a plan to train your children in the area of compassion? What they learn early will be put into practice later. Parents can make it easier for their kids to "die to self" throughout life if they teach them to serve those in need at a young age. Pride, arrogance, self-righteousness, and self-centeredness can be attacked early as we model compassion before our children and as we give them opportunities to serve.

Rod

Eye On

Perspective is very important. The angle from which you look at something can make all the difference in what you actually see. Ever had someone look at something some distance away and they want you to see it. They may say, "stand here." Or, point and say "look where my finger is pointing." They believe if you can orient yourself to the object by standing where they are standing and looking where they are looking you will see it. Casuals seems to have a more difficult time locating the "object" to be seen-the spiritual object or objective.

When Jesus states his objective and urges us to accept it as our objective it is first important for us to actually to see his objective the way he seens it. If we do not stand in the right place we might miss it by a mile, or at least by yards. When we see a person, do we see them as Christ does? When we see a statement made by Jesus in Scripture do we see it as he intended it? When we see and idea or concept do we view it as Jesus does or do we just see it the way we see it. We are so accustommed to thinking that "my perspective" is just as good as "your perspective" we risk miss seeing things from the "right perspective." Of course, that would be Jesus' perspective.

Captive Christians are always trying to stand so close to Jesus that we can better see what he sees. Ever hear someone say, "I know this is probably not the right way to look at this, but..." You know what is coming. The person is going to look at it the way they want to look at it regardless of whether it is the right way. Are they being arrogant, thinking they are "allowed to have their own perspective even if it is wrong?" Or are they too lazy to move from where they are standing to take another look from where Jesus is standing? Or perhaps they are saying that even though they know their view is probably not right they do not know how to get to a place where they can embrace another view. I do know that this is a very fundamental problem in making the journey from being a casual Christian to being a captive Christian.

He's 92

I am up early with some "Georgia on my mind." I just spent a few hours with dad. He's 92. I keep saying that like I just can't believe it. When mother died at age 50 I just never thought of dad living for almost another half century-he might make it! Compared to mom he has lived two lifetimes. Why does one person get one and another get two? But, most of the stories he tells are from the first lifetime. Like the time he worked 176 hours in two weeks at the post office, a record, and made more than the post master. It was a badge of honor. Or, the story about coming to Georgia from Kentucky when he was 16 with a box of chicken and $3 in his pocket, and today being a proud landowner with three times more money in the bank than he paid for the land. He wears these stories like badges of honor. And, as we stood on his rickity back porch he was planning how he was going to make some repairs as soon as the weather warmed up.

The word "work" was drilled into me as a child. It was what we did. I know it can be done for the wrong reasons, i.e. to try to earn your way to heaven, but it is not a dirty word. Jesus did not commend the lazy servant who would not invest his master's money. He cast him out. It seems to me that one reason we have so many casual Christians is because being captive is a lot of work. There may be long two week shifts where you sleep on the postal sacks for a couple of hours and get up and go back to work. There may be times when you are called on to turn a box of chicken and $3 into 40 acres and a batch of memories. Captives do not know how many lifetimes they have. But, they work while they are here and then go home to their rest. Thanks dad for the example.

I Miss 24

I need a dose of Jack Bauer. What is it about a character like Bauer? He is tough, smart, committed, and indestructable! But, what I like about him the most is that no one could break him. You know the scene. He is in a small 10/10 room, with one light hanging from the ceiling, a barred-window about 15 feet above him, tied to a chair that is bolted to the floor, with a table nearby with every concievable instrument of torture on it. He has been beaten, burned, shocked, slapped, cut, shot, water-boarded, and threatened with every unearthly horrow invented by man. Through it all he keeps his head, plans his escape, makes notes of his enemy's weaknesses, plants a few lies to throw them off, and looks them straight in the eye with that look of defiance that would make a NFL right tackle buckle.

Bauer is like Jesus in some ways (not so in a few others-I know). Jesus was constantly having to fend off the temptations of sin and defeat. Jesus was under profound pressure to not stumble or fail. The entire world's salvation was dependent on Jesus staying true, pure, right, good, and focused. Satan and his demons threw everything at Jesus. But still he stood. He looked the demons in the eye and backed them down. The demons were afraid of Jesus. They feared that he would torture them before their time. They feared he would throw them into the abyss.

Oh for the heart of the captive Christian who like his teacher stands firm without bending to temptations and trials. Toughen us Father!

Many Voices/One Voice

Jesus had experienced a long day of healing and exorcism. After casting out a demon in the synagogue in Capernaum and healing an apostle's mother-in-law at a Saturday afternoon luncheon, Jesus had a couple of hours of peace, hanging with his new disciples until the sun went down. With the Sabbath over, the people came out and lined up at Jesus' door. Every ailment in this small village was there-broken bones, flu, cancer, low-blood sugar, undiagnosed pains of every kind, and toothaches-all were in line waiting their turn for a touch of the master's hand. And, he touched every one. He passed out individual attention. With the miracle clinic closed he went to sleep.

As the roosters began to crow Jesus was up and out to spend some time in a lonely land with no lines and no expectations. He needed to hear the One Voice that mattered. His head was filled with the Many Voices. The scenes from the night before scrolled through his mind, a little crippled boy jumping up and down with glee; an old lady snapping out of a diabetic coma; a deaf mute's first sound was Jesus' voice. He heard the thanks and the pleas to heal one more. He heard the praise and the sobs of joy. And, he knew that this was only the first wave of sick folks he would encounter. He knew he would be chased and pressed and proded and begged like a "blanc" in a Haitien airport terminal. So before the roar rose again in his ears he needed to be quiet and listen to the One Voice that mattered, who could remind him of why he was sent, what his main purpose was, and what really counted.

Captives learn to hear the One Voice and to put the Many Voices in perspective.

Half On/Half Off

This image was in my head when I awoke this morning. A bull rider half on and half off the bull really gets beat up. This is when he is in the greatest danger. He is closer to the deadly horns and the hooves. Now, don't get me wrong. A bull rider gets beat up pretty good when he is on, cinched up, and bounching around. And, even when he is all the way off, the bull can sometime alude the clowns and come back around and gore him. But, half on and half off looks like the worst to me. And, do you ever see the cowboy who is in that position and just can't get his hand out of the rope to let go? Now he is stuck half on and half off. How do you tell the bull, "Could you just stand still for a couple of minutes while we untie this cowboy dangling from your side?"

Life doesn't stand still either. It keeps bucking along, turning in circles, like it wants us off it's back. Doesn't it seem that the world thinks it is it's job to throw us off and leave us in the dust?

Jesus came to show us how to ride the bull. He doesn't want us in the dust or flopping around on the side. He wants us atop the bull, holding on, free hand in the air, focused on every hop and turn, being cheered on by an encouraging crowd, seemingly at the mercy of an angry, crazed bovine, but really held in place by the unseen hand of a loving Father. For all who are getting beat up because you can't decide if you will follow Jesus all the way, get back on top of the bull, please, hollar "pull" and pray for eight!

The Deep

Here is Simon. He is tired. He is smelly. He is discouraged. He just wants to sleep. He still has to wash his nets and go home to his wife's list of honey-dos(you have to know Greek to see that in the text). He knows he will not get a pay check that day (The wife won't like that either). On top of all of this Jesus uses his boat for a pulpit. Then, Jesus tells him to put out into the deep and let his nets down again. This is streching Simon. You know that feeling inside when you know you need to listen to Jesus and do what he says but you are tired and you just don't want to do it. It is the struggle of flesh and spirit-remember one is willing and the other is weak. Grab that feeling. That is where the human and divine intersect. That is the point between casual and captive.

But to Simon's credit he says, "because you say so I will do it." The captive Christian often does the right thing only because Jesus says so. Jesus is Lord. You know the rest of the story. It worked out for Simon and his partners. So many fish were caught that the nets were breaking and it took two boats to haul them in. Simon was so humbled that he fell at Jesus' knees (check it out-its not feet) and told Jesus to "Depart from me for I am a sinful man." That's what happens when we are held captive by Jesus-we realize we have no business in his presence. But, Jesus tells him "Don't be afraid." But still Simon does not get to go home and rest. Jesus is not done.

"Come after me and I will make you a fisher of men." And Simon went.

Quick, Easy and Seems Like Quality

Everyone loves a deal. And, the quicker and easier it is the better. But, it must at least seem like quality, enough for us to be fooled into taking the deal. The casual Christian wants "it" quick and easy-spiritual growth, spiritual results, godly outcomes, great relationships, and the accomplishment of the divine will. Knowing how Christians love this, the challenge of the evil one is to make a comfortable, peaceful life seem like eternal life. They are not the same.

Think about it. Churches start programs that run-say 13 weeks- and have to pull off a fifth avenue marketing campaign to psyc folks up to attend. You get maybe 50 % and call it a success and by the end of the 13 weeks you have the faithful core still with you. This is typical. It is not quick enough or easy enough, and the casual Christian is convinced they can have the same quality for less effort. And, please do not expect anyone to actually do anything like homework during those weeks.

Causualness is not laziness. Huge effort is often exerted to give Christians a satisfying life. But, the effort is about investing in things the self can control. This in and of itself gives us a sense of quality. If I can control an outcome then I get the payoff. But, when control is turned over to Jesus the outcomes are in his hands. This scares the causual. Trusting that working a God-directed program for the long haul will give us a true quality of life (life that is truly life) is hard and casuals do not do hard.

Think about it.

P90X Christians

I popped in the DVD and here are these five superhuman species doing every kind of push up and pull up imaginable-about 100 reps each. And this one guy, the leader, is talking the whole time. They acted like it was really fun. So what is a 57 year old man doing trying to follow these fitness addicts? I got through about a quarter of the workout with a very scaled down version of what they were doing. The diamond push up was impossible. Then I went out and walked 3 1/2 miles averaging 14 minutes a mile. Now four hours later I am not sure I want to go to bed because I am afraid I might not be able to get out of it tomorrow morning.

I need a little perspective here. Are they that good or am I just that out of shape? What is normal here? The P90Xers are certainly not casuals when it comes to fitness. So where am I on the casual to captive scale? In my mind I was ready to do everything they were doing. The spirit was willing (today) but the flesh was certainly weak.

I made the statement today, and I am sticking by it, that the great impediment to winning the world for Jesus is the casualness of the Christians in the US. 150 million causal Christian-professors could be an unstoppable army for Christ if they would become captives for Christ. And it is not about our winning. It is about his winning as many hearts and souls as possible. But, until we get some perspective on where we are, casual or captive, we will not get in shape so that we can be that army (or Marine Corp-sorry Timothy).

Light From Behind the Veil

Sunday we saw a picture of Asia Abib, a mother of two from Pakistan who has been sentenced to death for blasphemy. What did she do? She stood up for her belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the last Prophet like unto Moses. By doing so she was saying that Mohammed is not the Lord's prophet. Who did she say this to in order to be in so much trouble? Some Muslim ladies who worked by her side in the fields. They turned her in. About a week ago the governor of Punjab province was gunned down by his body guard because he came by her side and defended her right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

We actually did not see the face of Asia. She was completely hidden behind a veil. But, if you look closely you might see a little bit of light shinning out the edges. There is nothing casual about Asia. Though she may have made the comment casually, it was not a casual comment. It had profound implications for her life, and the life of millions of other Christians living in Muslim countries. She has opened a door. She has stood up. She has a voice. And, it may cost her her life.

She is captive tonight in a jail cell somewhere in radicalized Pakistan. But, before they locked up her body Jesus had already captured her soul. Might we be so brave to stop being so casual about our faith in Jesus!

From Street Clothes to Fatigues

My youngest is having a Marine experience as I write this. He has been at Parris Island, SC, i.e. bootcamp, for about 24 hours. He has no hair and he is tired. When he left home he had the clothes on his back, his driver's licence, social security card and $20. He has traded his clothes now for Marine issue. He raised his hand and took an oath to defend the constitution of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic. He has a new identity. He will have a new look and a new mindset. He left a man and will return a MAN. Everything is changing for him. There will be nothing casual about the next 13 weeks.

The captive Christian knows there is a war going on and that the bullets are real. The casual Christian doesn't. The captive Christian knows that the enemy is real and is absolutely committed to killing him in as many ways as possible. The casual Christian doesn't. The captive Christian knows that the training never stops because he never arrives at the ideal, to be like his commander-in-chief, Jesus. The casual Christian doesn't.

In my morning studies I am in Luke 4:18. This anointed one is on a mission to the poor, the prisoner, the blind and the oppressed. He is sanctioned by God. He is sent. He is covered by the Spirit. He has a voice that preaches and proclaims. This is not casual. This is not a "get-around-to-it" mission. This is a "right-now" mission and a "get er done" mission. This is a mandate. Aren't we glad that Jesus was not casual about sin and about salvation? He is our leader, our standard, our pioneer, our trail blazer. He sets the pace. He is the one to follow and not let out of our sight. This is no stroll in the park. This is bootcamp. This is war. This is no drill. This is for real. This matters. One chance and its over. One shot to win. Then, its final-forever, and ever. Shed the street clothes.