Archive for the 'Articles' Category

05
Oct

the dignity of free choice - part 1

By couch 4 Comments
Categories: Articles and revelation

We’ve all heard it before - if God is all-loving, why does he allow suffering? I’m not tired of this question, it’s valid. What I’m tired of is the answer that is often given, one that I’ve given at times myself. The typical answer includes lots of disclaimers such as “God’s ways are higher than ours” and “I’m not completely sure”, answers that leave the hearer/asker with much to be desired. Not that these answers aren’t true in some sense, but there is a richness in the Word of God (the person and the text) that needs to be searched out, and our lack of depth here not only robs us of key understanding, but others of “an answer for the hope we profess”. In other words, we are missing a key opportunity to share the Word of Life when we give a shallow answer.

For sure, there is no reason to be fake, or to be dishonest about your own struggles in understanding the great mystery of God. But I know for a fact that even in those times the Holy Spirit within us is yearning to speak to us and through us. I by no means have massive revelation on this question, but I do think I’m getting somewhere as I learn God. Often, insight into the journey is more important, and often gives a greater answer than the destination itself.

I’m considering this after listening to Matt Candler talk about the privilege we humans have in prayer. He was sharing that in his study of the Word, he has not found one place where Angels ask God for anything. Not once in all recorded scripture do angels intercede for anything before the great majesty, before the Holiest of All, before the All-Consuming Fire of God. As the old hymn declares, we have access where “angels fear to tread”, the place of standing before the One who fills all in all to ask Him for anything. Anything! Imagine! And why us?

Angels are so mighty that they often come in great power and glory, heralding great messages, bringing great visions, destroying entire cities, so much so that many eat the dust at the mere site of them! And yet, they look at us, “weak” us, and they “long to look into such things”. (1 Peter 1:12) Why? Because they learn about the nature of God from watching how He honors us to participate in the outworking of His image.

Because we, unlike them nor anything else in the created order, were created in God’s image. Without unpacking that entirely, think about this. God is God, and He made us to reflect Him, just as my image in the mirror reflects me. We are meant to reflect what God is like, how He feels, and how He acts - the ultimate example and perfect representation being Jesus Christ, the God-man, God incarnate in the flesh from the inside out. And the uniqueness we share with God is that we are given the dignity of free choice. God the Father doesn’t make Himself love His Son, but He voluntarily loves Him out of His own free will. If anyone has free-will, it’s God! And He chooses to love Himself, and He chooses to love us, demonstrated most spectacularly through His voluntary death on the cross. We are created in God’s image, and as He absolutely honors and appreciates his own ability to choose to love us (in order to reveal His nature) He honors the created man with the same dignity.

This is one of the reasons I think Calvinism is so dangerous, as it can truly and seriously do damage to understanding the very character of God, which will lead to a false understanding of who we are and our own destinies in Him. I have more to say about that, but for now let me focus back on free-choice.

Much has been said about God giving us the privilege to choose Him, and to voluntarily love Jesus because He first loved us. That’s amazing in of itself, but the flip side of that is that He has even honored the human race enough to allow unspeakable atrocity to occur in order to maintain His intended promise, the dignity of choice, to us. We are still allowed to choose, even if we choose evil and pollute the world with sin so that it “staggers and reels like a drunkard.” (Isaiah 24:20)

Why is suffering allowed by a God of love? Because a God of love demonstrates what true love is by giving those He loves the dignity to choose Him, or the alternative, themselves. God never meant us for suffering, but the devil has. And the amazing thing is - God will ultimately give us ALL what we ask for. Is this truly love, giving us the ability to choose what could ultimately destroy us? Yes, because where there is no freedom of choice, there is no freedom to love. And where there is no freedom of love, there is no freedom of God, because God is love. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

His freedom shows us the Truth, which woos our heart to understand the wisdom and glory of choosing Him. And when we choose Truth, we know the Truth, and He sets us even more free! (John 8:32)

And why, does the scripture say we were set free?

“For it is for freedom’s sake Christ set us free.” (Gal. 5:1) Hallelujah!

10
Mar

on the listening of many sermons

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Articles and Preaching

Jenny and I will have the opportunity to travel to Europe for the second time this summer. The first time we did was shortly after we met, and many know of our date with God’s destiny when we happened to sit next to each other on the plane for 9 hours and had our lives forever changed. This time with family, we’ll travel to Barcelona, and also to Italy, with a stop in France. Obviously, we’re excited.

After watching Ratatouille, I was convinced that the rumors are true, surely some of the best food in the world is found in France. That cartoon made me want to eat really good food, even though it was only merely caricatured before me in hues of red and blue. Seeing the “Little Chef” close his eyes and picture the taste sensations popping in his mouth via vibrant colors, you almost could sense them yourself. But it is not the same. I must fly over the sea, go to a restaurant, pay the money, and eat of the fine food myself. Only that is truly real, all else mere pretense and imagination.

It is my fear that the same occurs with the listening of many sermons, or the reading of many books. Praise God for the writing and preaching of His Word, absolutely essential for our growth in Him. However, in a western culture of consumerism, it is far too easy to collect and consume a multitude of sermons without ever having been transformed by the power of God. Much like I cannot truly eat the food of Paris by hearing someone talk about it, we can not merely dine off of the speaking alone.

In this way, sermons are meant to be like menus, offering insight into the track to renewal, to life, to salvation, to lasting satisfaction - even through suffering. It parades the joy that is set before us as believers, and calls us to endure what we must to drink the water that quenches (John 4) and eat the bread that sustains (John 6). And though this rich food is without cost (Isaiah 55), few actually eat what is offered. Why? Because our culture praises collection and form, rarely substance and reality.

I’m speaking to myself here, as I’ve collected sermons and books for years now. I’m not going to sulk in myself for my lack, though I have many sermons, nor delete them to make me feel better. Rather, I want to dedicate myself to hearing the Word, and with the faith there given (”Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17) go on my own treasure hunt for what has been proclaimed. And the Lord, who is the Spirit, will be my guide on the journey.

Eugene Peterson, in his excellent book “Eat this Book” gives a helpful illustration. Suppose there was a family living in an abandoned warehouse. The only windows were blackened and high up on the wall, and the door was chained shut. Building something high one day, the children manage to wipe off a dirty window and look outside. As they do, they see people walking along a path, and they point and stare. This continues for many days, and they continue to point and stare, not only at the people but at the bountiful sky and ongoing landscape - so different in comparison to the drab warehouse. Some of the children, so inspired by what they have seen, fix together some sharp materials and cut a whole in the side of the warehouse. As they come into the light of day, they experience all that they had previously only seen - the path, the sky, the grass, and the air. They call and call for the rest of their family to join, and some do, but others are cautious - preferring to simply stare at them from the window, too comfortable in what they are used to in the warehouse to come out.

Come out, come out oh soul of mine! Come out, come out oh church of God! Experience the reason for the Word of God - not merely to inform, but to form the life of God in us and around us. Let us do what it takes, what sacrifices we must make, to stop pointing at things exposited, and experience the substance therein!

01
Feb

leadership: what about a wife?

By couch 1 Comment
Categories: Articles and leadership

As you all know, I’m privileged to be married to one of the most amazing of God’s creation, Jenny the Carson the Couch. She makes me laugh all the time, and her smile is daily my joy. She’s extremely intuitive and very smart, and seeing her grow through seasons of testing and blessing is truly an honor. Plus, she kind of likes me, and that really, really helps.

As God has us working with college students, we spend a lot of time with singles and not married couples, though we are thankful for the jaunts with the Arbuckles, Shaws, and Stockbergers when we can get together with them. I don’t consider myself a marriage expert by any means, but I’ve been thinking more recently about how exactly one goes about leading His wife spiritually.

Ironically, its not something I think about very much, how I “lead” my wife, and to be honest, I’m not that convinced that its’ something I should be thinking about too hard. It’s certainly important, but like many things in our Christian life, the more we look to ourselves the less we learn, the more we analyze ourselves the more we find ourselves back where we started in confusion. Oppositely, the more we look at Jesus, learn from Him, and are filled with His truth and passion, the more things begin to work themselves out day by day, from strength to strength, faith to faith, and glory to glory. Hallelujah, amen.

I want to lead my wife better, for sure! And I know I have lots to learn. But, especially as some of our friends are getting married soon, or have recently been married, I thought I’d share a bit of the wisdom I have gleaned over my 3.5 years of matrimony.

And let’s get right to my point. Leading your wife does not mean helping her understand theological knowledge. Leading your wife doesn’t necessarily mean “teaching” your wife. Though it may be apart of it, I don’t believe teaching your wife the Bible is the primary means of how you lead her spiritually. In fact, if you make it your primary means of leadership, your wife will end up feeling more like your student, disciple, or follower, and not your wife. This is not good - she is your partner!

Some marriages have a new believing husband and a wife who has grown up in the faith. Because of this, the man often feels very insecure, as he is growing into maturity and is expected to lead his more mature wife. He therefore tries to read great books, study deep theological concepts, and grow in His “knowledge of the scripture” quickly, to make up the gap he feels so readily before him. Though none of these things are wrong, it is a subtle deception in understanding what true spiritual maturity is - and mere theological knowledge is not maturity. Neither is it a basis of leadership.

Biblically, we are told that spiritual maturity is the measure of Christ-likeness we walk in. The Holy Spirit is taking what is Christ’s and making it known to us (John 14), so that we might know Him and be transformed into His image (2 Cor. 3:18, Romans 8:26-28). We would do well as husbands to learn the Holy Spirit’s model of leading us to maturity, that we might follow that pattern with our wives.

Instead of trying to grow in our knowledge and then “leading” our wives with our new found depth of theological knowledge, I propose an alternative. Fall in love with Jesus. Truly - deeply - madly! Let your passion for Him grow day by day. Seek Him, yes through the Scriptures, but also in your everyday life. Don’t just imitate the principles of the Bible, seek the God who can breathe on those principles and cause them to work in you from the inside out.

And as you do, your wife will follow. You can’t lead her somewhere you aren’t going! And teaching through the Bible, though important, is not an end destination. The Bible is meant to be the gateway into a living, breathing, vibrant relationship with God Himself. That’s the end we want as Christians, to be found in Him, to be found like Him, to be found with Him in what He is doing.

You may be 1 year old in the Lord and she 10, but if your passion for the Lord is fresh and hot, she and many others will be lining up to follow you. Even if it isn’t immediate, don’t be fake, but commit yourself to the process to knowing Christ for yourself. It takes time, and your pursuit of God will be contagious to your wife and will be an excellent means of leadership. Perhaps this is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11, before going on to discuss the authority of a husband over a wife, says in verse 1 “Follow me as I follow Christ” or “As I follow Christ’s example, you do the same”.

And what was Christ’s example? He was always speaking about the Father. Always passionate about revealing Him, showing His beauty and the wisdom of His ways. He didn’t do anything in order to gain favor in the religious crowd - never once tried to put himself forward by his deep theological knowledge. No, He said - I do what I see the Father doing, and say what I hear the Father saying. And the Father is not feigned of passion. The Father, who “so loved” the world, is a whirlwind of Holy Fire and Glory, igniting our often bored and apathetic hearts aflame again.

And that is something all Christians, no matter how mature, are in continual need of - a constant recapturing of our heart by that which truly matters - the One who created us.

This is Christ-likeness, to go after a deepening relationship with the Father of passion. The eternal life that is to know Him and to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. And that’s the best way I believe we can lead our wives, because its how Jesus leads His Bride, the church!

06
Aug

A Terrible Thievery

By couch 1 Comment
Categories: Articles

I sense something deceptively sneaky is going on. I can smell a rat, a thief, and a plunderer is in the midst of us as the Western Christian Church. It’s hardly done by anyone on purpose, almost never maliciously, but leaves a dastardly effect, and a terrible thievery.

The Power of Discovery
All of us love the joy of discovery, the process of searching something out for ourselves and enjoying the richness of the revelation it brings to our inner man. To be ignited with passion to search out a question, mystery, definition, or insight for ourselves - whether or not its a deep revelation of Jesus or an everyday curiosity. We want to be fascinated!

Case in point, millions of people all around the world (including me!) have lined up at their local theatre to see one of about 6 tri-quels that have come out this summer. Hollywood is banking off of the God-given desire within each of us to discover. What is going to happen to Jason Bourne? Will Spiderman keep Mary Jane? Danny Ocean, and Jack Sparrow! The list goes on.

God-Given Desires
Our first hurdle to tackle as Western Christians is to realize God Himself is the author of this desire-for-quest within us. It’s a God-given longing, one that can’t be repented away or killed off. Sure, we must purify our hunger for discovery, especially as there is no greater, more satisfying treasure hunt than that for the knowledge of God and His eternal ways. But, it isn’t going to go away on its’ own - unless some one comes along and steals it right under our noses!

Since God created every man and woman with a longing to discover, it is therefore true that He desires each man and woman to discover things for themselves. Proverbs clearly says that “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search it out.” (Prov. 25:2) Jesus teaching that we should “Ask, seek, and knock” on the Sermon on the Mount shows us the progressive degrees He desires us to take to keep pressing in to “diligently seek Him”, something He greatly rewards (Heb. 11:6).

Hidden Treasures
Colossians 2:3 says something incredible for the “great discoverer” within all of us. It says “In Him (Jesus Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” All of the richest treasures, that which we are to “store up for ourselves in heaven”, are found in searching out the depths of the God-man Jesus Christ. Seeking Him, knowing Him, and asking Him questions about who He is and His ways - these things ARE our very inheritance! That is, the inheritance of those who diligently seek Him as David did in Psalm 24.

David, the king of Israel, and the “man after God’s own heart” - didn’t hesitate to ask God seemingly obvious questions. He asks “Who is this King of Glory”? several times in Psalm 24. He didn’t allow his fear of man to keep Him from letting this heart cry come out, nor did he think that God only honored those who “knew the answers backwards and forwards”. In fact, he believed the very opposite, that God was looking for those whose deep cried out to God’s deep saying “Who are you? I know you, but I don’t know you! I want to know you.”

This deep desire for true spiritual knowledge, not a heady-academic understanding, but an intimate friendship with the God who is love - this is what Jesus called “eternal life” in John 17:3. And it is this knowledge, the personal discovery of the things of God that is being stolen away!

Grand Theft

In Luke 11, Jesus is asked to join a dinner-party of Pharisees and teachers of the law. Little did they know what they were getting themselves into! From what the passage speaks, Jesus spent much of the time rebuking them for their pride, hypocritical nature, and inner wickedness. But there was one final rebuke that Jesus laid against them that grabs at the crux of what I’m saying here - “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves and you hindered those who were entering.” Luke 11:52

Jesus claimed that a terrible theivery was occuring in His day, one that kept people from entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. What a terrible theivery! Even worse, it was done by those teaching “the law of God”! How was it happening? They took away what Jesus calls the “Key of Knowledge”. Keys are used to unlock doors, or to provide personal access for someone into someplace special. Jesus said the key was knowledge, a living knowledge of Him and His ways. This key was meant to be given by the people teaching the law of God, as Jesus rebuked them for withholding this key from the people.

Therefore, we can see that the Key of knowledge, that permits one to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, is provided in the teaching of the Word, or law, of God. However, it is also clear that the Word can be taught in a way that removes or steals this key of knowledge. John Wesley commentates on this verse: “Ye have obscured and destroyed the knowledge of the Messiah, which is the key of both the present and the future kingdom of heaven; the kingdom of grace and glory”. This points to the very crux of the issue.

The Law of God —> Always Pointing to Christ

When the Bible is taught, is it centered on knowing and understanding the person and work of Christ? The Bible is clear that Jesus Himself is the Living Word of God (John 1:1) and that the written word of the Law, Prophets, and Writings are summed up in Christ. He is the point! He is the reason! He is the revelation, and He is the teaching!

If we teach the Word of God without teaching the Living Word of God, we are stealing the key of knowledge away from the people.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and teachers again in John 5:37-39 - “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have life, and it is they who bear witness of me! Yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” There are many reflections from this verse, but it is clear that the teachers of the law didn’t go “far enough” in their teaching to come to that which gives life, namely the teaching of Christ, nor did they themselves approach the person of Jesus in their searching of the Word of God.

Again, I’m sensing a problem in our Western Christianity, one that heaps up books and teachings and seminars and conferences, doctrines and missiologies, church structures and growth-patterns, cycles and programs, approaches and mindsets! Where is the person of Christ!? Who is leading people into the knowledge of God by revealing Christ through the Scriptures!?

Our studies, theology, and church life are bankrupt and vanity without the Living Word of Christ. If we have not Him, what do we have? And if we teach the Word of God without the Living Word shining through, what do we teach? We teach a form of the law, but deny the very power thereof. Another way to look at it - are people entering the Kingdom of Heaven? Do people even know that heaven is opening and coming down to earth (Rev. 21, Luke 11:3)? Do we teach “the gospel of the kingdom” which must be preached to all nations (Matt. 24:14) and scatter “the word of the Kingdom” as a farmer scatters seed (John 4). If they are entering in by revelation and understanding, then they are because the “key of knowledge” has opened the “door of eternity” into the Living Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory!

Blessed be His name! Because in these last days, He has seen fit to raise up shepherds after His own heart, who will lead His people on the living knowledge of God (Jer. 3:15) Those who will feed His sheep on His heart and His ways, and the understanding of His love, kingdom, and authority. He is raising up a company of David’s and John the Baptists’ to rejoice at the sound of the Bridegroom and prepare the way for His return!

No more stealing of the key of knowledge! “Let not the wise man boast in His wisdom, nor the mighty man in His strength, nor the rich man in His riches, but let Him who boasts boast in this, that He knows and understands Me says the Lord, who practices steadfast love, righteousness, and justice in the earth. For in these I delight!” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

17
Oct

The Conspiracy of Truth

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Articles and worship

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter…” (Proverbs 25:2a)

I believe there’s a conspiracy out there to hide the true meaning of words. Its’ goal is to take words that God has concealed mystery within on purpose, and make them common place so that no one really understands them at all - but at least they appear to. And if they can appear to understand the words by incorporating them into everyday language, regardless of how appropriate or accurate their usage, spirituality and vibrance will be assumed.

The conspiracy is subtle, and no man in particular is behind it, but it is as ugly as death itself - in fact, its’ working leaves a trail of death in its wake. The big problem is, it leaves an aroma that make all of those who follow in its’ trail think that the death they are experiencing is really life.

Let me explain. Jenny and I were talking about the “glory of God”, and how we really know little of what that means. We are taught to “do all for the glory of God”, that God’s main ambition is “His glory”, and that He is worthy to receive “all glory”. So, that means every circumstance, even the most difficult ones, are “for His glory”. Great things happen - “Glory to God!” - someone tragically dies - “Well, we don’t know why, God is mysterious. But, we do know that somehow God gets His glory!”

Now, if we take these words in without in any way questioning them (a taboo thing nowadays, so as not to appear “unspiritual” or “troublesome”) then we begin to really believe alot of wrong meanings about some very important words. We begin to trade truth for appearances, and reputation for reality. And not only do we miss out on the life that is found in the true knowledge of God, but God gets a bad-rap because things like His infinite, amazing glory are made into human “vain-glory” - God trying to puff Himself up through making things the way He wants them, no matter if they are truly good or evil.

However, instead of merely accepting them, if we take the thought at face-value and with a spirit of hunger do a little bit of searching - wait a minute! We can’t really say that a tragic death was “for the glory of God” when the scripture says “Behold, I take no pleasure in the death of anyone.” (Ezek. 18:32) can we?

I don’t know about you, but I grew up with a “don’t ask” policy in church. I was told - “Just accept everything in faith and believe it! Gosh darn, if it doesn’t make sense, just believe it! Where is your faith? Don’t be rebellious by asking questions! Why can’t you just believe what the Word says? ”

Well, simply because I’m not too sure it does. If I really want the Word of God to be my final authority, than out with the traditions of man - ranging from minute details like the kind of fruit Eve ate in the garden and the number of wise men that came to Jesus, to the biggest questions like “What really is the Glory of God?” and “Who is Jesus?” or “What is the meaning of grace?”

But, doesn’t God view “question-asking” as annoying? Shouldn’t we get right on with just believing what He said - even if that’s not really what He said at all, but the out-of-context pseudo-version of what that man over there said? Or are those words given to us with mystery on purpose to set us on the adventure of eternity, created for us to find? I’m not saying we fit everything into what makes sense for us, but I’m not content merely believing a bunch of “correct” scriptures and fitting them in some of my language and actions. I want discovery, I want revelation. I want to Jesus and His ways for myself!

Consider Matthew 13. Jesus’ disciples ask Him why He always speaks in parables. And right there - you know what He says? He tells them parables so that they won’t understand. What?!! It must be for God’s glory.. I mean… what?!! Yes. He told the people parables so that they would not get what he was saying to them. At all. And unlike all the other rabbis, who also were known to tell parables from time to time - Jesus almost NEVER gave the punch line at the end. In fact, right before the punch line, the “lesson of the story”, He would just walk away!!

“Eat of my flesh and drink of my blood or you have no part of me.” Stuff like that, and then He would walk away. Why? Because He’s mean? Because He’s careless? NO! Because He wanted to see who REALLY wanted to know Him. He wanted to see who REALLY had a spirit that hungered after truth, who weren’t satisfied with the life-less answers the crowd had grown accustomed to. And those people would leave everything to follow Jesus and get the answers.

They would fight through the crowd that was leaving Jesus to go on towards Him and His few men walking away. And when they would get there - Jesus would tell them everything they wanted to know. Because they had followed Him - they left “good-enough” answers behind and craved through difficulty the real thing. And Jesus not only gave them the punch-lines, He gave them “mysteries hidden since the foundation of the World” and most importantly, He gave them Himself.

Love always desires longing. Love always desires following. Love always desires truth, not just surface level - but the real deal. Everyone loves a good suspense story, to find out what happens at the end. God placed this hunger deep within us, and instead of repenting of it and saying “Oh God! Forgive me for trying to search out these matters instead of just having faith.” - we should say “Oh God! I believe these things are true in faith and BECAUSE I do - I’m not going to be satisfied with the lifeless substitute definition, I want the real thing that breeds hope and excitement! I’m going to search it out for myself!”

“…and it’s the honor of Kings to search it out.” (Proverbs 25:2b)

Jesus said ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find. But do we? Let’s let the refreshing waters of awe, mystery, and seeking proceed from our faith instead of making faith the excuse that we don’t really know God’s ways.