40 Days of cHesed—Day 20

Day 20 Restoring Broken Fellowship

Have you ever felt expendable? Like you just weren’t needed or wanted? Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a disagreement? While these feelings hurt whenever you experience them, they hurt the most deeply when they happen with someone we care about. It hurts so much because it breaks our fellowship with them. We turn away from each other.

Usually, we do not mean to hurt people. Broken fellowship frequently is a result of some kind of misunderstanding. Perhaps we thought someone said one thing when they really meant something else. Maybe we weren’t listening well and missed a crucial part of what was being said. Maybe we overheard a conversation and didn’t have the proper context. We might even have some strongly held opinions (or even pet peeves!) that differ from others.

When something breaks our fellowship, we have to stop and make it right. Right. That word sometimes is the very source of the problem!

When it is more important to be right than to be righteous (in right relationship), we’ve lost sight of the target. Our hesed has faltered—we have chosen not to serve or submit or lead with love, grace and mercy in our dealings with a brother or sister.

We have a problem. Our relationship is not right. That means we are no longer right with God, either. Our coach may give us a time out to get our act together—and we’ll be smart if we ask him to help us make it right NOW!

It is not easy, but it must be done. Not only for the sake of our brother or sister—but also for the sake of our relationship with God. Jesus tells us clearly that the way we treat each other is how we treat him—and John makes that painfully clear as well. (You’ll read about it next week.)

In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus gives us the model for dealing with conflict. If you have a problem, you deal with it directly—don’t assume someone else will do the dirty work for you. You must go in private and discuss the matter directly with the person. Our blood covenant together requires us to make it right—and hesed shows both the required attitudes and actions.

Remember from Day 3 that the driving purpose of God is reconciliation—so emphasize getting right, not being right. You may not agree on every point of fact, but agree to disagree agreeably!

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:18 through 3:10. While you’re reading, look for clues to right relationships.

Keep Breathing!

When you invite God to fill you today with the Holy Spirit so you will be able to remain on target and faithful to God’s purpose, ask him to reveal to you a relationship that needs to be made right. Make a plan to meet with the person—sooner rather than later! Thank God for his amazing hesed toward you by reconciling you through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ!

40 Days of cHesed—Day 19

Day 19 Cultivating Community

Have you ever planted a garden? It takes some good planning to be successful, doesn’t it? Well, growing authentic relationships in the covenant community takes planning, too. Where does the cycle start?

Soil preparation.

Why do you think that is? Because if the soil is not properly prepared, the seeds you plant may not grow and produce a crop that can be harvested.

So what is involved in cultivation? Well, there are pulling weeds and removing rocks and breaking up hardened clumps. Then there’s enriching the soil with fertilizer so there are plenty of nutrients nearby to feed the growing plants. Sometimes you need to add sand to the soil if there’s too much clay for air and water to circulate.

Sounds pretty complicated…

Relationships need cultivation too. Love and unity only grow through openness and honesty, humility and generosity, accountability and responsibility—the koinonia (authentic “in common” relationships) of growing more like Christ together.

Then there’s the maintenance tasks: more weeding, watering and feeding…until the plants are mature and the harvest is ready to be gathered.

If you are trying to grow outside authentic community, you will find it very difficult—your intimacy needs will be hard to fill. We need each other to help cultivate and maintain God’s Covenant Community. (See Hebrews 10:23-25)

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:18 through 3:10. While you’re reading, look for the kinds of cultivation John was encouraging them to do.

Keep Breathing!

As you invite God to fill you today with the Holy Spirit so that you will be able to remain on target and faithful to God’s purpose, see if your bike needs any maintenance! Is there any dirt or grime that has collected—slowing you down?

Take a look. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you anything that’s getting in your way. Confess it to God and let it go. Thank him that Jesus provided all the power needed to wash it away.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 18

Day 18 Experiencing Life Together

As the Covenant Community grows larger, we must purposely grow smaller. It means that each person has a place to be known and cared for by a few people. It also means that we know and care for a few people. It is the only way for everyone’s basic intimacy needs to be met.

Knowing and being known are essential to healthy relationships. It is what makes them “real”—we frequently use the word authentic to describe “real” relationship. Authentic relationships have some basic characteristics. The Greek word koinonia to help us get a better picture.

The Greek word koinonia literally means to hold in common. The first century church fellowship was often identified using koinonia because they were a people whose behavior showed that they were obviously united by what they held in common: Jesus Christ as Lord of the Covenant Community. But the bigger concept beyond the literal meaning is much richer because it shows the joining of the Covenant Community with the Eternal Community:

Koinonia: the love and unity between brothers and sisters in Christ (characterized by openness, honesty, generosity, humility, accountability and responsibility for meeting each other’s needs) because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in them.

…And the characteristics that identify koinonia are hesed in action!

This is a picture of what can happen in small groups! Does this look like any small group you’re involved with?

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:18 through 3:10. While you’re reading, notice the importance of knowing Christ—especially now that you understand a little better what it means to know someone!

Keep Breathing!

Inhale—Invite God to fill you right now with the Holy Spirit so that you will be able to remain on target and faithful to God’s purpose. Exhale—release any selfish desires for intimacy in order to accept God’s desire—hesed! Push those pedals—keep serving and submitting and leading. Keep loving and being gracious and giving mercy…whee!

40 Days of cHesed—Day 17

Day 17 A Place to Belong

Have you noticed that Americans have a love/hate relationship with belonging? We want to belong—as long as there’s no commitment required. Marriage, family, schools, churches and neighborhoods are all types of communities that have suffered terribly in the past 50 years from this unwillingness to commit to each other.

During the same timeframe, we have seen a huge rise in gangs—which all require absolute commitment. Militant religions and many cults and religions, are similar. They require staggering commitment—even the sacrifice of one’s life.

Something must be wrong here!

God created us with the need to belong. Not a want or a desire—a need. That need has a name: intimacy.

When the need for intimacy is not fulfilled through right relationship with him and his covenant community, people look elsewhere. But exactly what is it that they are looking for? Dr. David Ferguson and Dr. Don McMinn, of Intimate Life Ministries, have documented this need in their book: Top 10 Intimacy Needs. In this wonderful little book, they go on to explain the dynamics of intimacy. (We encourage you to check out their website: www.ilministries.org.)

Come to find out, intimacy is not just an American need—it’s cross-cultural, intergenerational, life-long and continuous. Not only is it OK to have these intimacy needs, it’s dangerous to misunderstand the importance of meeting these needs:

• It’s dangerous to think we are self-sufficient. Not only will we neglect meeting our own needs, we will neglect the needs of those around us. (See Revelation 3:17.)

• It’s dangerous to have a mindset of entitlement—selfishly demanding that everyone around you be responsible to ensure that all your needs be met first. (Very little serving or submitting or taking the initiative here!)

• It’s dangerous to think our needs are a result of sin—that there is something wrong with us when we feel these needs. (Look at the intimacy needs of Jesus—the only sinless human!)

So, just what are these top 10 intimacy needs? They are: acceptance, approval, encouragement, support, affection, security, respect, attention, comfort and appreciation.

While each of us has all of these needs, we will have a different priority. One person’s order—even their top three—may be completely different from another. This difference shows, again, the importance of spending time getting to know yourself and others—so you can learn how to meet their needs and help them learn how to meet your needs.

The Intimate Life Ministries mission is one of restoring what they call Great Commandment Love (what you’ll find in Matthew 22:37) to the church.

Hey, would you look at that? This sounds like hesed—serving, submitting and leading with love, grace and mercy.

That’s exactly right! When we practice hesed, we are keeping covenant. We are loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength—and our neighbor as ourselves.

God’s complete and faithful hesed toward us provides a way for all these needs to be met—either directly through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our hearts or through the Covenant Community. That is why it is so important for us to love each other. Because if we do not love each other, then we are letting God down—we are breaking covenant with him and missing the mark. And God calls missing the mark sin.

This is the commitment that is required for belonging—spending quality time together. Hanging out together. Knowing there is someone in your corner. If the Covenant Community doesn’t get it right, where do people turn?

Well, go back and review today’s first two paragraphs…the alternative is not pretty.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:18 through 3:10. While you’re reading, look for the importance of doing what is right—practicing hesed.

Keep Breathing!

This third week we want you to accelerate a little. Invite God to fill you today with the Holy Spirit so that you will be able to remain on target and faithful to God’s purpose.

Feel him helping you pedal. Thank him for giving you his family so he could fulfill your need to belong. Ask God to help you identify your top three intimacy needs—and look for one opportunity to meet an intimacy need in someone else.

Now we’re picking up speed—hang on!

40 Days of cHesed—Day 16

Day 16 What Matters Most

Up to this point, we’ve used rather broad strokes to introduce you to the concept of covenant keeping. And just as it was the “main thing” in Day 10, it is “what matters most” today.

Last week we worked to widen our concept of worship to include expression of our love for God by how we love each other. This is important because God always meant for us to have dynamic relationships with each other as a result of our dynamic relationship with him. That’s the whole point of having a covenant.

So this week we’re going to introduce you to a word that may be new to you—or that you’ve heard but didn’t understand. It is the Hebrew word cHesed (pronounced HEH sed, with that guttural ch sound). [I’m going to leave the “c” the rest of the time—it okay with either spelling.]

The only reason we use a foreign word in our daily speech is if there is no way to translate it clearly into English. Hesed is such a word. It is the root of what we have been calling covenant keeping and is quite complex and deep in meaning. Hesed basically means to promote the best interest of your partners, according to the terms of the covenant. Clear as mud, right?

So, you ask again, what does hesed mean and where can you find it in the Bible?

The English words used to translate hesed most frequently are love, grace and mercy. They describe the attitudes that encourage you to promote the best interest of your covenant partners. They are words that show restraint of self in order to show favor to another. That’s half of hesed.

Words that Jesus used to describe the actions that are to be prompted by our love, grace and mercy are serve, submit and lead (initiate good). That’s the other half of hesed.

Hesed, then, means to serve, submit and lead with love, grace and mercy. This is how Jesus acted toward God and man. This is how we are to act toward God and each other. If we do this, we are keeping the terms of the covenant. Now, when you read in the New Testament that we are to do these actions and have these attitudes, you’ll know you are reading about hesed—covenant keeping.

Now you know why we like to use this unusual word—it brings this amazing concept to mind. With some practice, it will for you, too.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:18 through 3:10. While you’re reading, notice the importance of remaining and continuing. Look for signs of hesed in actions and attitudes.

Keep Breathing!

You’re doing great! Two weeks of inviting God to spend the day with you. One week of including God in your conversations and activities. Today, you’re looking for power to pedal by inviting God to fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you will be able to remain on target and faithful to God’s purpose.

Flash—the Holy Spirit is part of God’s hesed for us! That is why you can keep going—even if you think you can’t move another inch! The Holy Spirit keeps the pedals moving. (See Romans 8:26!)

40 Days of cHesed—Day 15

WEEK 3 – Fellowship: You Were Formed For God’s Family

[Note: Remember that this was written for use every day of the week--but I'm only publishing them Monday-Friday! Don't let that "week 3" confuse you ;^)]

Day 15 Formed for God’s Family

We have used many images of family life these past two weeks. And we’ll be using more in the weeks to come—but especially this week.

For some of us, the use of this image of family is difficult to relate to because our family circumstances have not been especially healthy or happy. If this is your circumstance, we have good news for you!

When we are adopted into God’s family, we get a new Father and the perfect Big Brother! If we will let him, God will re-parent us toward more healthy and happy family relationships.

Family relationships. That means that this week we’ll be looking more closely at what it means to be part of God’s family. We’ll look at attitudes and behaviors we must allow God to change so that our experience together on earth will further prepare us for eternal life in heaven.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Remember to feel the flow of John’s thoughts this week, so that you’ll have a better understanding of John’s words.

Read 1 John 2:18 through 3:10. While you’re reading, notice the importance of belonging.

Getting In Shape

This third week we want you to accelerate a little. Invite God to fill you daily with the Holy Spirit so that you will be able to remain on target and faithful to God’s purpose.

We all need signs and markers along our exercise route. You know, it’s like when you get to the house with the big fence (and bigger dog behind it), there’s just three more blocks until you’re home. Or, we need that buddy to keep us faithful and moving along at a good pace.

Now that you’re inviting God to spend each day with you, including him in each conversation and activity, it’s time to ask him to fill you with the Holy Spirit every day so you can do his will. (See John 14:16-27.)

Let’s take a good, slow stretch to keep that muscle from cramping!

Whoa…we’re moving beyond asking God to come along with us – we’re asking the Holy Spirit to take us along with him! That’s a very different story. Hold on…the scenery’s about to change drastically!

The good news is, we’re moving from going on foot to riding a tandem bike. Perhaps you’ve heard that story about riding a tandem bike with Jesus as the driver in the front seat: You can’t always see where you’re going, you don’t get to steer, but you’re confident in your destination and you’re not pedaling alone. And when the going gets tough, Jesus shouts back to you: “just put your head down and keep pedaling.” Then, when you get to the top of the hill and stop for a rest, the view is astounding – and the ride down is exhilarating!

• Invite God to spend the day with you.

• Invite God to join each of your conversations and activities.

• Invite God to fill you daily with the Holy Spirit so that you will be able to remain on target (obey) and faithful to God’s purpose (loving him and others).

40 Days of cHesed—Day 14

Day 14 When God Seems Distant

In sports a time out can be called for many reasons. Sometimes the coach needs to give the players a new plan. Sometimes the referees need to discuss a call. Sometimes a player needs to talk to the coach. Sometimes it is called to cool down heated tempers.

If you didn’t call the time out, it can seem frustrating. But if you see it as a moment to rest and reflect, then it is a gift! And when play continues, you will be better for it.

Even best friends sometimes need a break. While God always keeps up with us, we can have a hard time keeping up with him. Our signals get crossed. We lose our focus—forgetting the play.

God never makes us do what we’re not ready to do. Sometimes he has to let us catch our breath and take a time out. (In Matthew 11:28, rest means just this kind of break!)

Don’t worry when God seems distant. He hasn’t gone anywhere. The problem is with our perspective. Usually, we have moved away from his view. No wonder we can’t see him!

So put down your burden and refresh yourself. Call an intermission—pause for a time out. After you’ve caught your breath, check your position. Where are you? What’s going on?

Then check in with the coach and ask him if you’re ready to get back in the game. If he says yes, get back in there and keep going. If he says no, then take a seat and wait patiently—he’ll show you what you need to do next.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:12-17 one more time! While you’re reading, think about how challenging it has been to read this passage these last seven days. Hey, does this feel a little like a drill? Bingo!

You can think of it as a boring drill, or you can think of it as a way to get stronger and more intimate with God. That’s part of what discipleship is—working at reading God’s Word and getting it into your heart.

Find one thing that speaks encouragement into your heart and let it refresh you while you’re warming the bench!

Keep Breathing!

Today when you ask God—your new best friend—to spend the day with you, transforming your conversations and activities, thank him for his rest. Take a time out from things that are wearing you down. Breathe in his Spirit—exhale your frustrations. Don’t be in a hurry to jump back into the rat race.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 13

Day 13 Worship That Pleases God

The Hebrew Shema talks about loving God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. The word strength is really the key to the proper understanding of this verse.

Have you ever heard the word vehement? (It is pronounced VEE ha ment.) Well, it captures the Hebrew concept that is usually translated strength. Vehement means something that is characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion, passion or conviction.

Worship that pleases God, then, is meant to reflect love that is expressive, emotional, passionate and perceptive. It is to be a reflection of the depth of our intimacy with God. God wants to be worshiped in spirit and in truth (See John 4:23-24). He wants to be worshiped with the totality of our lives in complete openness and honesty. Giving part of yourself or trying to hide something from him just won’t do.

The important thing to remember is that God’s friendship with each of us is unique—and our expression of that friendship may be different from others. Worship that pleases God allows each person enough freedom for his or her own expression of spirit and truth—while exercising enough restraint for good order in our unified expression. It is not to be either/or. It is to be both/and.

So when you consider your response to God’s intimate friendship, it may inspire you to raise a hand (or both of them!). It may inspire you to close your eyes and ponder the words being said or sung around you. It may cause you to confess and repent. It may send you to your knees. It may sweep over you and brings tears to your eyes. It may make you dance and clap with joy. It may inspire you to hug your neighbor.

If your worship does not reflect all that God has made you to be—or has been less than completely open and honest—look for the Spirit to ask you to change.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:12-17. While you’re reading, look for things that can cause you to be closed instead of open—or not relating honestly with God and others.

Keep Breathing!

Today when you ask God—your new best friend—to spend the day with you, transforming your conversations and activities, check the choices you have been making. Are your choices being restrained by your love for God? Do they represent a living sacrifice—spiritual worship?

If not, take a cleansing breath—and exhale any disappointment with yourself. Wipe the sweat off your forehead and look beside you—God is still there.

Just keep after it!

40 Days of cHesed—Day 12

Day 12 Developing Your Friendship with God

What do best friends do?

They spend lots of time together. They find themselves wanting to be together as much as possible. They make the other laugh when one becomes too serious. They quietly hold hands when one is sad and down. They gladly listen to all the joyous details of success. They graciously allow the venting of every ounce of frustration and failure. They encourage and scold—as needed.

This work must be done personally. You can’t be best friends second hand. It would be like reading everything written about and by someone famous—and thinking that knowing everything about him or her makes you their best friend.

Knowing all about someone isn’t the same thing as knowing them personally. Say you were to meet that famous someone—running up to shake their hand and say, “I know all about you. I’m your biggest fan.” What would be their response?

They would stare at you with a puzzled look and (if they were a kind person) extend their hand saying, “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

God has given us his Word so that we might get to know him. And we need to invest the time to understand what he wants us to know. But through the Holy Spirit, God wants to make that knowledge intimately personal.

Intimate knowledge draws us closer. God may not have favorites (as Charles Stanley said), but he does have intimates—those who take the time and energy to know him well. When we love him with everything he’s created us to be, our friendship deepens—and our behavior changes.

Because it’s not just about knowing God’s Word—it’s about doing what God says. It’s not just being “in Christ,” it’s behaving “like Christ.”

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:12-17. While you’re reading, look for words that suggest relationships.

Keep Breathing!

Today when you ask God—your new best friend—to spend the day with you, transforming your conversations and activities, ask for help you get to know them better. Look for ways to take one thing you know about God and put that knowledge into action.

Having trouble putting your finger on what you know about God? Maybe these suggestions will get you started:

• Their pleasure to be your Father, Elder Brother and Counselor

• Their promised presence

• Their love and forgiveness

• Their desire for intimate friendship

40 Days of cHesed—Day 11

Day 11 Becoming Best Friends with God

How many really good friends do you have? Someone you can count on to always be there for you? Who really knows you, but likes you anyway?

If you have one, they say you are considered fortunate. If you have two, you are truly blessed. If you have three, you realize just how much time you must invest in these kinds of relationships! And that’s why most people consider themselves fortunate to have one good friend—because friendships take time.

But what does it mean to have a best friend? It’s more exclusive than a good friend, isn’t it? The word best really means there is only one.

Do you have a best friend? Maybe it’s a sister or brother. Maybe it’s your spouse or significant other. Maybe it’s a childhood friend who has shared all of your life’s experiences.

Well, have you ever lost a best friend to someone else? You might still consider them your best friend, but they don’t feel the same way about you any more. Boy, that hurts!

If your best friend is a person, they will—sooner or later—let you down. They may change and have different interests. They may move far away. Ultimately, even if they are your faithful friend their entire life, they will die.

That’s why God (Father, Son & Spirit) wants you to let them be your best friend.

• They really know you—and love you anyway!

• You can always count on them to be there for you.

• They will never let you down because they’ll never leave you—forever.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Readthrough 1 John 2:12-17. While you’re reading, look for examples of the benefits of counting on God as your best friend—instead of depending on things or people in the world.

Keep Breathing!

Today when you ask God to spend the day with you, transforming your conversations and activities, tell him you want him to be your best friend. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what it means to be best friends with God.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 10

Day 10 The Heart of Worship

Why do we talk about getting to the heart of something? The heart of something is the most important component—the main thing. If you can understand that main thing, then you have a chance to succeed.

If living up to our created potential and saying “yes” to God are what make God smile, how do we get a handle on how to do that consistently? We go to the second part of our covenant formula.

The first part is pretty easy—since God did all the hard work. To be part of the covenant, we have to be “in Christ.” We do that by accepting God’s offer of adoption—joining the family of God.

The second part is where the rubber meets the road. To remain part of the covenant, we have to become “like Christ.” The terms of the covenant are all about the attitude of obedience. We call this covenant keeping. It’s living up to our part of the bargain.

So, if we can understand covenant keeping, we will understand the main thing about worship. And if we understand the main thing, we’ll feel the heartbeat of worship inside us.

When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied by quoting from the Old Covenant Law: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Yes—that is this week’s memory verse! He went on to add that there was a second command like the first: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus put them together because the truth is that if we really love God completely, we will love each other, too. This is what it means to be “like Christ.” We show our love for God by loving each other. Jesus showed his love for God by becoming a man and offering his life as the blood sacrifice so that we could be his brothers and sisters. Jesus wasn’t content to just have it all for himself—because God wanted to include all of us in his family. Jesus showed that he loved God by loving us.

"Therefore I urge you brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1,2 (NIV)

Parents try to teach their children to help each other, to share, to take turns, to include everyone. In the beginning it sounds a lot like nagging, but the parents keep at it—hoping that it will sink in. Parents know that the children have learned well when they see them actually loving each other.

• When the older ones help the younger ones—without having to be told to do it—the parent smiles.

• When one child freely shares his most treasured toy with another, the parent smiles.

• When children take turns so that everyone gets to participate, the parent smiles.

• When a child reaches out to include one who is sad and feels left out, the parent smiles.

Why does the parent smile? Because the child has made the proper response to the parent’s teaching. The child has understood the instructions and internalized them—as evidenced by their ability to choose proper actions in response to various circumstances.

God smiles at these sweet deeds because they are actually a type of worship. When we come to understand why we need to obey our parents, we will understand why we need to obey God.

God considers this worship because worship happens when we make the proper response to his actions.

• He creates—we praise and admire.

• He inspires—we use our imagination to create, too.

• He speaks wisdom to us—we echo his words with one voice

• He gives the gift of music—we sing and make music before him.

• He sets our hearts in motion—we dance before him.

• He reaches out to us—we reach our hands up to him.

• He shows us the depths of his love for us—we share that love with others.

• He gives us resources—we use them to help in the family business.

• He forgives us when we let him down—we forgive others when they let us down.

• He pulls us up when we fall—we help another get up when they fall.

Do you see a pattern here? We’re giving glory to God by reflecting Christ in our actions. That’s worship—and it’s expression is not narrow, but very diverse and broad. (We will look at the different times and places we worship later this week.)

The heart of worship is keeping covenant because that is the proper response to God’s action in making covenant with us.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:12-17. While you’re reading, look for examples of covenant-keeping behavior.

Keep Breathing!

Today when you ask God to spend the day with you, tell him you really want him to transform your conversations and activities.

Start by looking for just one piece of evidence of his action around you—and ask him to help you make the proper response. Warning: that response may or may not be in your comfort zone.

It will, however, be an act of obedient covenant keeping. It will show God that you’ve been listening. And it will reflect the image of Christ to those around you.

Most of us know that worship happens during church services. But that’s not the only place. It happens in small groups and in our individual relationship with God. Worship is supposed to happen all the time. As a matter of fact, it’s going on in heaven right now! The more practice we get with a lifestyle of worship here, the more ready we will be to worship God for eternity in heaven!

Stay with it—you’re making God proud to work out with you!

40 Days of cHesed—Day 9

Day 9 What Makes God Smile?

There is nothing that makes God smile faster and bigger than when we say “Yes, Dad” with a smile on our face and eagerness in our voice—and then go off to do what God asked us to do.

We know that obedience is important because it is such a big theme in the Bible. There is a reason it is such a big deal. That reason has to do with covenant. So, let’s take one more step in our understanding of God by understanding more about covenant.

Last week we learned a number of things about covenant. Once we understand the importance of having covenants, we can begin to look at the way God chose to make them. Basically, God put together a formula for covenant with four parts:

1. Parties – those who take an oath to abide by the terms of the covenant.

2. Terms – the responsibilities of the parties to keep the covenant.

3. Promises – the benefits of keeping the covenant.

4. Consequences – the cost of failing to keep the covenant.

Every covenant had each of these four parts, although the details could differ from one covenant to another. (And God made quite a few covenants, as you can see in the Old Testament writings.) The covenant that we are invited to take part in is the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.

A summary of the New Covenant and its covenant-keeping formula looks like this:

In Christ + Like Christ = With Christ

Parties: (those included in the covenant)	In Christ +	Those who choose to be “in Christ” (part of the body of Christ, the church) through accepting God’s offer of reconciliation and adoption
Terms: (requirements of covenant keeping)	Like Christ =	Those who live like Christ (loving God and one another) find that the requirements of the covenant are, by definition, being kept
Promises: (for faithful covenant keeping)	With Christ	All the faithful (those “in” and “like” Christ) share with Christ all he is and has – now and forever
Consequences: (of rejecting God’s covenant offer)	Hell	Those who reject God’s offer of reconciliation through Christ live apart from his presence – now and forever

(Don’t panic—we’ll unpack the details of this formula before the end of our Journey together!)

We know that obedience makes God smile because the New Testament records that it made God very happy that Jesus was completely obedient. There were, of course, many difficult things that God asked Jesus to do. And so Jesus may not have always been a picture of outward cheer and joy as he went about his duties. But there was never a hint of rebellion—he never put his will before the Father’s will. He knew what he had to do—and for him, that included becoming our covenant-making sacrifice by his death on the cross. Because he was fully human, he got tired and was hungry and lonely—the same stresses we all experience. And because he was also fully God, he never lost sight of the goal or stumbled on the path to accomplish that goal.

That means that it is our attitude that makes God smile. It is our willingness to do what he asks us to do that makes him happy. It is the “If I ask you, will you?” question that we face every day. And as long as we keep answering “Yes, Dad” and then do what he asks us to do, God will be smiling.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:12-17 again (you’re getting the hang of it). While you’re reading, look for the signs of the attitudes God wants to develop in us.

Keep Breathing!

When you invite God to spend the day with you today, tell him that you really do want to include him in every conversation and activity. What will that look like? Well, it won’t be like having an imaginary friend you talk to out loud (like Harvey the rabbit in the classic story).

It probably will feel more like knowing your mother can hear what you’re saying when you’re playing with your friends. The difference is that, while your mother may yell out the window for you to play nice and use kind words, God speaks quietly into your heart. He asks if you will remember his presence. His gift of free will allows you to ignore him. You have to choose.

Don’t let that feeling stop you from including God—let it transform what you say and do! The sooner we admit that God sees and hears everything we do—whether we invite him or not—the further down the road to obedience we’ll get.

Hey, this is a workout—you’re supposed to sweat!

But listen to the coach say, “Come on—take a deep breath. Now exhale all the way. There, isn’t that better?” That cleansing breath is critical for moving forward.

When you get to that moment of choice, take in a big breath of God’s presence. Then exhale your doubts and look over at God. He will be smiling.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 8

WEEK 2 – Worship: You Were Planned For God’s Pleasure

Day 8 Planned for God’s Pleasure

When you plan out a masterpiece—whether it’s a work of art or a dinner or a vacation—you usually are doing it because it makes you happy. It gives you pleasure. You like planning it and you like doing the work, because you want to get the pleasure of experiencing the result.

The only thing that compelled God to create was the desire to create. We can understand that, since we are created in his image. We create because we are creative.

Just as we don’t plan to have a disaster, God didn’t either. He knew that free will and choice would make his creation more challenging—but God is always up for a challenge!

And so God planned all of creation and they worked together to make it—with the best brought forth last: man. All the other parts of creation were things other than God, but man was made in God’s image. They would be able to walk together in the cool of the garden. They could do things together. Nothing is more pleasant than that!

One of the amazing things about God’s plan for man is that we may have the blessing of children. This is one of the ways we get closest to understanding God and his plan in creation. When we decide to have children, we understand that there will be many things that we can’t control (remember Day 2?), but we plan for the best possible outcome—a healthy baby.

When that baby arrives, the pleasure is just impossible to describe. That baby is our glory. We dress him or her up to show off to everyone. We listen for them to say: “What a beautiful baby!” “He looks just like his Daddy,” or “She has her Mommy’s eyes.” We can just sit and watch them all day long when they’re darling babies.

When they get to be toddlers, it gets a little more challenging—we have to deal with their ability to talk and walk. They seemed so much sweeter when they couldn’t talk back or get into things…. But then they learn to say precious things, like “I love you!” and they run to you and fly into your arms and give you a big bear hug.

And on and on it goes—they go to school and then off to college and careers and possibly get married and have children and slowly become real adults who begin to have a deeper appreciation for you because they have their own children and home and life.

While there are challenges in each stage of their growth, there can be tremendous pleasure, too. And when they make good choices, you are so proud. And when someone says, “They’re really a chip off the old block!” it makes you even more proud. And when they say how proud they are to be known as your child, well, you just choke back the tears.

And that’s worship in a nutshell.

God planned us so he could love us. That gives God pleasure. God also planned to be loved by us. And when we love him with everything that he created us to be, well, he just chokes back the tears.

And that means that we’re going to do everything we can to help you express your love for God in every way you can.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Remember to read through the entire passage without stopping. We want you to feel the flow of John’s thoughts so that you’ll have a better understanding of John’s words.

Read 1 John 2:12-17. While you’re reading, watch for John’s many reminders of who we are as God’s children. Do you see yourself?

Getting In Shape

This second week we want you to build your strength by adding this exercise to last week’s: How would your life change if God were a welcome participant in each conversation and activity?

Have you ever been with someone when they come across a friend? What happened? Perhaps the person you were with didn’t introduce you, or they picked up a previous conversation in which you weren’t included. Did you feel as if you were suddenly invisible? Ouch! Worse yet, did they say things that embarrassed you or perhaps betray another’s confidence? What did you do?

Once you’ve gotten accustomed to realizing God spends each day with you, work hard not to say or do things that would make him sad or uncomfortable. Thoughtlessness of this kind really puts a wrinkle in intimate communication! It will bring a tear to God’s eye—but not the kind we want!

Are you panting a little? Yes, this is a little bit harder. It takes a little more concentration. The coach shouts: “Breathe, breathe!” And if you will inhale God into everything you do, you will begin to feel more confident about what you exhale being pleasing to God. Remember:

• Invite God to spend the day with you.

• Invite God to join each of your conversations and activities.

Here we go!

40 Days of cHesed—Day 7

Day 7 The Reason for Everything

Let’s do a quick review of our first six days:

• While it’s all about God, he wants to include us in his purpose!

• God has provided a safe environment in which to grow in relationship with him.

• We have the proper perspective for relationship with God through covenant.

• Our relationship with God is meant to last forever.

• We have taken a closer look at life from God’s view.

• We choose to embrace the changes God desires, so that we don’t lose sight of Heaven as our destination.

What is the point of all these thoughts and activities?

It is wrapped up in the word glory. Have you ever noticed that we use a lot of words that we don’t know how to define? We kind of know what they mean, but we can’t explain them very well.

Glory is one of those words.

If we’re going to understand that it’s all about God and that we bear the Image of God and are to grow into the likeness of Jesus Christ—we’d better understand something about glory.

Basically, glory has to do with the attractive, visible characteristics of something or someone. Let’s take a look at three examples from the Bible. (Remember now, the first two are examples from 2000 years ago—a different time and different culture.)

1. A woman’s hair was considered her glory. Long, beautiful hair was particularly glorious because it took time and work to grow it and care for it well. (Think: no crème rinse or blow dryer or curling iron.) Properly cared for, long hair was an attractive, visible characteristic of someone who was considered a proper lady. (Hair that was cut short, or shaved off completely, usually signified the woman was not married and not respectable.)

2. Likewise, a man’s glory was his wife. An attractive (see above) and hospitable wife was a visible characteristic of the man’s good judgment and excellent leadership of, and domestic provision for, his household. Think of The Wife of Noble Character from Proverbs 31!

3. Finally, God’s glory is man – the Image of God. The only man who reflected that image clearly was Jesus Christ. However, when man (male and female) functions well in the covenant community, the characteristics of God are both visible and attractive to those who witness it.

Giving glory, then, states that some visible characteristic is worth being publicly acknowledged for its beauty or truth or strength or wisdom. It is giving credit where credit is due.

The attractive, visible characteristics of Christ that are seen in Christians, then, are not to be sources of praise for the individual. They are not to be viewed as evidence of great personal character or ability, but as evidence of Christ’s character and ability in them. They are to be a source of giving glory to God.

When we say “glory to God” we mean that we choose to acknowledge that the character of God is visible and beautiful when:

• We are amazed at the tremendous complexity and variety and beauty of God’s creation—with no exact duplicates!

  • We acknowledge that each child born is a unique and special gift from God to the world. That child’s potential is to be acknowledged and nurtured on purpose toward God’s purpose—no one else can take their place.

• We experience the gifts of music, whether vocal or instrumental, God has given man.

• We experience the imaginative and creative abilities God has given man to make new things out of the raw materials God created.

  • We experience the beauty of art, whether drawing or painting or sculpting or writing or capturing images on film.

  • We wonder at those who study science and technology and their many innovations throughout history.

• We see lives transformed and reconciled by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in and through the covenant community.

  • Through the joyful exercise of the Spiritual Gifts by every one of God’s people—according to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

  • Through the building of caring relationships in small groups.

  • Through the fervent and effectual prayers of God’s people.

  • Through the humble acts of service with and for God’s people.

  • Through the loving hands of God’s people that reach out to invite others to join the family.

Maybe you get the picture by now: it really is all about God. Everything that we have is a gift from God to be used according to God’s purpose, not ours.

Whatever you see or hear or do, remember to give credit where credit is due.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 1:1 through 2:11 again. While you’re reading, think about seeing God’s glory—his attractive, visible characteristics—when you read, “light.” You can also try substituting “refusing to help” for “hate.”

Keep Breathing!

Well, this is the last day of the first week of getting in shape. Good for you—you made it!

So, today when you invite him to spend the day, tell him that you know that it’s all about him. Thank him for wanting to include you in his day! Keep your eyes open for signs of God’s glory—and be sure to point them out to everyone you meet along the way!

You’re in great shape! Stay with us.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 6

Day 6 Life Is a Temporary Job

Have you ever had a summer job? Maybe you worked in retail over the Holiday season? Perhaps you’ve even worked for a temporary agency? That kind of job is known as seasonal work. Now the season may be of your design or not; but temporary assignments are not the stuff of career dreams.

Temp jobs are a path to get you from where you are to the next stop along your life’s journey. They are a means to an end, not the end itself.

There are people who work temp jobs on purpose. They like the freedom of knowing the start and finish dates of their assignments. They like the variety and challenge of learning new things and meeting new people. They like the comfort of knowing that even if they don’t care for the task they’ve been given, it won’t last forever.

All successful temporary workers have one common trait: they embrace change. They don’t expect things to stay the same. They know that change is coming. And they work hard at being flexible and adaptable—ready for whatever challenge presents itself.

We saw that we were made for eternity on Day 4. There’s a beautiful old hymn that goes “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through.” And that’s the truth. Don’t make your life here the end—remember that it’s just the beginning.

While we’re here, we’ll experience lots of temporary assignments! We call them stages or phases or transitions or cycles—the list of terms is really long. What they all have in common, however, is that wherever you are today, you’ll soon be moving on to the next step.

That’s because they all represent some type of growth—whether physical, emotional, intellectual, developmental, moral or spiritual. All of creation is continually growing or changing—it’s natural.

So, why do we even have to think about this? Well, because most of us just don’t like change. It’s uncomfortable because:

• We like things to stay the same. (If it was good enough for Dad, it’s good enough for me.)

• We like to be able to predict what will happen.

• We like to be able to plan out our schedules.

• We don’t necessarily like surprises.

• We don’t like interruptions, either.

• We don’t like to be inconvenienced.

• We don’t always care to learn new skills.

• We don’t always like to practice skills once we’ve learned them, either.

The secret is in knowing when to keep on doing what you’ve been doing and when to change.

Sometimes it is easy to see that change is coming—like with the seasons or the weather. Growth is another signal that change is coming—time for bigger clothes or a new school or even a new baby. Empty nesters are struck by the quiet—sometimes even wishing they could hear the sounds of doors slamming or music playing too loudly.

Other times, it can be very difficult to see that change is needed—like letting your children grow up and learn from their own mistakes. Career changes must sometimes be prompted by job loss—when we aren’t willing to step out and take the risk associated with growth. Changes in styles of dress or grooming can be even more difficult to make. Then there is seeing the need to address a prejudice or stereotype.

More than all these examples of physical, emotional, intellectual, developmental or moral change, we must be on the lookout for spiritual growth and change. We have to accept the changing assignments that go along with being in God’s family and bearing the Image of God—by growing to be like Christ.

Don’t make your life more difficult by making Knowledge of God an idol—something that you value more than knowing God personally. Knowing everything about God (even if it were possible) won’t bring ultimate success. The pursuit of ultimate knowledge (about God or anything else) is man’s biggest trap. God does know everything about everything, however. You can trust that he will be sure you know what you need to know when you need to know it!

We all have current assignments at home or at work or at school or at church. But have you considered whether you’re in the assignment that is best for you? How can you know? The only way to know your current assignment is to stay in touch with the Assignment Supervisor. Wonder who that is? That would be the Holy Spirit.

Give up a little of your resistance to change. Embrace the freedom of the temp job—take a leap of faith! Study to be prepared for any task placed before you, but leave the making of assignments to God. In God’s family business, we’re all workers—we’re not the boss. We’re working to get ready to retire from this earth and move on to heaven.

But if you’re still here, there’s still work for you to do.

"…I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Philippians 3:12b-14 (NLT)

Just remember to keep checking in—every day—throughout the day—to see what that work assignment is.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 1:1 through 2:11 again. While reading, substitute “lack of restraint” every time you read, “sin.” Does that change your perspective?

Keep Breathing!

When you invite God to spend the day with you today, tell him you’re checking in to see what the current assignment is. Thank him for his creativity in the variety of assignments in the business. Ask him if there’s a new skill he wants you to learn. Look for him to confirm any assignment change through the Holy Spirit in you—and the Holy Spirit in your brothers and sisters, too.

cHesed as Organizing Principal

There is a good conversation going on over at Missional Tribe in the Theology Group's Forum. The topic is : Trinitarian foundation for mission? Read through the various comments and then you will come to a spot where I explain a bit more about cHesed. Here's what I said, since we're in the midst of 40 Days of cHesed here!

Yes, exactly my point! In order to understand someone's shorthand, you have to have their key. Grace did a great job of giving her shorthand and then explaining it.

Matt, without my key you did not understand my intent. And I think this little bit of shorthand is basically pointing to "how do we get to what it is supposed to look like to be the church?" Is that how others understand the point?

So, let's see what it would look like fleshed out some:

In Christ = The reason that I am able to participate in the perichoretic Eternal Community is that I have "put on" Christ (as savior, Lord and elder brother) and my life is now considered to be "hid" in him. I am dressed for "dancing" when I "wear" Christ. [This is where "Christology" aligns for me.]

+

Like Christ = Christ, as the only perfect human, calls me to be like him -- in his total cooperation with the Father and the Spirit, as well as his faithful cHesed/covenant keeping with God and with his Bride/the Church. (This is possible only as I allow the Holy Spirit to transform and empower. There is no expectation that I am to be like him in his "God" identity.) [Note: I fully understand that many do not have a robust understanding of cHesed and how this impacts how one lives day to day.] [This is where "Missiology" aligns for me.]

=

With Christ = As I remember who I am In Christ and cooperate with the Spirit's process of making me Like Christ, I will be With Christ -- engaging in whatever "dance" it is that he is doing in conjunction and cooperation with all those who are also "in Christ". [This is where "Ecclesiology" aligns for me.]

I think cHesed is the organizing purpose. Quick definition: the duty to faithfully look out for the best interest of the covenant parties, according to the covenant terms and conditions. To love by submitting to the need of the other, to extend grace by serving the other, to show mercy by initiating that which in needful for the other to keep covenant.

If we have a covenant-making, Triune, perichoretic God, then faithful covenant-keeping (cHesed) is the main thing, as they say.

If you haven't taken a look at Missional Tribe yet, I hope you'll find time to do so. There is some great conversation taking place!

Shalom....

Meandered, again!

Thanks to Scot McKnight for including my series on cHesed in his Weekly Meanderings.

I haven't been too busy over here because things have really been hopping over at Missional Tribe! You can take a look at my blog there. And I've got a couple of groups going, too.

Come on over and visit ... there are lots of amazing conversations going on.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 5

Day 5 Seeing Life from God’s View

One of the most important concepts in effective communication is perception. It is a common saying that there is no reality, only perception. And while we do believe that there is ultimate reality, for the moment let’s consider the point of this statement.

What does it mean to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes? What does it mean when someone says, “Well, from where I stand, it looks like…”? It means that the view you see depends on where you’re standing. The front row of a concert brings a totally different experience than the balcony.

So, if you want someone to understand what you’re trying to communicate, you must make the effort to bring that person into your shoes. And, they must be willing to leave their view to embrace yours.

That is exactly what God did when he came to earth as Jesus Christ: fully God and fully man. He brought us God’s point of view and experienced our point of view.

In order to communicate his love for us, and the terms and conditions for his covenant with us, Jesus Christ left his heavenly view and was born as a human baby. He lived his life as a human to show us what a life driven by God’s purpose is supposed to look like.

When God looks at man (male and female, remember), the crown of creation, what does he see? He sees potential. Relational potential. Covenant partner potential. So let’s take a closer look at this concept of covenant.

In Day 3 we introduced covenant as the primary context—the relational boundaries and expectations—necessary for understanding God and his purpose. We used images of family and chores to help explain the importance of keeping covenant once we enter covenant. We even offered an opportunity to express your desire to become part of God’s family.

So now we need to take a little more time to explain what covenant is and why God views everything from this perspective. We know that God is an eternal community with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We know that he wants us to experience community, too. But you can only build community when you have a common understanding of how to act together. Humans, when they aren’t connected with God, don’t have much success with community building.

And so God had to show us how to build community. God uses covenant (a type of agreement or contract made between two or more individuals or groups) to give us that common understanding of how to act in harmony and unity.

Basic to God’s covenants is that everyone has something of value to contribute. It’s not just a one-way deal of what God does for us. In God’s eyes, we have partnership value. He offers us the privilege of relationship with a purpose – to assist him with the reconciliation of humanity.

God’s covenants, then, are based on the following three truths:

1. God has unlimited power but has willingly chosen to restrain that power for the sake of relationship with man. He wants us to love him, but he doesn’t make us do it.

2. God has given man free will, which includes the capability (as God’s Image Bearers) to make good choices—even if we don’t always use it.

3. Both God and man have a mutual desire for reconciliation of the relationship between Creator and Image Bearer. Deep in each human heart is the echo of God’s voice—the God-shaped piece that is missing.

We’ve said earlier this week that people have trouble keeping their word and restraining their desires. Sometimes we need to put it in writing so that we can be reminded of our promises.

God understands the need for this kind of activity. But when God makes a promise, he doesn’t write it on a piece of paper and sign his name. He makes the kind of binding agreement called a blood covenant.

Sounds serious, doesn’t it? Well, it is serious! The Old Covenant God made with Abraham, and renewed with Moses, was a blood covenant. Why blood? Because blood symbolizes the preciousness of life, that’s why.

To make a blood oath, then, was to bind your life to another life. Whatever happened to one, happened to the other. If one needed protection, the other would die trying to save them. The possessions of one were available for use by the other. Selfish interest was set aside for the best interest of the other. To break a blood covenant was punished by death; and only death released you from its terms and conditions.

We do not really have a clear picture of what cutting a blood covenant is like today. Probably the closest image we have comes from the Native American ceremony for making blood brothers—especially to pledge peace between sworn enemies. Each man would cut his finger or wrist and then press it to the other’s so that their blood mixed together. They were now blood brothers—and the scars they carried were life-long reminders of their bond to each other.

When God made a covenant with someone, he required the touching of sacrificial blood to ratify the agreement. One might say he required the parties to sign their name, make their mark, in blood. This was a kind of oath to join the lives of the parties to each other and abide by the agreement, with a self-curse attached if one was unfaithful. Something like “may my fate be the same as this animal if I prove unfaithful.”

God made this kind of covenant with Abraham when he promised to make him the father of many nations. Abraham cut the prescribed animals (a costly sacrifice) and divided them so that one could walk between the pieces. In doing this, Abraham touched the sacrificial blood. Then, later, God passed between the pieces as a smoking fire pot with a blazing torch, symbolically touching the blood – ratifying the covenant. (See chapter 15 of Genesis.)

This is the picture God gives us of cutting a covenant. It is a powerful image. In the New Covenant, Jesus Christ, as the representative of God and as the representative of man, ratified our adoption, signing his name to our adoption papers with his own blood. That is why Jesus died on the cross—he was our covenant-making sacrifice.

So, did you see a glimpse of life from God’s view? It is an amazing sight, isn’t it? Amazing love and amazing grace effectively communicated to us by God through Jesus Christ.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 1:1 through 2:11 again. While you’re reading, think about the wonder of Christ Jesus becoming flesh that he could be the covenant-making sacrifice for our adoption.

Keep Breathing!

When you invite God to share your day today, thank him for his covenant. Thank him for sending Jesus to help us understand what our purpose is. Thank him for sending Jesus to die on the cross to pay the price for our adoption. Ask God to help you hear the echo of his voice in your heart—so that you’ll be more willing to listen and make good choices today. Ask God to help you see today from his view.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 4

Day 4 Made to Last Forever

Yesterday we read that when we are adopted as God’s child; we join his community—the eternal community. And that means that part of God’s gift to us is eternal life. What is eternal life and why were we made to last forever?

In order to answer those questions, we’re going to spend a little time understanding what it means for God to have made man (male and female) in their image. Yes, we said their–since God (Father-Son-Holy Spirit) said “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” (See Genesis 1:26-27.)

What does it mean for man to be made in God’s image? What does it mean for man to have received the Breath of Life from God—and become a living soul?

Basically, being made in the image of God means that God intended that we thrive in community, that we live in harmony and unity, and that we join them in the eternal community. When we accept adoption as his children, the Father gives us eternal life as part of our inheritance. We say “part” because eternal life is something we begin now, while we are still on earth. But it is also something that we will get the rest of later in heaven, after our days on earth are over.

Many different ideas about eternity are floating around out there. For those who do not believe in God, eternity just doesn’t exist. When this life is over, there’s nothing else. We see the evidence of this belief all around us.

• Moral absolutes of right and wrong have given way to moral relativism—what I think is right is right for me; you are free to believe whatever you want. Any behavior can be rationalized away—if you look at it from a certain perspective.

• Restraint of our immediate desires in order to achieve a more important future desire—the ability to delay gratification—is all but non-existent! We want what we want when we want it—and we want it NOW! The future is uncertain, at best. We should only concern ourselves with the present—and live it up while we can! The current outrageous levels of lack of commitment and personal debt attest to the seriousness of this lack of restraint.

• Personal responsibility for providing sufficient support for our families has given way to The Entitlement Mentality—that the government or the church or the schools or the wealthy or somebody else owes me a certain lifestyle. I no longer have to live within my means—I deserve to have just as much as the next person.

• The incredible work ethic on which our great country was founded—and which those who continue to seek refuge in this country still display, has given way to an attitude of doing the least possible work for the most possible return. Corporate and white collar crime and identity theft are on the rise and cost our economy billions of dollars every year.

• Instead of our word being our bond, we look for loopholes through which to escape accountability. You just don’t seem to be able to trust anyone anymore. Lawsuits are often the first resort, especially if there is a “deep pocket” corporation we can blame for our problem, instead of working to resolve our differences fairly.

Whew! That’s quite a list. Sadly, these attitudes have begun to creep into the very fabric of our society. They are threatening to become the accepted norm. We even find them in the church.

These attitudes can only thrive when people don’t understand that they bear the image of God. That we are living souls—souls that will continue to exist after our bodies are gone. That we were made to live in community—God’s covenant community, the church. Eternal life begins for us when we are born again into God’s family. Each day we are living in two worlds—the physical, mortal life on earth, and the spiritual, eternal life that will continue forever.

What we do today has eternal consequences.

And that is why it is so urgent that we share God’s invitation with those around us. Forever is a long time to miss out on. And that’s exactly what will happen for those who refuse God’s offer. They will miss out on heaven—and spend eternity without God in hell.

People who don’t understand God or his covenant tend to believe that God sends people to hell. Actually, people choose to go to hell when they reject the offer of heaven. Remember, God gave us free will in order for us to choose how we will spend our eternity.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 1:1 through 2:11 again (you will notice by now that I'm linking to a different translation each day from BibleGateway!). While you’re reading, think about John’s descriptions of love.

Keep Breathing!

When you invite God to share your day today, thank him for making you a living soul—meant to last forever. Thank him for sharing eternity with you each day. Ask him to help you restrain your short-term, earthly desires in favor of your long-term, eternal inheritance.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 3

Day 3 What Drives Your Life?

You’ve heard that saying coined by the Real Estate industry: When you’re looking to buy a home, the three most important things to consider are location, location, and location.

Well, when you’re searching for your life’s purpose, to understand God and his Word, the three most important things to consider are context, context, and context.

What is context and why is it so important? The current flood of books and seminars and programs and inspirational speakers, whether Christian or secular, are all trying to do the same thing. They are trying to provide a perspective for understanding your life. Because they know if they can help you focus your creative energy toward understanding your goals in life, they can help you “be successful.”

The next question, then, is what does it mean to be successful? Today, we want to consider what being successful looks like from God’s perspective. The concept he uses for that perspective, or context, is called covenant. If we’re going to understand anything about God, we must understand that he is a covenant making God. Covenant is the context in which we must understand all his actions. It is what drives God.

In the reading for Day 1, we talked about relationships being challenging:

• That they require you to spend time talking together about what you want to do.

• That you have to communicate clearly what you want the other to understand.

• That you have to agree to some boundaries and ground rules for executing the plan.

This process of negotiating boundaries and ground rules is the process of reconciliation—what God calls making covenant. God has offered us a covenant for living in community—with him and with each other. Jesus Christ came to earth to bring us God’s offer personally. Isn’t that an amazing gift of love to us?

His amazing offer is what we call the gift of salvation—the Good News that God wants to adopt us as his children, with Jesus Christ as our elder brother! This gift is offered freely. There is nothing that we can do to earn it or buy it.

We must, however, be willing to accept the gift. And accepting the gift means accepting the terms and conditions that come with it. We have to be willing to restrain our free will in order to choose relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Why would we want to do this? Well, being adopted as God’s child is a wonderful privilege. With it comes a new life in Christ—starting with a clean slate. Nothing from our past separates us from God any more, because God has given us a new identity—all things that happened before are forgiven. That sounds pretty good. But it gets even better!

When we are adopted as God’s child; we join his community—the eternal community. And that means that part of God’s gift to us is eternal life. We’ll talk more about that tomorrow….

Having looked at two of the amazing benefits of accepting God’s offer, we need to take a look at those terms and conditions we talked about earlier. We can’t do any work that will earn us the right to become children of God. But we do have work to do once we become children of God.

Yesterday we talked about God in parental terms. Since we are told to call him Father, that’s an OK thing to do. Before we think about living in the Father’s family, let’s take a look at our own earthly home.

What is life like at your house? Do you have any responsibilities or chores? In healthy homes, each person has chores they do in order to share the burden of daily living. Consider this list of chores for starters:

• making your bed

• taking out the trash

• washing the dishes

• caring for the yard

• shopping for groceries

• cooking

• cleaning the bathroom

• washing windows

• sweeping/vacuuming

• maintaining the vehicle(s)

• doing the laundry

• putting away your clothes/shoes/socks/coats

• putting away your toys (little kid toys as well as big kid toys!)

While not an exhaustive list, you probably will have recognized something on this list that you could consider your responsibility. But there’s more:

• saying “please” and “thank you” and other signs of good manners

• sharing and taking turns

• using kind and polite words

• helping (especially without being asked!)

• listening without interrupting

• playing

• telling the truth

• being gentle

• keeping your hands off things that are not yours

• doing what your Mom and Dad asks you to do—without grumbling!

Life in a family is made up of behavior as well as attitudes, isn’t it? And a healthy family requires healthy behaviors and attitudes. It is no different in God’s family. As a matter of fact, this is a large part of the work we are to do when we become God’s children. It is part of what God calls keeping covenant. Keeping covenant drives God as much as making covenant does.

So, what drives your life?

Stay with us—and as the days pass, we hope that you’ll discover that your answer is “covenant” and “covenant keeping.”

Have you already accepted God’s offer to join his family? If so, great!

If not, will you consider it? We’ve got many more days ahead of us in our Journey Guide, but if you know that you want to accept God’s offer to adopt you as his child, why not do that now?

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 1:1 through 2:11 again. While you’re reading, think about the wonder of God forgiving us in Christ Jesus.

Keep Breathing!

When you invite God to share your day today, thank him for his amazing offer of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Thank him for being a covenant making God, which drives him to want you to be part of his family. As you learn more about covenant keeping, ask him to show you one “chore” you can do in your earthly home for which you’re not currently responsible—but would be a blessing to the rest of your family. See what happens if you and God do that chore together for the rest of this week—and, of course, don’t tell anyone what you’re up to. Let them notice it on their own!

Epiphany 2009 and the Birth of Missional Tribe

It has been a whirlwind these past few months ... but just like giving birth to my three children, the joy erases the memory all the pain and hard work. Well, most of it....

Sonja put up a Facebook group for Missional Tribe just a couple of days ago in anticipation of the launch -- and there were already 119 members at the time I wrote this post!

Google "Missional Tribe" and you'll see a blog-storm of buzz. It's pretty amazing.

The day has finally arrived ... and you can read or download the Launch Announcement PDF here! And then you can check out Missional Tribe for yourself and see what you think! Just remember that the site is still in beta testing, so be patient and gracious ... and your comments and helpful suggestions are welcome!

40 Days of cHesed—Day 2

Day 2 Accidents or Plans? Understanding Restraint

At the most basic level, it seems a comforting thing to believe that God has precisely planned everything that happens in your life. It makes you feel secure in an uncertain world. It gives some meaning to your difficult circumstances. That’s why we embrace the phrase, “God is in control.” Somehow, it seems to help to know that everything that happens is what God wanted to happen all along. Or does it?

While we frequently can be heard to say, “God is in control,” what we mean is more like, “God has everything under control.” It’s like parents and toddlers. No parent of a normal two year old actually thinks they are in control. An honest parent knows that they are not in control of what their child will do. The child is working very hard at growing and developing in accordance with their inherited personality traits and their environmental challenges and opportunities. Although some do believe otherwise, a parent really cannot make a child learn something until the child is ready to learn it.

At best a parent can feel they have things under control. Having things under control means providing as safe an environment as possible in which the child will be able to grow through appropriate experimentation without undue risk of injury—whether physical or psychological. The parent helps the child learn what they are ready to learn when they are ready to learn it.

Most parents have some kind of plans for their children. They want them to be well educated, to develop artistically and/or athletically, to mature into responsible men and women. And, if they are Christian, they want them to accept God’s invitation to be part of his eternal family.

What parents cannot do is make their child want to do something the child does not want to do. And so they have two choices as they raise their child: coerce or persuade.

Coercion goes against the will of the child. It uses the parental position of power—overtly or covertly—to dominate the child and force submission to the parent’s will. It may look successful in the short term, but it leads to serious trouble in the long term. At best you have compliant children who may or may not be able to make good decisions once they’re on their own in the world. At worst you have children who rebel when they are legally able to escape the parent’s control. And there are all shades in between.

Persuasion seeks to influence the will of the child. It uses the love and trust and respect the child has for the parent to encourage proper choices. Persuasion provides information—including benefits and consequences—to enable the child to make their own choices. It also follows through with the benefits for good choices as well as the consequences for poor choices.

In the simplest terms, then, coercion can actually keep children dependent and enable them to avoid responsibility for their actions, while persuasion allows children to mature and become responsible for their actions.

This is all well and good, you may be thinking, but God is sovereign and can do anything he wants! And we certainly believe that. But we also believe that God has chosen to restrain his power by creating us for relationship and giving us free will.

Now, we don’t want to get into a deep discussion today of topics like methods of interpretation of Scripture, free will versus predestination, or the sovereignty of God. But we do want to introduce you to the importance of restraint in being able to understand God’s nature and how he has chosen to interact with those who bear his image—humans!

Restraint, an essential element in righteousness (being in right relationship), is what enables persuasion rather than coercion. Restraint sets aside one’s immediate desires in order to serve the best interest of the other. Restraint allows intimate, dynamic relationships to grow. It allows free will to foster maturity, not demand conformity.

Restraint is pivotal to righteousness—because you can’t be righteous and dominate another. That’s why God can have everything under control without having to be in control of every action. He has secured our environment through his New Covenant with us—nothing can happen to us that God cannot make into a blessing for us (Romans 8:28-29). He seeks to influence our behavior toward faithfully keeping the terms and conditions of the covenant through the Holy Spirit’s gentle acts of persuasion in our hearts. But he has not decided in advance exactly what we will do or be because he has restrained himself and given us free will. That is God’s choice!

You are not an accident—you are a gift from God! Your life, however, may be full of accidents.

Are you willing to give up the comfort of believing everything that happens to you is God’s plan for you? If you are, then you are choosing to accept the fact that we live in a fallen world where bad things sometimes happen to us just because. Because of evil people, because of poor choices (your own or other’s), because of damaged genes, because of ill health, because of pollution, because of bad habits…the list goes on and on.

If you are willing to give this up, you are choosing to live by faith. And faith requires restraint—from knowing what and why and how and when—in order to wait for God’s will to be revealed in God’s time. As Pandora found out, in the Greek myth, unrestrained curiosity causes trouble.

Sometimes God intervenes in the midst of our circumstances—sometimes he doesn’t. You can take responsibility for your reaction to what happens to you by restraining your desire to know why and looking forward to the blessing God will bring from it without making God responsible for it.

It doesn’t take away from his sovereignty that he allows us choices. Because God’s greatest attribute is his restraint, not his power.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 1:1 through 2:11 again (try a different translation!). While you’re reading, think about the wonder of God coming to live with us in Christ Jesus.

Keep Breathing!

When you invite God to share your day with you today, thank him for loving you enough to risk giving you the freedom to choose his company. Thank him for restraining himself to only leading you today where you’re ready to follow. Thank him for allowing you to have a responsible part in what you will do and be instead of living a life that has been completely planned for you. Look for other signs of his freedom and restraint as you spend the day together.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 1

WEEK 1 –The Big Question: Why am I here?

Day 1 Because God Wants You!

God’s Word is an amazing gift. Do you know what it is? Some say that the Bible is humanity’s Instruction Manual. And we certainly do get lots of wonderful instructions from the Bible. But that’s not really what it is. Some say it’s the history of mankind’s interaction with God. And there certainly is a lot of history in the Bible. But that’s not really what it is, either.

Do you know why? Because, when we want to make the Bible be about us – our instructions, our history, our whatever – we’re bound to be disappointed. Disappointed because we cannot find exact instructions for every daily decision we must make. Disappointed because so many details in the history are left out and leave us hanging with so many questions to which we want answers.

So, the sooner we give up our desire to make the Bible a complete, historical, instruction manual, the better. The Bible is not really about us. It is about God. It is God’s Word to us. It is what he wants us to know about him and his plan for his Creation.

It is, as has been so often said, a love story. For God so loved the world, that he gave himself to us. (See John 3:16-17.) He wanted to have a loving, dynamic relationship with us—each one of us—and he wanted that relationship to continue forever. He still does.

Relationships, however, are challenging. When you have more than one person involved in anything, then you have to spend time talking about what you want to do. You have to communicate clearly what you want the other to understand. You have to agree to some boundaries and ground rules for executing the plan. If you don’t, then you’ll rarely get anywhere except into an argument.

Where do we learn how relationships are supposed to work? You guessed it – from the Bible! Now remember, it’s not because the Bible is an exhaustive instruction manual on communication techniques. It’s because the Bible is about God. And the first thing we must understand about God is that he exists in dynamic relationship. He calls it community. We call it the Trinity.

God has always existed in community. Since before creation, God has been an eternal community as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God with three equal-but-different aspects and a singular goal: intimate, creative community. And God’s goal is always accomplished because Father, Son and Holy Spirit are constantly engaged in effective communication that allows them to function in absolute harmony and unity.

The amazing thing is that God wants us to join his community. God wants us to be involved in his Kingdom business. And if you don’t already know what that business is or how to join his community, you will before the end of this journey!

Because joining God’s eternal community is what we’re here for, and our chores in the Kingdom business are the good works God has prepared for us to do!

Today’s Look at 1 John

Many of us have gotten into the habit of reading the Bible a verse here and a verse there, when it is meant to be read book-by-book—or at least section-by-section. During our 40 days, we’re going to be spending time soaking up a small, but amazingly powerful, book in the New Testament called 1 John. The first of three small books written by the Apostle John, it is found near the end of the New Testament after 2 Peter and before Revelation.

Each day we’ll encourage you to spend a few minutes reading through an entire section without stopping. We want you to feel the flow of John’s thoughts so that you’ll have a better understanding of John’s words. And each week you’ll dig a little deeper into 1 John in your small groups.

Read 1 John 1:1 through 2:11—it will only take a few minutes. While you’re reading, look for some of John’s themes: God becoming flesh in Jesus; sin and forgiveness; and love and hate.

Getting In Shape

Just as our physical bodies cannot function properly without sufficient oxygen, our spiritual souls cannot function properly without the Breath of Life that comes from intimate communication with God. Any physical exercise requires good breathing technique. A life lived according to God’s purpose does too. So we’re going to coach you toward spending time each day building your capacity to “oxygenate” your soul in order for you to build relational strength and endurance.

But every exercise program has to start with small steps and build on them over time. Over the next 40 days, you’ll be adding a new discipline each week designed to strengthen your intimate relationship with God. And you’ll be encouraged to “keep breathing” in each daily reading.

This first week we want you to start by inviting God to spend the day with you. Stop right now and do it!

Inviting God to spend the day with you means that you seek his presence on purpose. This simple invitation will mean a great deal to God. And you will find that it will begin to mean a great deal to you, too.

Police officers sometimes allow civilians to “ride along” to see how life is on the beat. Businesses encourage parents to participate in a “Take your child to work” day so their children see what Mom or Dad does all day. These activities foster better understanding between persons and provide wonderful starting points for conversations. They are invitations into relationship.

It will take some practice – we’ll be working on a different exercise each week – but if you keep at it every day, we’re confident you’ll begin to establish this essential habit by the end of the week.

Look for our daily encouragement to Keep Breathing!

The cat is almost out of the bag....

Missional Tribe is just around the corner, friends. If you're just too curious, like this little cat, then take a seven second preview here...

Missional Tribe Preview

...and then come back on Tuesday and join the tribe!

The 50/50 Gospel Muddle....

I commented on this post this morning--before I realized that it had a Part II. But I find that my answer to the first post is not changed by the second post. I "met" this brother at Missional Tribe ... but more about that next Tuesday!

So this is what I had to say, as a bit of a lead-in to our 40 Days of cHesed, which will be starting on Monday. (I've learned how to advance post, finally, and have two weeks already lined up, so get ready for M-F cHesed right here!)

Interesting post, Jonathan. However, I believe that many who buy into the 50/50 idea have made a zero-sum game where it is not necessarily intended. I believe it is supposed to be 100/100 -- it is 100% God's grace and provision that brings us into the New Covenant in Jesus but it is also 100% our engagement with and submission to "Jesus is Lord" that lights the gospel fire that will sweep over the world and its cultures.

Scot McKnight gets to this with The Jesus Creed--loving God and loving others, and I have come to realize that this 100/100 is misunderstood or ignored because too many have not understood covenant and covenant keeping (cHesed) in its New Covenant context. We are to be "in Christ", which speaks to God's provision in Jesus + our acceptance of the gift. But we are also to be "like Christ", which speaks to the Holy Spirit's on-going transforming work + our duty to love God and love others. And finally, if we are in Christ + like Christ = with Christ -- and this is where we engage with Christ in Kingdom mission, joining the 100% of God's redeeming effort with 100% of our effort to practice cHesed, where we both activate and then "infect" the cultures around us with what Alan Hirsch calls mDNA.

I find it's "simplexity" worth pondering.

Shalom

It is the "simplexity" of cHesed that is so important to get across. I am counting on the Spirit to help me communicate this truth with it's proper simple nature while encouraging digging deeper into the vast complexities of its implications for our attitudes and actions.

...and now that I have learned how to advance post, perhaps I'll finally be able to get to my thoughts on perichoresis without having to do one giant data-dump. That will be something to look forward to this year!

...now, if I can only learn how to track back to posts I link....

40 Days of cHesed...looking into 2009 by looking back to 2003

[Note: This work is adapted from a Journey Guide I wrote which was used in conjunction with a 40 Days of Purpose campaign in October of 2003. It was designed to follow Warren’s campaign but not use any of his materials—I adapted this (with permission) to fit the goals, objectives and doctrine of my local congregation. I have removed most of the things that would identify it as such, while leaving chapter titles and weekly heading mostly as they were.

I have been on quite a journey since I wrote this over five years ago … yet much of this was foundational for where I’ve been going. I put it in this form to help those who are wondering how I got to this point in my journey and to help break down cHesed and put in into context.]

* * * * * * *

I have decided to start 2009 with this glance back to a very significant experience in my life. Writing this document began in early July and was finished in early September. It was one of those kairos moments in my life that is not explainable in chronos terms....

Since my life has been truly transformed by a deeper understanding of covenant and covenant keeping, I invite you to take a 40 day journey (Mondays through Fridays) to see what Abi has come to hold as foundational. I left in the original weekly titles because they are sometimes mentioned in the devotionals (and they will help you track how my work was different from Warren's, if you are interested) ... but they will be a wee bit abi-normal, as we will be on an eight week schedule. ;^)

As you begin this journey with me, ask God to open your heart to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in your life in these 40 days—that’s the only way to guarantee that you won’t be disappointed! Embrace these eight five-day weeks with expectancy not expectation!

The activities scheduled for these 40 Days of cHesed include:

• Daily devotions.
• A plan for reading through the book of 1 John—one section for each of the first seven weeks and a review of the entire book during the last week. This will be a “big picture” view, not a verse-by-verse study. We won’t necessarily be dividing our reading exactly by chapters, but by thoughts. (The Bible wasn’t written with chapter and verse divisions—people made those divisions later…and some of their choices weren’t the greatest.)
• Our weekly Getting In Shape section will focus on my Learning to Walk with God exercises.
• Each day will include a Keep Breathing! section to “coach” you through that week’s exercise in prayer.

So, stop back on Monday and we'll get started!

Synchroblog: Pancake Smackdown Challenge

Yes, well Brother Maynard did indeed throw down the proverbial gauntlet ... and Sonja definitely escalated it ... but it was William who took it to Synchroblog level. I had already decided to jump into the fray before I saw Bill's post (as evidenced in Sonja's post comment section).

The Abbess, being abi-normal, does not prepare foods like everyone else, either. She has joined Sally Fallon and encourages the Nourishing Traditions from simpler times and cultures ... when food preparation resulted in real, enhanced nutrition. I'll stop there. Trust me on this....

I follow Sally's recipe for buttermilk pancakes, which calls for 2 cups of whole wheat flour (I use Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat flour, which I keep in the freezer so it doesn't go rancid.) to be soaked in 2 cups of cultured buttermilk. I mix the flour and buttermilk together and place the bowl in my yogurt maker before I go to bed ... so that it is in a warm place for at least 12 hours ... with 24 hours being better, but who can actually wait for 24 hours?!? ;^)

Then, the next morning, I mix up 2 eggs and 2 t of extra virgin olive oil and blend it into the warm mixture with a large, flat whisk. Having already plugged in my electric griddle (which can make 8 pancakes at a time) and turned it to 300 degrees, I put one teaspoon of butter on the griddle, which I spread around with my extra wide spatula.

Back to the batter ... I sprinkle 1 1/2 t of baking soda and 1/2 t of salt over the top and whisk in into the solution. It immediately begins to bubble ... my boys love watching the chemical reaction! (Be sure that you have at least 2 inches of rising rim in your mixing bowl.)

I get out my white serving spoon (about 1/8 C) and spread the batter into whatever shape I want. It holds together to amazingly that it does not automatically flatten into a circle. And it puffs up beautifully and cooks quickly. It never sticks when I turn them (yes, only once!) and I plop them right onto the waiting plates of my family.

These gems are only topped with real maple syrup ... or fruit compote. And they are so tender you just cut them with a fork ... and they melt in your mouth. Since I use butter on the griddle, I don't add more butter on top. No one seems to miss it....

Pancakes prepared lovingly with planning and purpose ... yum!

And, Sonja ...I would love to add 2 cups of blueberries to these--but my family are pancake purists and like them just plain. Sometime I'll do it, just for me!