Joni Eareckson Tada's Reflections

It's been 50 years since that diving accident that left Joni a quadriplegic.  I really appreciate her balanced biblical message about suffering and healing and honoring Jesus this side of heaven.

Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015)

So thankful for the clear, bold, wise, courageous discipleship of Elisabeth Elliot.  See the many tributes that have appeared today, e.g., from John Piper, Justin Taylor, Kate Shellnutt, and Joe Carter.

I remember hearing her speak at Urbana '79, especially the way she handled Q and A with tact, directness, and how she got beneath the surface questions to matters of the heart--pointing everyone to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Sin's Devastation

Jim Elliff's list of 35 reasons not to sin piles on the sobering biblical truth of how sin brings misery and ruin upon ourselves and others--not to mention bringing dishonor to the Lord.

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"Radicalized"

Back in 1970 Jim Lovell radioed from the Apollo 13 spacecraft, “Houston, we have a problem.”  Well, in a different way, today’s “radical” Christians have also run into a crisis:  “Devoted disciples of Jesus, we have a problem.”

What is it?  If you follow the incessant news coverage of the Boston Bombings, you'll notice countless sobering claims about how Tamerlan Tsarnaev had become “radicalized.”  Some years ago, apparently, he was not a “radical,” but an uncle has concerns that since 2009 his nephew had been an “extremist.”  In late 2010 Russian authorities first took an interest Tsarnaev, and in 2011 they told the FBI that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strident believer.  In 2012 he spent six months overseas, visiting the North Caucasus, an area of separatist movements and extremist Islamic ideology, and a hotbed of militant Islamic activity.  U.S. House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul believes Tsarnaev received training during his trip, and became radicalized [source].  Bottom line:  a thousand times over the word “radical” is being cast in deadly dangerous colors.  To be called “radical” is fast becoming a way to be pegged a terrorist.  Being radicalized means becoming dangerous.

Shift gears to Pastor David Platt.  In 2010 he wrote a really good book for Christians entitled Radical:  Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream.  Trouble is, in our post-Boston world it’s become desper­ately difficult to use the “R-word” positively.  Today the term just drips with scary, even evil, connotations.  Is it possible to rehabilitate this once-helpful way of portraying legitimate devotion and zeal?  One wonders if every reference to Christ-honoring, neighbor-loving, self-giving, truth-telling, whole-hearted, compassionate Christian “radicalism” will need to be qualified and clari­fied and explained into oblivion.  After all, we do want to make sure no one suspects Christ-followers of the least trace of the kind of extremism that motivates the committing of murder. 

That’s where we stand as the church in 2013.  Our challenge is to encourage each other to keep on pursuing the Lord passionately ("You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" [Jeremiah 29:11]).  And don’t waver in your commitment just because sloppy journalism portrays any and all religious passion as “fanaticism.”  Christ is not honored if we turn lukewarm in our love for him just to avoid criticism.  And yet, at the same time, let’s be vigilant more than ever to convey the biblical fact that the way of Jesus in this world is the path of peace.

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On Purity

Jen Pollock Michel, in her article, "Virginity Isn't Our Holy Grail," rightly identifies “the real question:  How do we talk about sexual sin in ways that don’t shame and yet stay faithful to the biblical truth that sex outside of marriage is, after all, sin (Heb. 13:4)?”  True—we want to communicate God’s grace to sinners (i.e., all of us—whether we’re talking about sexual sin or some other variety), but we also want to be clear that God calls his people to resist temptation and lead holy lives.  It is a fine but crucial biblical balance.  

But this wise standard is then cast aside as hopelessly impractical with this faithless claim:  “Because let’s be honest:  Can we hope for purity with horny high school kids?”  

To summarize the resulting dissonant message:  Let’s extend God’s grace and also pursue godliness—and yet, forget the part about pursuing godliness because young people don’t stand a chance against the force of raging hormones.  

The drift of the article, in the end, is to inspire doubt and discouragement as to the possibility of honoring God in our sexual lives.  

Not helpful.
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First Things First

I appreciate today's blog post by David Mathis challenging Christians who lose themselves in politics and invest all their passion and energy in the cause of electing this or that candidate.  Our mission is to make disciples; as followers of Jesus, we really do have "bigger fish to fry."
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Plan to read the Bible

I've always found that if I don't have a plan to follow, my Bible reading practice wanders and fizzles and falls apart. You too?

Some years back I came up with a two-year schedule for reading God's Word cover to cover. A two-year pace seems (to me) to work really well: slow enough to allow you to breathe and reflect a bit as you go, but fast enough to get through the Bible without taking "forever."

The way it works you read a chapter a day on the weekends, and two chapters each weekday. I've laid it out so there's some movement back and forth between the Old and New Testaments along the way. We've posted the reading plan for 2011-2012 at our church's website--click here if you're interested.

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

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Ever Forming, Never Formed

For many years I've been working on a book about spiritual formation and the ongoing battle with sin. A book about how the Bible calls us to be holy but also states that we remain sinners. A book about being content in Christ yet not complacent with sin. And a book about this paradox of authentic Christian growth: the more you advance in faith and spiritual maturity, the more conscious you become of the odious presence of sin in your life. The book is called Spiritual Formation: Ever Forming, Never Formed, and it releases on Nov. 10.

I'll be grateful to receive feedback on this work that readers may wish to offer (peterknelson@gmail.com)!

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Reflections on "Crazy Love"

Francis Chan’s recent book, Crazy Love (2008), has been among Amazon.com’s 100 best sellers for the last 255 days—currently it ranks #69, and #1 for books on “Christian Living.” I’d been wanting to read it, and on vacation this summer I had the opportunity to do so.

Just to be clear, in this case “crazy” has entirely positive connotations. Radi­cal devotion to Jesus and detachment from fleeting earthly treasures may look foolish to unbelievers, but Chan helps us see how it’s really any­thing else that’s crazy if you know and love Jesus. In fact, it’s insane to love things and yawn at Almighty God.

The book begins with a few chapters to help readers “see” God—to correct our small, shallow, and desperately inaccurate view of the Lord. Countless problems in countless stagnant, small-minded, conflict-ridden, love-starved churches are rooted in a failure to truly see God: horizontal troubles follow from vertical failings. “The core problem isn’t the fact that we’re lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians. The crux of it all is why we are this way, and it is because we have an inaccurate view of God” (22). The theater of nature provides a special stage on which God displays his splendor: the heavens declare the glory of God. Chan goes to great lengths to help us step back and wonder at the awesome reality of the Lord God!

The key contrast in the book is between “lukewarm” and “obsessed” Christians. Lukewarm religious people make God puke—he wants to spit them out (see Rev 3:15-17). Chapter 4 profiles the lukewarm. The message is chilling, and indicting—and I must admit that I feel sin’s pull toward many of the ugly manifestations of the bland, nominal religion Chan attacks. But note, his frontal assault on the American church stems not from meanness but broken-hearted love for the church, the beloved bride of Christ.

Chan contends that “Lukewarm Christian” is an oxymoron—that is, there’s no such thing (83-84). Lukewarm church-goers, like the Laodiceans, aren’t Christians. “We will not see them in heaven” (84). Authentic followers of Jesus are moved, aroused and drawn to live out their faith in zealous (i.e., “hot”) ways. And so, those who profess to be Chrsitians should examine themselves (2 Cor 13:5); don’t assume you’re “good soil” (Mark 4:20) unless you’re fruitful in cherishing and spreading Jesus’ love. “I think most American church­goers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all the thorns” (67).

In bold contrast with the lukewarm, Chan points to the “obsessed” (ch. 8). Genuine believers are not just “nice,” decent, law-abiding folk, friendly and polite. There’s more, so much more, to true faith (130). Like loving enemies, and forgiving those who commit even heinous crimes against us. Christians are risk takers, bold to step out in faith and witness. Chan laments how the American church is so often safety-centered. “We’ve elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God’s best is…” (133), and his best for us is not always earthly comfort.

Authentic Christians are “obsessed with Jesus,” and that means they: give freely, love those who hate them, live lives that connect with the poor, admit their pride, seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known, think about heaven frequently, have a passionate love for God that overshadows every other thing and being, don’t put on an act for others or God, have a 24/7 spiritual life, and take joy in serving people (it isn’t a burden to them). Secular people may call such obsessed Christians “fanatics,” but the radical, unconventional love of Jesus that exudes from them will reach the hearts of many critics. Chapter 9 then gives several mini biographies of Christians, many of them relatively obscure, who’ve lived “obsessed with Jesus” lives (terrific stories!—though I have questions about some of those named).

This is a great book, and I hope you read it! But it does require some discernment—some (shall we say) “unpacking.” I think in particular of how Chan tends to err in the direc­tion of oversimplification. Like the many times readers are exhorted to “surrender totally,” be “obsessed,” give up everything, it’s all or nothing, no half-heartedness, trust God completely, be faithful in every aspect of life, hold nothing back…

Of course, this call to devotion is biblical and right and necessary, and we need to be confronted in our religious play-acting and self-protection. But Chan does not do enough to help us see how all these great biblical ideals are reached—even by the most mature of believers—only progressively and only in part this side of heaven. He does not do enough to help Christian readers process the present and future realities of ongoing sin. This is not to excuse willful sin, but to grapple with the Bible’s pervasive theme that we remain far from perfect all our days, all the way to glory (e.g., Matt 6:12; Phil 3:12; Jas 3:2; 5:16; 1 John 1:8-10). To be sure, Chan admits that Christians do sin and indicates that the aim in this life is move­ment toward Christ and not perfection (87-88). But the fierce “in your face” message of the book—as good and necessary as it is—becomes weakened by the shortage of attention to the way we exper­ience all the great, biblical ideals that are set forth only in part this side of glory.

With that word of clarification, I recommend the book. The strong points far outweigh this weakness. Chan’s word is a breath of fresh air and a kick in the pants all at once. Don’t miss it!

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Love for God's Word

In this world in which so many voices would tell us the Bible is just another religious book, just another ancient work of literature, just a compilation of human aspirations and cherished legends and so on, it’s vital to pause and get our bearings: to renew our respect for and devotion to God’s inspired and fully truthful Word.

And yet, some may find it odd to talk of “devotion” to a book. In fact, there are those both in and outside of the church who charge Bible lovers with “bibliolatry” (i.e., practicing idolatry with the Bible as our object of worship). What do we make of this?

Consider Psalm 130:5: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Notice how waiting for the Lord and hoping in his Word are tied together: in fact, relying on God and depending on the Bible are profoundly intertwined. There’s no necessary conflict between trusting God and trusting his message to the world. In fact, not to cherish the Word and devote ourselves to it would be a serious problem. And further, how could we possibly not love to hear from the One who has forgiven and adopted and loved us? So let me urge you to think carefully and not fall for any simplistic separation between God and God’s message. Loving the Scriptures is natural and good and right for all God’s children.

Still, concern over bibliolatry is legitimate—it can be a real prob­lem. When is love for the Bible wrong?

First and foremost, when it’s not inspired by a love for the God who speaks in the Bible.

Zeal for Scripture also goes awry when it’s not paired with sincere readiness to embrace and apply what is taught. If we just love the intellectual stimulation of Bible study and theological bantering, but we don’t really (deep down) intend to live out what God says, we’ve put ourselves on the throne and effectively rejected God as Lord!

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Palm Sunday

I find Palm Sunday unsettling.

Of course, outwardly the picture of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is exhilarating. Crowds of followers with visions of victory cheer the arrival of royalty: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38). But do his fans see that Jesus weeps for the unrepentant city (19:41)? Probably not—too busy celebrating.

But then, consider their deafening silence in the days to follow. The cheering crowds, the festive throng casting palms and coats on the road before King Jesus—where do they go? As the soldiers march out to the Garden of Gethsemane in a plot to abduct Jesus, where are all his followers, and where are their energetic praises? As Jesus prays, where are his trusted men, the inner circle of Peter, James and John? Answer: sleeping (22:45). As the grim events of the week unfold, the only shouts are from enraged masses crying out, “Crucify him!” (23:21).

Hymn writer Henry Milman picked up this dissonance (1820):

Ride on, ride on in majesty
As all the crowds “Hosanna!” cry:

Through waving branches slowly ride,

O Savior, to be crucified.

Ride on, ride on in majesty,
In lowly pomp ride on to die:
O Christ, your triumph now begin
With captured death, and conquered sin!

Ride on, ride on in majesty—
The angel armies of the sky
Look down with sad and wondering eyes
To see the approaching sacrifice.

In fact, this seemingly innocuous event, Palm Sunday, pierces to the soul. It’s a subtle rebuke of my fickle faith and your fair-weather discipleship. Receive the Lord’s rebuke today, his good discipline. For the Father disciplines those he loves (Heb 12:6).

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How to wait for Jesus' return

Christians have often gotten tangled up in disputes over the details of various end times scenarios. But I wonder if it wouldn't be better to focus on what to do in the meantime--on HOW to wait for Christ's return. This was the topic of a recent sermon series by Don Carson. Here are his "how to" answers based on Matthew 24-25:

Wait for the Lord Jesus…

1. As those who do not wish to be surprised at his coming (24:36-44).
   
2. As stewards who must give an account of their service, faithful or otherwise (24:43-51).
   
3. As those who know their Master’s coming may be long delayed (25:1-13).
   
4. As slaves commissioned to improve their Master’s assets (25:14-30).
   
5. As people whose lives are so transformed by the Gospel, that they unselfconsciously serve brothers and sisters in Christ in self-sacrificing ways (25:31-46).
   

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The Acts of God

Spending a year preaching through the Book of Acts has been stretching and enriching for me. Along the venture through dark valleys and over spectacular peaks, I’ve noticed some familiar “sights”—recurring patterns, themes, truths. Such as:

· God is sovereign. In fact, he’s so powerful and ingenious that he can even weave hardship and persecution into a beautiful tapestry of church growth and joy-filled spiritual life in the hearts of his people as they scatter to the ends of the earth. Human authorities make their plans, including hostile advances against the church and Christians, but God overrules such rulers at will (e.g., 4:27-28). This book called “The Acts of the Apostles” is, at root, the story of “The Acts of God.”

· Healthy Christians and their churches are forward-moving and outward-oriented, taking the truth and love of Christ to others. That’s the “thesis” of the book (1:8), and it’s the outcome of the story as well: the Gospel is spread all the way to Rome. Spiritual healthy believers don’t circle the wagons and retreat from the world, but instead they step forward as Jesus’ witnesses—in both word and deed. They are sojourners in the “foreign land” of today’s world, not settlers.

· Honest Christian discipleship involves bearing a cross and following Jesus through trials (14:22). Notice that Paul’s in custody and on trial all the way from chapter 21 to 28. Also, he’s repeatedly targeted by would-be killers, and he’s accused over and over even though the charges against him are hollow and contrived. But in spite of this outrage, Paul doesn’t cling to his rights or moan about how unfair it is. Instead, he seizes the opportunity to probe the hearts of adversaries and author­ities, sharing his story of new life in Christ! Paul realizes (as we should too) that trials are really opportunities in disguise.

Amazing stuff, this action-packed, apathy-wrecking, joy-inspiring Book of Acts! I trust that God is feeding your faith as you study and savor his Word (Romans 10:17).

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