Here are some specific, cut-and-dry commands that always disturbed me when I read them in the past.

Be perfect.

Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Be holy.

1 Peter 1:15 “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;”

Be joyful always.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Be joyful always;”

Be faithful.

Revelation 2:10 “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Absolute obedience!

The commands above are as absolute as the Vodka by the same name. And they come from the highest authority. I used to think like this: Well these commands are too difficult, but I’m going to try anyway! I’ll show everyone. I am strong enough to obey. All those other Christians are just weak failures. I am stronger and smarter. I defined righteousness as “Obey 100%, but if you fail God’s grace will make up the difference.” I began to articulate the gospel as this: “Obey and be blessed by God; disobey and be cursed by God, but not for eternity as long as you believe in Jesus.”

What I didn’t realize then is that I did not know the absoluteness of these two statements: “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse.” and “No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law.”

I seek to know why Paul was SO persecuted just for preaching the gospel (isn’t the gospel good?). I want to know why SO many Christians get SO angry these days over the LGBT issues. Why would Apostle Paul be so willing to be imprisoned, beaten near death and scorned as a shameful heretic by religious people?

I begin this segment of my quest by sharing some thoughts that used to perplex me greatly. These verses in the Bible used to cause me such grief and anxiety. They spurred me on to a fearful “race of faith” in which I felt like I was exhausted and going to collapse at any minute, like a marathon runner who can barely make it the first mile.

Surpassing glory?

2 Corinthians 3:10 “For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.”

All-surpassing power?

2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

Surpassing grace?

2 Corinthians 9:14 “And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.”

Surpassingly great revelations?

2 Corinthians 12:7 “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.”

Surpassing greatness?

Philippians 3:8 “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…”

How could that be?

I used to articulate the gospel in this way: “Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead.” But I was SO very confused as to how this could result in surpassing glory, power, grace, revelation or greatness. Here was my thought process: Yea, sure, it’s good news that Jesus died for my sins. And it’s cool that Jesus rose from the dead. Great. I have some hope for the after-life… well, maybe, if I keep up my obedience and conformance, perhaps God will accept me on judgment day. But why did Jesus and Apostle Paul talk so much about this life? I suspect I’ll be joyful in heaven, but what about now? I am working so hard for Jesus, for my family and for my church, but I’m so miserable inside! I have no power to resist sinful desires. I need to keep busy so that I don’t have time to sin.

What I didn’t realize then is that I did not know the answer to this question: “What is the gospel?”

On one hand, it is correct to say that the gospel is not about “what” but about “who”. We really should be asking Who is the gospel? I agree that it is correct and Biblical to say “the gospel is Jesus” or “Jesus plus nothing equals the gospel”. Those are correct and helpful.

I contend that it would be abundantly more helpful if we continued the articulation. The Bible texts clearly distinguish between Jesus and the gospel. This means that there is both a person and a message of the gospel.

For Jesus, For the Gospel

We see a distinction made in Scripture between Jesus and the gospel, as in Romans 16:25 and 2 Corinthians 11:4. And Jesus spoke about the gospel separately from himself. For example in Mark 8:35 and in Mark 10:29, Jesus spoke about “me and the gospel”.

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35 NIV84)

Defend, remind, confirm…

While it is true that God does not need to be defended, the Bible says the gospel is to be preached, defended, proclaimed, advanced, understood, obeyed, confessed, reminded and confirmed. Apostle Paul was SO enthralled by the gospel that he made it his life purpose. He was SO enthused by the fact that Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, that the written code was nailed to the cross, that death could have no victory over Jesus and that his Jewish commandments and regulations had been abolished in the flesh of Jesus.

It is worthwhile to read the whole chapters where the gospel is mentioned. Here are some select verses that stand out to me: Philippians 1:7, Philippians 1:12, Philippians 1:16, Colossians 1:5-6, 2 Thessalonians 1:8, 1 Corinthians 15:1, 2 Corinthians 9:13, Ephesians 2:14-15.

I find that I’m wiling to let go of many things, concede many things and compromise on many things, if only I may testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

A Place to Meet the Lord

In Moses’ time, anyone who wanted to inquire of the LORD would have to go outside the camp. “Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. (Exodus 33:7)

A Place of Offal

Outside the camp is the place where the “flesh and offal” of the Jewish sacrifices were burned up. “But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its offal he burned up outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moses.” (Leviticus 8:17)

A Place of Uncleanliness

“As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.” (Leviticus 13:46)

“1 The LORD said to Moses,  2 “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body.  3 Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”  4 The Israelites did this; they sent them outside the camp. They did just as the LORD had instructed Moses.” (Numbers 5:1-4)

A Place of Death

“Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.” (1 Kings 21:13)

“17 But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.”  18 Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’  19 He will have the burial of a donkey– dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.” (Jermiah 22:17-19)

A Place where Jesus Went

“And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.” (Hebrews 13:12)

A Place where Christians should go

“Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.” (Hebrews 13:13)

I don’t consider myself “active” in the gay rights movement. I have been considering this issue only recently, which started after President Obama’s speech where he mentioned he supports same-sex marriages (a month or so ago).

Grace-first Theology

It is amazingly simple for me to be consistent with a grace-first theology. At the same time, I find that most people don’t understand me. Part of my grace-first theology is in agreement with the Catholic Church, some with Calvinists, and some with Baptists. But I’ve not found any systematic theology or church doctrine that completely describes what the Spirit has been teaching me. But I find that I now understand almost all Scripture and that the Bible has a consistent message. And I find much that I agree with in Spurgeon.

I’m not in agreement with either of these statements: “Homosexual practice is not a sin” and “Homosexual practice is a sin.” Neither blanket statement captures my viewpoint. The basis of my understanding begins with accepting the fact that same-sex attraction is an orientation that cannot normally be changed. And the foundation of my beliefs in this area are in the gospel of Jesus.

Orientation is not a choice

Even gay help groups like Exodus International freely admit that they’ve not met any gay person who chose to be gay. A person simply cannot choose their sexual orientation. The fallout from “ex-gays” is proof enough for me. Perhaps God does change a person’s orientation, but this will be miraculous and rare. This is a fundamental misunderstanding most conservatives have. They think that they can “pray the gay out” or “beat the gay out”. Or as a last resort, some think we should just let the gays die out.

I have a child-hood friend who is gay. We all could sense it since he was young. He went through gay therapy, but nothing worked. There are choices of lifestyle, but I cannot overlook the fact that there does exist a homosexual orientation that cannot be changed. There does not appear to be any “gay gene” but there is something psychological that cannot be changed normally.

What does the Bible say?

We who claim to believe the Bible must consider what Scripture says. I find only a handful of verses, six in fact, that explicitly deal with the gay issue. These are the infamous “six clobber passages” in the Bible:

Genesis 19:1-5 – We normally think Sodom=homosexual sin. But what does the Bible say the sins of Sodom were? The main sin of Sodom was arrogance, gluttony and failing to help the poor and needy. And the Bible says that Israel’s sins were twice as bad as Sodom (Jeremiah 23:14; Ezekiel 16:49-52). The sexual sin in Genesis 19 was homosexual gang rape, not strictly homosexual practice.

Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13 – These passages list all homosexual activity as a sin worthy of death. But it is part of the written code that was nailed to the cross (Ephesians 2, Galatians 2, Colossians 2). I believe the Scripture plainly teaches that all 613 commands of the written code were abolished on the cross. This is an apparent contradiction: Jesus says he did not abolish the law, Apostle Pauls says Jesus did abolish the law. There is no contradiction when we understand grace however. Jesus and Apostle Paul are both correct. Jesus fulfilled the Law, so he is correct when he says he did not come to abolish God’s Law and Prophets. God’s Law did not, nor will it ever, just disappear.  However, the impartial expression of God’s Law, the written code, has been canceled, as Apostle Paul clearly taught. If someone wants to enforce Leviticus 18:22, then they must also put adulterers to death and they must also consider eating shrimp a sin. The Bible clearly teaches (and Jews correctly understood) that ALL 613 laws must be kept if one wants to be justified under the law. The written code was only a temporary foreshadow of the grace who was to come, Jesus. So I say under the law (the written code), yes, homosexual behavior is a sin. But nowhere in the written code do we find that homosexual orientation is a sin. Those who accept Jesus find grace, not the laws in Leviticus.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – The NIV translates the Greek word that Paul made up as “homosexual offenders”. The word is not the word Apostle Paul would have used if he was condemning all homosexual behavior. These verses do condemn offensive homosexual behavior, which would be behavior that is outside a committed, marriage relationship. I believe homosexuals should marry, just as heterosexuals should marry in order to avoid burning in sin. Sex inside marriage, regardless of orientation, is not sin. Promiscuity and all sexual behavior outside marriage is sin, regardless of orientation. So grace is not a license for heterosexuals to freely engage in homosexual experimentation. Nor is the opposite permitted. An interesting side note: How many of the sins listed in 6:9-10 were committed by King David? He was a murderer and an adulterer up until he died. And some have claimed David and Jonathan’s relationship was more than “just friends”. Yet David will be in Heaven (Hebrews 11:32-40). Moses was also a murderer (Exodus 2:11-14), yet Moses will be in Heaven. Elijah was a coward, but he will be in Heaven too (Matthew 17:3). Why? It is because of the grace of God, the only way anyone will be in Heaven. To twist 6:9-10 and say that all homosexuals will go to hell is simply incorrect.

Romans 1:21-31 – The key sin here is idolatry. Idolatry is what gets God really, really angry, even more-so than sexual sin. God gave idolaters over to all kinds of sin, which included the promiscuous homosexual behavior. Again, I do not see a loving, committed same-sex marriage included here.

Jude 1:6-7 – In Jude, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah gave themselves over to “sexual immorality and perversion.” Genesis 19 is an example of such behavior. And they are not condemned to hell because of immorality, they simply serve as an example. Their key sin was arrogance and selfishness, and such sins were punished. It is only idolatry, going our own way (Deuteronomy 29), that condemns us to hell, whether we lived in the OT or the NT times.

Historical, orthodox views?

My viewpoints above may seem out of place with historical, orthodox Christianity. However, the “historical, orthodox” view toward the GLBT community seems to have started after the inquisition period, around 1200 or 1300. And full-blown hatred for gays has been a rather recent historical phenomenon. For many centuries, Christians didn’t seem to have such a problem with sexuality as Christians do today. I think also, after Freud, Christians became obsessed with homosexuality and sexuality in general. So I feel like I am in line with early Christians who understood grace-first instead of law-first theology.

In the end, the GLBT “issue” is mainly a human rights issue for me. Regardless of sexual orientation, are Christians supposed to preach hate and death? Some preachers in North Carolina, and elsewhere in America, have made a mockery of the pulpit.

How to live?

Regardless of anyone’s viewpoints on the GLBT community, homosexuals need to decide how to live. For me, I see the following. For the “GL” people, there are two viable options I see: celibacy or marriage. I believe these are the same two options for “H” people (heterosexual).

The “B” people are in a dangerous place from Scripture’s viewpoint. Perhaps they should be extended grace until they figure out who they are. The “T” people need extra love and discernment.

Get past it!

In conclusion, I suggest we get past the HGLBT issue (as Scripture does) by putting proper avenues for control and separation of church/state in place, making gay marriage legal, granting equal rights to the GLBT community and moving on to share the gospel of grace.

Has Freud deceived the entire Western world into thinking HGLBT is our primary identity? Could not two men embrace each other as friends without ridicule? Could not a man and a woman be dear friends without suspicion?

More reading that explains my viewpoints:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/19/health/dr-robert-l-spitzer-noted-psychiatrist-apologizes-for-study-on-gay-cure.html?_r=2&smid=fb-share

http://paradigmshift-jmac.blogspot.com/2012/05/lesbians-gays-and-kingdom-of-god.html

http://biblethumpingliberal.com/paul-abolishes-the-law/

http://www.ubfriends.org/2012/05/14/glbt-evangelism/

http://www.priestlynation.com/archives/1071

God’s Law: What do we do with it?

The questions I have wrestled with for over 20 years are these: What does Jesus want us to do with God’s Law? Salvation is by grace through faith, but how then should we live as a Christian? Are we then bound to some sort of written code?

I have searched high and low, and even committed myself “hook, line and sinker” to something I thought was the best expression of handling God’s Law. Yet still I did not find clear answers that satisfy logic, Scripture and the Spirit’s teaching. I have found much division, anger and illogical thinking.

Christians: Marked by division in our days

If there is any word that describes Christians in my generation, it is the word “divisive”. Christians are not only divided on what to do with God’s Law, we are divided by nearly every issue under the sun. The body of Christ appears to me to be held together by a frail contract of “agree to disagree” and the fragile glue of “you leave me alone, I’ll leave you alone.”

In my workplace, I’ve noticed that business people can work together and accomplish much good without ever praying or opening a Bible once. Why? Because they are united by money. How much greater is the grace of God than money! How much more should Christians be marked by “unity” than business people! Yet Christians are clearly not united. In our generation, I see nearly nothing in Christianity that would even come close to Jesus’ prayer in John 17.

A Challenging Claim

Today I make a claim that is, to me, clearly taught to me by the Holy Spirit. A claim that does not violate my conscience nor the God-given logic in my mind. A claim that reveals a consistent message from Genesis to Revelation. And a claim that challenges much of the Christian thinking the past several centuries.

I am well aware that I am an unordained pastor and a common man. Compared to most I am but a child. Still I am prompted today to write, to put pen to paper (or words to a blog rather). I have resisted writing this blog post for many months now. But still every morning, the message keeps coming back to me. The message keeps being confirmed over and over as I engage in thousands of dialogues about a whole range of topics relating to Christianity.

I see Scripture though the eyes of Jesus and the grace He gives freely. And my mind is exploding with verse after verse in the Bible; each book I read speaking loudly and clearly as I see God’s unchanging nature and marvelous plan. To see the Bible interpret itself is astounding! I pray that God may grant me the words to articulate this message clearly.

Today I claim that the haze that has settled onto Christianity is caused by what I call Judaism 2.0. Why are Christians divided and increasingly despondent? Why are a rather large number of Christians drudging along, barely keeping their faith when Jesus promised “effervescent new wine”!? Why are numerous churches having to close their doors? Why has the historical church nearly lost whole generations of people?

Today I claim that such events are happening because we have over 30,000 versions of Judaism 2.0. I claim that Christianity is not (and never was intended to be) an upgrade to Judaism. Jesus brought new life wants to dwell among us inside the minds and hearts of new creations! You can’t just take your Judaism 1.0 app and download Judaism 2.0. It doesn’t work. You need to uninstall Judaism and do a clean install of Jesus.

In further posts I will articulate my claim in more detail. The question that God has challenged me with lately is this: Do I want to be a better Jew or a disciple of Jesus?

Sin, Repent, Sin, Repent…

After finding the abundant, effervescent joy of the gospel, I then heard the gospel articulated in a slightly different way. It goes like this: “Repent of your sins and be saved.” I was told that if I didn’t feel the gospel in my heart, then I was just making an intellectual confession in my mind that didn’t count for salvation.

My mind, my emotions and my actions became bound to repenting. I found myself in an endless “reboot” loop… sin, repent, sin, repent, sin, repent. I became so weary and burdened. I felt like Sisyphus! Jesus said his yoke was easy and his burden was light.. yea right! I thought, “We must work hard! We must be strong!” God’s rest? That is just for the weak people who can’t handle real Christian life!

After about 20 years of such holy-soldier living,  I just stopped. I stopped praying. I stopped preparing messages for our house church (I just re-read other people’s messages). I stopped doing everything except the bare minimum. I considered giving up on faith altogether!

The Passion of Christ Movie

What could I do? That was in 2009. Soon after that, I decided to watch Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of Christ. It was my last straw actually. In 2009, I decided that I would watch this movie and decide whether I would call myself a Christian or not.

What happened? I cried through the whole movie! I remembered the grace of forgiveness of sins I found in 1988! And I realized I had exchanged the grace of God for a lie. I had started with the grace of God, but I had built a disciplined life that strayed from that gospel. I had become trapped in legalism.

For the years after 2009, I was not able to articulate what was going on. This week, after three years of searching, I finally was able to explain the false gospel I had come to believe.

Repent of your sins?

Every Christian I’ve ever met agrees that repentance is a necessary part of the gospel of Jesus. I agree. However, where did the “of your sins” come from? When I search the Bible over and over, I find the phrase once and only once. It appears in Isaiah.

Isaiah 59:20: “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD. (NIV84).

Some may say, “Aha! See, you must repent of your sins to be saved!”  I say, let’s see what the Bible has to say. What is the highest authority to interpret the Bible? The Bible is the highest authority. Romans chapter 11 is the best commentary on Isaiah 59.

Romans 11:25-29 “25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”

The Jewish “Gospel”

After reading and studying commentary on Isaiah 59 and Romans 11, I have concluded that the phrase “repent of your sins” is the Jewish “gospel”, which is not what Jesus proclaimed. The best news Jews under the law can provide is: repent of your sins.  That is your only hope if you live under the law, the first covenant. Those who preach “repent of your sins” will likely become legalists who never find the abundant joy, peace, power, love, holiness or hope that Jesus promised.

The phrase Judaizer referers to someone who promotes the Jewish gospel of “repent of your sins”, binding people to some form of God’s law. That is what I had become. I lost sight of the grace of God and lived as if I was still under law. It is comforting to know however, that according to Romans 11, God still loved me! I did not lose my salvation and find it again (as far as election goes). However, I did live as an enemy of God for many years (as far as the gospel is concerned.)

Let’s see how the Jewish gospel plays out if we put it into Jesus’ words. If “repent” means “repent of your sins”, then we should read Jesus’ words like this:

• “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  (Luke 5:32)
• Jewish gospel: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repent for their sins.”

• “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4)
• Jewish gospel: “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for sins for the forgiveness of sins.”

• “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)
• Jewish gospel: “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent of your sins and believe the good news!”

The questions we are left with when we preach the Jewish gospel are these: How much sin do we repent of before God will forgive us? What sins specifically do I need repent of in order to qualify for the Redeemer to visit me? Is the good news Jesus taught the same good news the Jews taught?

The Jewish gospel has a place in God’s redemptive plan, as Romans 11:26 and Isaiah 59:20 clearly declare: “And so all Israel will be saved.” But Apostle Paul’s point is that the Jewish gospel is not the gospel Jesus declared. The Jewish gospel does have meaning for Jews, but the Jewish gospel is an enemy of Jesus’ gospel, which is for the entire world, Jews and Gentiles.

Jeremiah summarizes my point very clearly:

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.  32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.  33 “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.  34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

How to identify Jesus’ gospel

The gospel of Jesus is not about repentance of sins. The gospel of Jesus is about forgiveness of sins. It is clear to all of us (I hope) that our sins and iniquities separate us from God. How can we be restored? How can we be rid of these sins which burden us day in and day out? Jesus’ answer is: I forgive you.

Perhaps the best Scripture to distinguish between the Jewish gospel and Jesus’ gospel the famous “yoke” passage:

Matthew 11:25-30 “25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The Jewish gospel (and all forms of it) is burdensome. It is heavy. Jesus’ gospel is easy and light! Never could I understood this when I believed the Jewish gospel.

Do we need to repent?

Yes! We do need to repent! Clearly and repeatedly Scripture says “repent”.  But do we repent of something, repent for something or what? If we do not understand the meaning of “repent”, we are in danger of becoming bound to legalism and an upside-down gospel that leads to burden, despair and despondency. We must understand repentance if we are to understand the gospel of Jesus.

Here is Luke 5:32 in Greek: http://www.greeknewtestament.com/B42C005.htm#V32

The Greek word “metanoia” means “a change of mind“. Many will rightly say, then, that Jesus certainly came to bring about more than just a change of mind! This is correct. Jesus did (and does) want to bring out far more than just a new viewpoint. Jesus clearly wants a transformed life: thoughts, feelings, actions– all of our being in fact. And Jesus clearly wants us to stop sinning and come back to our senses.

We all know (hopefully) that we cannot change ourselves or change others. Every wife discovers that she cannot change her husband. But what can we change? Our mind. Can we free ourselves of sin? No. Can we live a holy life by our own repentance? No.

Jesus’ gospel (which is light and easy) is that you repent (change your mind) and accept His forgiveness for your sins. To repent is to accept the free gift of God. The life-altering, effervescent, transformational, Spirit-induced change then begins from the inside out!  When we repent and accept Jesus’ forgiveness for sins, we are free.

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

In our weakness, we find God’s strength to begin working with God and His Spirit to transform our life. This partnership with God only works if we hold firmly to His grace and His power.

When we change our minds and accept that there is nothing I can do to make God love me or qualify for God’s forgiveness, we find joy! When we repent and accept that God loves me in spite of any sin I did or will do, we find peace! And we then become filled with an exuberant joy and desire to help others see God’s grace and also repent!

In contrast, the Jewish gospel is an outside-in gospel that leads to death and selfish introversion, and completely updside-down from Jesus’ gospel which leads to life.

Let’s look at the verses above again, and correctly this time:

• “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  (Luke 5:32)
• Jesus’ gospel: “I have not come to call the those who are free of sins, but sinners to change their minds and accept my forgiveness.”

• “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4)
• Jesus’ gospel: “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of changing people’s minds to accept the forgiveness of sins.”

• “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)
• Jesus’ gospel: “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Change your mind and believe the good news!”

Good news

The bad news is that there is nothing you can do to repent of your sins enough to find God’s forgiveness. The good news is not that you have to live an endless cycle of sin/repent/sin/repent that stores up guilt and bitterness in your heart. The good news is that you just need to change your mind and accept the free gift of God that cost Jesus everything: the forgiveness of your sins.

So today I am making my final post to this priestly nation blog. As my new tagline says, this blog is a collection of stories about my old, graceless life spent trying to be a priest. It is true that Christians are a “royal priesthood” and a “holy nation”. Yet I see no evidence to support building such a “nation” by human effort or ambition. Although I often did not believe in such nationalistic and elitist ideals, I have discovered this year that I helped facilitate and support such things.

While I do not reject the idea that I am a priest (in the sense that all believers are priests), I do reject the idea that I should help build a new, supremely pious, religious community around the world. I do not think that is what God (or Peter) had in mind when they wrote 1 Peter chapter 2.

One of the reasons I started this blog this year was to capture the topics I blog about. As you can see in the Tag Cloud of categories, I’ve written most about Bible study, news, truth, freedom and Jesus. It is rather shocking to me now that I see the word “grace” did not even become a category in my writing! A quick review of any respected Christian author or preacher will reveal that the grace of God is central to Christian faith. Yet it is missing entirely from my thoughts.

So my journey of faith takes yet another turn. For those who wonder if I will continue to speak up about issues facing UBF, rest assured that I will. God help me if I remain silent about such matters! I will keep this blog open for comments and as a permanent reminder of the events that transpired in 2011. I will also reply back to those who comment here, as well as continue my ongoing dialogues via email and Facebook. And yes, I will be participating in various internal and external projects related to explaining, examining and exposing the UBF system.

Soon I will also have a new blog where I capture my thoughts and questions on my journey of life. In the past I felt it was burdensome to write a two page testimony every week. But now I write far more than this and spend way more time in dialogues, yet I’m not burdened, but filled with peace, power and joy. 2011 was something like the movie “Monsters, Inc.” for me. I found that joy is 10 times more powerful than fear.

I want to leave my readers with some excellent sermons by two good friends (so far we have only been virtual friends; I really must visit Chicago!).

God Became Weak

Christianity is the End of Religion

God’s Love Brings About Real Change

The grace of God be with you,
Brian.

I posted this already, but as I review this year, it is very much worth reading through these verses again. And I need to add one verse. The last verse in the Bible is about the grace of God. Part of my prayer for the new year will include learning about this all-important last word:

Revelation 22:21 “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”

Leviticus 5:1 “‘If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.
>>> Not speaking up when we hear a public charge is a sin before the Lord.

Numbers 15:28 “The priest is to make atonement before the LORD for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven.
>>> Unintentional sin is mentioned many times in the Law, and is just as serious as intentional sin.

Numbers 22:21-33 “21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat her again. 26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” 29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said. 31 Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. 32 The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her.”
>>> Even a donkey can be used by the Lord to hold God’s servant accountable when God is angry with God’s servant. If the donkey had not turned away three times, God’s angel certainly would have killed Balaam, but spared the donkey.

1 Samuel 15:34-35 “34 Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.”
>>> There are times when we should not meet with God’s appointed servant.

Proverbs 26:17-19 “18 Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death 19 is one who deceives their neighbor and says, ‘I was only joking!’”
>>> Don’t be a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death!

Proverbs 27:4-6 “4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
>>> Anger, jealousy, hidden love, flattering kisses: things that disrupt unity in the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 7:14-22 “14 When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. 15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness. 16 Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise– why destroy yourself? 17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool– why die before your time? 18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes. 19 Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city. 20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. 21 Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you– 22 for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.”
>>> Avoid all extremes and do not pay attention to every word people say.

Isaiah 55:6-11 “6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
>>> God’s thoughts and God’s ways are higher than mine, as high as the heavens are above the earth.

Matthew 5:13-16 “13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
>>> Be salt and light. Walk and talk openly, before people and before my Father in heaven.

Luke 2:19 “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
>>> Treasure up “all these things” and ponder them in your heart, and God will show you what to do.

Luke 18:6-8 “6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?””
>>> Even an unjust judge grants justice.

Acts 7:51-55 “51 “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him– 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.” 54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”
>>> Stephen delivered God’s message to those who resisted the Holy Spirit. Their response was anger. Yet Stephen looked to heaven, saw Jesus and forgave them.

1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”
>>> Salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:27-31 “27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues ? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.”
>>> Not everyone is called to be a teacher.

2 Corinthians 11:19-20 “19 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face.”
>>> Why do people put up with those who enslave or push or slap?

Galatians 2:11-16 “11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? 15 “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”
>>> Should Gentiles be forced to follow Jewish customs, even though Jewish customs are based on God’s law?

Ephesians 4:1-7 “1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit– just as you were called to one hope when you were called– 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”
>>> Unity, not uniformity

Ephesians 4:25-28 “25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”
>>> The devil is the real enemy. Falsehood, anger and selfishness give the devil a foothold in our lives and our ministries.

1 Timothy 4:11-16 “11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
>>> Command and teach the things Scripture tells us to. Watch my life and doctrine closely.

1 Timothy 5:17-20 “17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.”
>>> Treat elders with double honor. But when they sin, take two or three witnesses and rebuke them publicly.

Revelation 1:5-6 “…To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father–to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”
>>> To Jesus, who loves us and freed us by his blood, be glory and power forever. Amen.

So here is a “top 10 list” that came to mind the past couple days. These are my top 10 reasons why Jesus might not be accepted in America in 2011:

10. Jesus might be from Detroit.

9. Jesus might accept a dinner party invitation from a Congress leader.

8. Jesus might have a group of single moms and illegal aliens following him to tend to his needs.

7. Jesus might be in repeated conflict with relgious leaders, causing Evangelicals and Catholics to begin working together.

6. Jesus might call a global warming zealot to be a disciple.

5. Jesus might call an IRS employee to be a disciple.

4. Jesus might spend a lot of time at LGBT events.

3. Jesus might touch a person with AIDS and heal the person.

2. Jesus might rip out the technology at a church and throw the big screen tv’s out the windows.

1. Jesus might consider his top disciple to be a redneck from Louisiana.

Stop. Come to the manger this Christmas. Is there room for King Jesus?

Let faith arise

…from the bonds UBF placed on my soul:

What was my 2006 message about? It was based on Matthew 11:20-30. The title was “I will give you rest”, with verse 28 as the key verse. As I re-read this message, I see so many ways I need to be corrected, and how twisted my message really was (now that I have started letting the Bible teach me, instead of me teaching the Bible :)

What were my mistakes? Well, probably there are too many to list, but I am aware of at least five big mistakes I made in that message. Most of these came to my mind from reading that former UBF member’s criticism, which became God’s rebuke to me.

First, I only used verses 20 to 30. Jesus’ words and actions can only be properly understood by a reading of the entire chapter of Matthew 11. Chopping up Scripture into bite-size pieces is something I am quickly repenting of these days. Second, I saw the word “rest”, and because I was weary and burdened and wanted rest, I springboarded into some ideas that I didn’t fully understand. Eventually, I concluded with a cyclical false teaching that “rest=work” and “work=rest”. (For example, my response to the woes Jesus pronounced against religious works, was to do more religious works!) Third, I did not discover the context or audience in which Jesus said such profound words. Fourth, I did not research the original meanings of the Greek text for that passage. Instead, I injected my own meanings of words like “rest”, “find”, “yoke” and “learn”. Fifth, I did not look for Old Testament Scripture to find meaning in Jesus’ words. I completely ignored the Old Testament.

So what are some keys to unlock God’s message in Matthew 11:28-30?

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

First, the historical context. Jesus spoke piercing and amazing words in Matthew 11, and concluded with a powerful analogy. As students of the Bible, we should be careful to understand Jesus’ teachings in the context of the audience in which it was taught. In this case, it was taught to a Jewish crowd, apparently in northern Israel. More specifically, Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 11 are in response to John the Baptist’s disciples, who asked the question, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” This question evoked tremendous passion, wisdom, woe, gentleness and a spirit of invitation in Jesus.

Second, the Scriptural context. A friend of mine recently began re-thinking Genesis in light of Jesus, because he realized that the Old Testament teaches about Jesus Christ and can only be properly understood when looked at through the lens of Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (Luke 24:44)

Third, the language context. One of the unfortunate issues with English is that it does not have a lot of what I call “single meaning words”. In English, meaning is often derived from the adjectives and surrounding context of words. Single words often have multiple meanings. The common example is the word “love”. We can say “I love baseball” but not mean the same thing as “I love my wife”. A deeper meaning of Scripture is found by an understanding of the original language (Hebrew or Greek).

Matthew 11, then, comes alive. Take the word “find” for example.

“The nuance that is missing in the plain translation ‘find’ is this: heurisko generally means ‘to find without seeking, to come upon as though by accident, to meet with’. Rest serendipitously comes upon me. I wasn’t looking for it but it happened. All I was doing was letting Jesus carry the load. All I was doing was changing my behavior because I spent time with Him. And suddenly I realized that I was at peace. Rest surprised me. It slipped in while I wasn’t looking.” (source)

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you…” The quick analogy is that of oxen carrying a load. Indeed, we are yoked to Jesus (Romans 6:1-23). But the analogy stops with submission to Jesus and learning from Jesus. We human beings are not cows… Unfortunately, quite a few people have continued this analogy, insisting that the “yoke” means “spiritual disciplines” or to be “yoked to a more mature Christian”. Is Jesus’ yoke an urging to live a moral life? Is Jesus really just encouraging Christians to have good behavior?

“When Jesus claims that His yoke is easy and His burden is light, He’s setting us free from the legalism, the man-made rules, and the cultural expectations that “experts” are so quick to impose. He’s telling us that following Him doesn’t involve a complicated theological code and a long list of difficult requirements.” (source)

“The spiritual disciplines that are supposedly necessary for spiritual formation are not defined in the Bible. If they were, there would be a clear description of them and concrete list. But since spiritual disciplines vary, and have been invented by spiritual pioneers in church history, no one can be sure which ones are valid.” (source)

“For many a yoke suggests work. Yet the yoke is more the instrument of discipline than of work. The yoke of Jesus becomes a powerful guide for our thoughts and actions.” (source)

Yes, we are to be yoked to Jesus. No, Jesus’ yoke is not spiritual disciplines. What then does Jesus really want? What is Jesus really saying here?

Jeremiah 6 gives insight into Jesus’ mind. Jeremiah 6:1-5 is God’s denouncement of various places and is much like Jesus’ pronouncement of woe in Matthew 11:21-24.

“Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction. 2 I will destroy the Daughter of Zion, so beautiful and delicate. 3 Shepherds with their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents around her, each tending his own portion.” 4 “Prepare for battle against her! Arise, let us attack at noon! But, alas, the daylight is fading, and the shadows of evening grow long. 5 So arise, let us attack at night and destroy her fortresses!” Jeremiah 6:1-5 (NIV)

Perhaps Jesus remembered the children mentioned in Jeremiah when he praised God for revealing God’s message to them (Matthew 11:25-26):

11 But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in. “Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years. 12 Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 6:11-12 (NIV)

And it seems clear that the audience of Jews who heard Jesus speaking in Matthew 11 would have certainly remembered Jeremiah 6:16 “This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.'”

Jesus connected His “yoke” to Jeremiah (reminding them of the Prophets, the Torah and the law of God). This is a call to walk in the ancient ways in light of Jesus. We must view the Old Testament in light of Jesus. Jesus is saying that if you want to know God, you have to look at Him. If you want rest for your soul, the good way, then come to Jesus.

Jesus is saying that you won’t find such rest for your soul in spiritual disciplines (what audience ever had more spiritual disciplines than the Jews present that day?). You won’t find it in your good works or in your faithful obedience. You won’t find rest for your soul in doing more good work. In essence, Jesus is saying to the Jewish audience, “stop” doing all your religious and pious activity and “take” My yoke upon you. In other words, if you want to know God, if you are tired of your weary and burdened religious life, you have to look at gentle and humble Jesus and learn Jesus from Scripture.

“If you want rest, that state of refreshment in life, then you will have to come to Jesus and follow His pathway of obedience. If you want to know the Father’s blessing and the Father’s delight, then you will have to take the yoke of Jesus upon you.

If you can’t feel the electricity running through the crowd when Jesus said these words, then you must be dead (or sufficiently insulated so that nothing gets to you). Now you know one more reason why you can’t read the New Testament without the Old, and you can’t understand what Jesus is saying without understanding His view of Scripture. Jesus is not only the only way to the Father. He is also the only way to refreshing life.”

So it is clear to me now that the yoke Jesus was referring to was Scripture (Jesus’ words, the words of God, the Old and the New Testament). As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I am bound (or yoked) to Jesus by the word of God, not by religious practice. Jesus is inviting us to an eternal relationship with Him. Jesus is proclaiming that He is indeed the Messiah, the One who was and is to come.

When I take Jesus’ words upon me, take Scripture to heart, learn Jesus from the prophets and psalms, and put Jesus’ words into practice, I will discover rest for my soul and meet Jesus my gentle and humble Shepherd. When I learn Jesus from Scripture, I will find rest for my soul because Jesus said he will give me rest. Jesus will give me the Holy Spirit as my Comforter, my Guide, my Counselor.

“31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'” John 8:31-32 (NIV)

“47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.” Luke 6:47-48 (NIV)

“1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Revelation 1:1-3 (NIV)

References:

New Testament Greek Lexicon
Hebrew Word Study: Matthew 11:29
The Dangers of Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines
Meditation: To understand ‘Take my yoke upon you and learn from me’
Guidelines for interpreting Jesus’ parables, Mark Bailey
In what language was the Bible first written?
Bouncing Back: Take My Yoke Upon You

One of the quotes on John Michael Talbot‘s Facebook page recently was this:

Luke 11:42-46 “Often we are like the lawyers who say when Jesus attacks the Pharisees, “Surely you do not mean us too?” He then turns on them to list their sins as religious leaders. The Pharisees wanted to look religious and get respect for their religion without understanding the spiritual heart of religion. Similarly, the Lawyers placed unnecessary religious ritual burdens on people they did not seek to relieve in favor of real spirituality. Sometimes we do the same in the Church. Do we sometimes say to Jesus, “Surely you do not mean us too?” Sorry, but sometimes He does!”

These thoughts express the reasons I began repenting a lot this year. This year, I realized I had become one of the dreaded Pharisees I had criticized in Bible studies for two decades. I had come to find comfort in the fact that I was not as bad as the Pharisees. I cherished the comfort I found in my own piety. I justified my thinking, my actions and my beliefs. I became so proud of the organization I belonged to, only to turn around and see Jesus looking at me and speaking the words of Luke 11:42-46.

42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.

44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”

45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

As I already shared, I learned today about what kinds of questions we should be asking during Bible study discussions. We should be asking discovery and learning-type questions which allow someone to find the truth about Jesus. In contrast, my approach to Bible study for as long as I can remember, was to dictate truth about Jesus. This kind of approach might help me, but is quite ineffective for leading others to a correct understanding of God’s messages.

The pre-reading for today’s lesson is: Colossians 1:15-23, Hebrews 9:11-28, Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and John 15:1-17, as well as chapters 8, 9 and 10of the book “In Christ Alone” by Sinclair B. Ferguson.

The Biblical identity of Jesus is that he is the Son of God. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, prophets like Isaiah foretold Jesus’ identity, purpose and work. Jesus was fully God and fully human. His incarnation was not the beginning of his life. Jesus exists in all eternity and by Him all things were created. Jesus came to be the Messiah, to do the work of saving sinners. Jesus paid the price for sin required due to the Fall of man.

Genesis 15 was shared by Pastor Wayne before the table discussions. This intrigued me greatly, and revealed a wonderful truth about Jesus from Abraham’s covenant with God:

1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” 4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars–if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” 8 But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” 9 So the LORD said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates– 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” Genesis 15:1-21

The covenant in this passage is similar to when a strong nation makes a covenant with a weaker nation. In ancient times, they would seal a covenant with the arrangement of animals cut in two pieces, and a trough of blood down the middle. The two parties would walk through the blood as a sign that “May I become like these animals if I break this covenant.”

The key point about Abraham’s covenant with God is that Abraham did not walk through the trough of blood. Only God went through (shown by the smoking firepot with a blazing torch). Abraham had fallen into a deep sleep! God was the one who went through the trough of blood, demonstrating the taking on the role of both parties. So if the covenant would be broken, God would pay the price. The covenant with Abraham’s descendants was, of course, broken by Abraham and his descendants. Mankind’s sin broke the covenant. And God paid the price as he promised, through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice once and for all on the cross. Jesus is God who became broken to pay the price for our transgressions and to heal our wounds.

Christian Doctrine Series:
Lesson 1: Scripture – Be Armed! Lesson #1
Lesson 2: God – Be Armed! Lesson #2

The documents describing the three reform movements are posted in an earlier entry. UBF started in 1961. The three “R-Group” movements were in 1976, 1989 and 2000. So the attempts to reform UBF have lasted 35 years.

Recently I came to know that my leaving UBF was part of a rather large exodus of members and long-time (10+ years) leaders around the world. In the past, the reform attempts were led by Korean missionaries, many of whom formed a new ministry called CMI (Campus Mission International).

The movement in 2011 is lead by “natives” (Americans, Indians, Russians, etc.). Very few Koreans are involved this time.

Today I declare that this 2011 movement is the “Independence Movement of 2011”. We are the “I-Group” people. We are not rebellious. We are not poisonous. We are no longer interested in reform. We are tired of waiting for even a drop of change.

We are people who have decided to leave UBF for the sake of freedom. We tried to agree-to-disagree and to humbly reform things from the inside. But we have concluded that this is not possible, given the current structure of UBF, the absolute power and authority given to Korean directors, the stubborn rejection of open, honest discussion by UBF elders and the refusal of UBF elders to even acknowledge any kind of problem.

Therefore, we declare our separation from UBF in order to submit to the Holy Spirit, to obey Scripture’s teachings, to find our Gifts and put them to use in our Lord’s service, to seek the unity Apostle Paul spoke of, to let the things built by man to fall to the ground and to pursue the things of God with a passionate love for grace, truth, faith, hope and love for our King Jesus, our High Priest, in whom is all authority and power.

My purpose is not to stir up controversy or generate division. My purpose is to “weave a new fabric”. I want to untwist the flawed theology I’ve learned over the past two decades. I want to document facts and events as I remember them, and even as new events happen. I want to expose, to explain and to examine my life. Above all, I desire to submit to the Holy Spirit. I want to seek, listen and obey the promptings of the Spirit. My Christian life is now suddenly a joyful journey! For many years, my Christian life was a burdened duty, filled with guilt and ambition.

Along this journey, I have discovered things that convince me UBF is a cult. But this does not mean I think everything in UBF is (or was) invalid. Some things in UBF continue to be valid. Finding salvation, my marriage, my friendships: these are all valid. Our move to Detroit was only partially valid. In any case, I am blogging for validity. As I learn and read from many sources, I can see the Bible’s teachings more and more clearly. I should think I will continue to find some things in my life to be valid, and others to be invalid. This blog is my expression of this journey.

Another purpose God has put on my heart is accountability. Who would dare attempt to hold Korean UBF missionaries accountable? Quite a few have tried, but were portrayed as “rebels” or “unGodly”. Those who tried to reform UBF and hold leaders there accountable were far more ambitious than I ever will be. I am like a small guppy swimming in a tank of sharks and whales! Who can hold leaders accountable? God can. My blogging here is to speak the words people in UBF are afraid or unwilling to speak; to ask the tough questions no one in UBF wants asked. All this I do in love and hope and in prayer that the dark side of UBF may be transformed and made into a vessel useful to God. My blogging is dedicated to honoring Jesus above all else, even if it means “eating crow”.

I am convinced that reform is not possible in UBF. Some UBF chapters are broken vessels, splintered and fragmented beyond repair. There have been 3 reform movements in UBF history (1976, 1989 and 2000). UBF chapters can no longer “just repent”. They need to re-invent, re-tool and re-build. Some chapters are doing this: Waterloo UBF in Canada, Westloop UBF in Chicago, Eau Claire UBF in Wisconsin and Penn State UBF Church in Pennsylvania are examples of men and women of God who are being transformed out of a cult-like organization and into a true, Spirit-led, life-giving church. I highly respect the men leading these UBF chapters. I point them out today as a reminder that UBF has been used by God in the past, and can again be used by God today, and into the future. It is possible to find the unity Scripture speaks of. It is possible to be truly and joyfully united in our Lord Jesus. But it requires submission to the Spirit, admission that you need help and a fervent struggle before God Himself.

Do we have a healthy expectation for the Holy Spirit to work? Or do we insist we know exactly what our Lord wants to do? Are we willing to submit to the Spirit’s prompting and walk out into the unknown? Peter did just that. He walked on the water, and met his Lord.

In April 2011, I decided to follow the Spirit into the unknown. I began to see my sin of telling God what to do, and telling the Bible what I wanted the Bible to say. I have met my Lord in a far more personal and significant way than I have in the past. It is not an easy thing to do, for sure. We start sinking like Peter did. But we have our Lord Jesus to cry out to. His hand is always there to catch us.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:25-33 NIV