What Did Jesus Do?
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ IS all, and in all.
Colossians 3:11
It is a good thing there is no Good Fairy around to put a Pinocchio kind of spell on us. You know, that one where our nose grows when we tell a lie. I mean, imagine how awkward, to say the least, it would be on a Sunday morning when we all stood up to sing “You Are My All In All” and our noses started growing! Think about it, there we all are, singing to Him, telling Jesus that he’s not only #1 in our lives, but that he’s #1 and Only. Come on, be honest now, am I the only one whose nose would quickly surpass that of Cyrano? Why, the evidence would be there, right in front of our, uh, noses, as we gather beneath our tall steeples and behind our stained glass, or meet in much less pretentious, but equally parochial settings which belie our profession that Christ truly is our all in all.
If Christ is all, then being a part of the Church, which is his Body, is our identity. But most of us can’t get beyond our being part of our particular churches, and in fact avoid, ignore, and even actively work against any prompting of the Holy Spirit to seek after and work for any coming together in Jesus with other believers. We like “our” Jesus, and “our” church, and “our” faith, and “our” songs, and “our” Bible, and so on. In fact we like all that is “ours” so much, that it makes any and all claims to love Him and His disingenuous, which is a high sounding way to say that we’re liars.
We need to hear what Paul was saying to the Colossians, and to believe it, and to start living it, if we don’t want our noses to keep sprouting when we sing about how much Jesus means to us: “Here, in the Church, in Christ, there are no distinctions, no divisions. Once you’ve put on Jesus, there is no place in the new self for any identity in your life other than His. If Christ is all, then all else is nothing. For as long as you permit anything else to be something in you or to you, you make Christ nothing.”
Granted, this is radically challenging teaching. But there is no place for cutting and pasting, for trimming and reshaping, for reimagining and remaking Jesus and his Church to suit ourselves, our congregation, our denomination. Want to do a simple test to determine if Christ is all? Listen to the harmony of the Body of Christ. Are things a little out of pitch within the fellowship of believers you worship with? What’s it sound like, if and when different congregations in your community get together? If there is silence, because we keep to ourselves, or if the sound is discordant when we meet, then there is a problem, because Jesus always binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:14).
I can’t speak for you, but I believe it is time we sought the sweet harmony, and peace of Christ, that is present only when He IS all, and IN all who are his Body, the Church. Jesus makes “one” anything but “the loneliest number,” and the harmony of the many who proclaim his praise with one voice through our psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16) perfect. And our noses will be in pretty good shape too.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Friday, March 16, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Jesus Made "One" Anything But "The Loneliest Number" (Part 7)
What Did Jesus Do?
What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or
“I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Chirst.”
Is Christ divided?
1 Corinthians 1:12-13
Is Christ divided? Oh my gosh, yes, almost beyond all recognition! Which is perhaps the chief reason why the lost don’t have much of a chance of seeing Jesus in what passes for the Church these days. Of course, the odds weren’t in the favor of the lost back in the day, when Paul learned of what was going on in the congregation he had established in Corinth. Today, after nearly two thousand years, we don’t seem to have learned the lesson Paul was earnestly trying to get through to the Corinthians.
At a time when it is certainly as important as ever, and arguably even more important since time does grow shorter every day, for the Body of Christ to seek and save the lost, much of the Church busies itself with emptying the cross of Christ of its power by insisting on dividing Jesus up into pieces so small that it’s not surprising the lost have so much trouble finding him. (1 Corinthians 1:17) We are all supposed to be in this, actually in Him, together as one.
I am not sure, but my suspicion is that too many of us are too full of ourselves, which means there is little room to be filled with Him by the Holy Spirit. And, being so full of ourselves, we have little hunger or longing for, much less a sense of how much we truly need, intimate and ongoing fellowship with other believers. Individually this either isolates us, or keeps our relationships with other believers shallow. Corporately it turns sanctuaries where there should be open and easy intercourse between congregations, into strongholds where we grimly hold out against “them,” except for the occasional and, again, typically shallow, “community service” for Thanksgiving and perhaps Good Friday.
There seems no solution to this problem other than for pewsitters and pulpiteers alike to confess our sin, ask forgiveness of the Lord and one another, and submit to the Holy Spirit, who, we can be assured, will always bring believes together. In case you didn’t catch my drift, I just implied that very different spirits are at work when congregations divide Christ. If you are a pewsitter I believe you (and I) need to get closer to the pewsitter next to you, and together you need to get your congregation closer to other congregations. If you are a pulpiteer you (and I) need to get closer to others who share the same vocation, and you need to prayerfully and through the Word lead your congregation to discover that it was the clear and strong desire of Jesus to make “one” anything but “the loneliest number.”
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or
“I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Chirst.”
Is Christ divided?
1 Corinthians 1:12-13
Is Christ divided? Oh my gosh, yes, almost beyond all recognition! Which is perhaps the chief reason why the lost don’t have much of a chance of seeing Jesus in what passes for the Church these days. Of course, the odds weren’t in the favor of the lost back in the day, when Paul learned of what was going on in the congregation he had established in Corinth. Today, after nearly two thousand years, we don’t seem to have learned the lesson Paul was earnestly trying to get through to the Corinthians.
At a time when it is certainly as important as ever, and arguably even more important since time does grow shorter every day, for the Body of Christ to seek and save the lost, much of the Church busies itself with emptying the cross of Christ of its power by insisting on dividing Jesus up into pieces so small that it’s not surprising the lost have so much trouble finding him. (1 Corinthians 1:17) We are all supposed to be in this, actually in Him, together as one.
I am not sure, but my suspicion is that too many of us are too full of ourselves, which means there is little room to be filled with Him by the Holy Spirit. And, being so full of ourselves, we have little hunger or longing for, much less a sense of how much we truly need, intimate and ongoing fellowship with other believers. Individually this either isolates us, or keeps our relationships with other believers shallow. Corporately it turns sanctuaries where there should be open and easy intercourse between congregations, into strongholds where we grimly hold out against “them,” except for the occasional and, again, typically shallow, “community service” for Thanksgiving and perhaps Good Friday.
There seems no solution to this problem other than for pewsitters and pulpiteers alike to confess our sin, ask forgiveness of the Lord and one another, and submit to the Holy Spirit, who, we can be assured, will always bring believes together. In case you didn’t catch my drift, I just implied that very different spirits are at work when congregations divide Christ. If you are a pewsitter I believe you (and I) need to get closer to the pewsitter next to you, and together you need to get your congregation closer to other congregations. If you are a pulpiteer you (and I) need to get closer to others who share the same vocation, and you need to prayerfully and through the Word lead your congregation to discover that it was the clear and strong desire of Jesus to make “one” anything but “the loneliest number.”
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Jesus Made "One" Anything But "The Loneliest Number" (Part 6)
What Did Jesus Do?
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
Romans 10:12
To a Jewish audience Paul’s declaration that there is no distinction between Jew and Greek was worse than nonsense, it was blasphemy! It would have been more offensive than today suggesting that there is no distinction between an Afghani and an American, Democrats and Republicans, the Red Sox and the Yankees. Maybe Paul’s great learning had driven him insane? (see Acts 26:24) Or maybe Paul, better than just about anyone then or now, truly understood the Gospel, and how Jesus had made “one” anything but “the loneliest number.” Everyone, Jew and Greek, Afghani and American, Democrat and Republican, even Red Sox and Yankee, who calls upon the name of the Lord, receives the same riches.
So, why is it, when Jesus looks upon all who are his, and see them as one and united under his lordship, that we insist on behaving as many and disparate? We seem to love nothing so much as to make all kinds of distinctions: Between the West and the Orthodox, between Catholic and Protestant, between Reformed and Lutheran, between Baptist and Pentecostal, even between Presbyterian and Presbyterian! And, let’s be plain here, by our distinctions we would deny the place and the privilege of the Lord to bestow his riches lavishly upon all who call on him.
Even worse, our preoccupation with making so many distinctions gets in the way of what should be our chief occupation—proclaiming the Gospel to the lost so that they may believe and call upon the Lord. Here in little old McDowell County, NC (Just over 40,000 pop.) there are 160+ congregations that are more into doing their own thing on their own, rather than doing His thing together, with the result that 80% of our neighbors aren’t part of any of the many, which likely means that most of that 80% are not part of the One who is, well, The One. As I’ve said before, if this is the “Bible Belt,” then we must be its rusty buckle that’s unbuckled.
All I am saying is, if God’s Word tells us that he makes no distinctions, isn’t it about time that we stopped being so hung up on them? It will be Resurrection Sunday (or Easter if you prefer) in just a couple of weeks. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the One Savior who died on the One Cross, was laid in the One Grave, and made many one through his One Resurrection, could be worshiped and proclaimed by his One People who all come together on that day as One in Him?
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37:4
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
Romans 10:12
To a Jewish audience Paul’s declaration that there is no distinction between Jew and Greek was worse than nonsense, it was blasphemy! It would have been more offensive than today suggesting that there is no distinction between an Afghani and an American, Democrats and Republicans, the Red Sox and the Yankees. Maybe Paul’s great learning had driven him insane? (see Acts 26:24) Or maybe Paul, better than just about anyone then or now, truly understood the Gospel, and how Jesus had made “one” anything but “the loneliest number.” Everyone, Jew and Greek, Afghani and American, Democrat and Republican, even Red Sox and Yankee, who calls upon the name of the Lord, receives the same riches.
So, why is it, when Jesus looks upon all who are his, and see them as one and united under his lordship, that we insist on behaving as many and disparate? We seem to love nothing so much as to make all kinds of distinctions: Between the West and the Orthodox, between Catholic and Protestant, between Reformed and Lutheran, between Baptist and Pentecostal, even between Presbyterian and Presbyterian! And, let’s be plain here, by our distinctions we would deny the place and the privilege of the Lord to bestow his riches lavishly upon all who call on him.
Even worse, our preoccupation with making so many distinctions gets in the way of what should be our chief occupation—proclaiming the Gospel to the lost so that they may believe and call upon the Lord. Here in little old McDowell County, NC (Just over 40,000 pop.) there are 160+ congregations that are more into doing their own thing on their own, rather than doing His thing together, with the result that 80% of our neighbors aren’t part of any of the many, which likely means that most of that 80% are not part of the One who is, well, The One. As I’ve said before, if this is the “Bible Belt,” then we must be its rusty buckle that’s unbuckled.
All I am saying is, if God’s Word tells us that he makes no distinctions, isn’t it about time that we stopped being so hung up on them? It will be Resurrection Sunday (or Easter if you prefer) in just a couple of weeks. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the One Savior who died on the One Cross, was laid in the One Grave, and made many one through his One Resurrection, could be worshiped and proclaimed by his One People who all come together on that day as One in Him?
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37:4
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Jesus Made "One" Anything But "The Loneliest Number" (Part 5)
What Did Jesus Do?
Now the FULL number of those who believed were of ONE heart and soul,
and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own,
but they had everything in common.
Acts 4:32
I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way. Please understand that I am happy to be in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. But, that being said, I have a strong suspicion that the Father and Son are not thrilled with the proliferation of denominations. I mean, it must almost look like a cancer infecting the Church. Forgive me, but I can almost hear Jesus saying, “You know, Abba, I just wish all these denominations would go to hell. Do you think we should send them all back to the devil?” And the Father sighs and responds, “I hear that! Try and be patient a while longer. Even as the denominations proliferate, there is a small but growing number who get it/us, and who are seeking to truly become one Church, even as you and I, and the Holy Spirit, are one. But, only when the time comes for your return, will the full number of those who believe be of one heart and soul.”
Again, just in case anyone from the EPC reads this, I am happy, and thankful, to be part of that franchise. Yet, at the same time, I long to belong to that full number of believers who are of one heart and soul, but, frankly, denominationalism keeps getting in the way. My friend Bob is in the PC(USA). Philip is PCA. Paul is C&MA. Jimmy is Southern Baptist. And then there’s Phil, who is independent. So, as much as my friends and I are, in Christ, of one heart and soul, our denominations (or independence) prevent us from having everything in common, as long as denominations are doing their thing more than His.
One of us may have this creed. Another may have that mode of baptism. A third may hold to a polity (church governance) different from the rest. And on and on. Think about it. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles tells us that, among early believers, all were of one heart and soul. Everything they had, not just material possessions, but, most importantly, their faith, they had in common. And, I believe, it was the matchless power of all, as relatively small as all was at first, being ONE, that enabled the followers of Jesus to transform lives, families, communities, and empires. Today, with the many denominations seemingly being more about what we have in particular rather than in common, there seems to be less and less power in the body of Christ to change, to transform, much of anything. The result is that most of the world finds it quite easy to ignore us, which means they find it easy to ignore Him, and that is tragic.
I don’t know about you, but I want to experience being part of the full number of believers in this day who are of one heart and soul, having everything in common, most especially our faith in Jesus Christ, our love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. As a matter of fact, if the Lord sees fit to give me another opportunity to serve as an undershepherd to part of his flock, I believe I would incorporate from the beginning a regular (at least once a month) visit of the entire congregation with another to worship with them and affirm the oneness of our heart and soul in and through Jesus. Imagine what it would be like if an entire congregation showed up in the midst of yours on a given Sunday, and made your prayers their prayers, made their offering your offering, and together as ONE affirmed the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I think we would all come away knowing we were of one heart and soul.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Now the FULL number of those who believed were of ONE heart and soul,
and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own,
but they had everything in common.
Acts 4:32
I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way. Please understand that I am happy to be in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. But, that being said, I have a strong suspicion that the Father and Son are not thrilled with the proliferation of denominations. I mean, it must almost look like a cancer infecting the Church. Forgive me, but I can almost hear Jesus saying, “You know, Abba, I just wish all these denominations would go to hell. Do you think we should send them all back to the devil?” And the Father sighs and responds, “I hear that! Try and be patient a while longer. Even as the denominations proliferate, there is a small but growing number who get it/us, and who are seeking to truly become one Church, even as you and I, and the Holy Spirit, are one. But, only when the time comes for your return, will the full number of those who believe be of one heart and soul.”
Again, just in case anyone from the EPC reads this, I am happy, and thankful, to be part of that franchise. Yet, at the same time, I long to belong to that full number of believers who are of one heart and soul, but, frankly, denominationalism keeps getting in the way. My friend Bob is in the PC(USA). Philip is PCA. Paul is C&MA. Jimmy is Southern Baptist. And then there’s Phil, who is independent. So, as much as my friends and I are, in Christ, of one heart and soul, our denominations (or independence) prevent us from having everything in common, as long as denominations are doing their thing more than His.
One of us may have this creed. Another may have that mode of baptism. A third may hold to a polity (church governance) different from the rest. And on and on. Think about it. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles tells us that, among early believers, all were of one heart and soul. Everything they had, not just material possessions, but, most importantly, their faith, they had in common. And, I believe, it was the matchless power of all, as relatively small as all was at first, being ONE, that enabled the followers of Jesus to transform lives, families, communities, and empires. Today, with the many denominations seemingly being more about what we have in particular rather than in common, there seems to be less and less power in the body of Christ to change, to transform, much of anything. The result is that most of the world finds it quite easy to ignore us, which means they find it easy to ignore Him, and that is tragic.
I don’t know about you, but I want to experience being part of the full number of believers in this day who are of one heart and soul, having everything in common, most especially our faith in Jesus Christ, our love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. As a matter of fact, if the Lord sees fit to give me another opportunity to serve as an undershepherd to part of his flock, I believe I would incorporate from the beginning a regular (at least once a month) visit of the entire congregation with another to worship with them and affirm the oneness of our heart and soul in and through Jesus. Imagine what it would be like if an entire congregation showed up in the midst of yours on a given Sunday, and made your prayers their prayers, made their offering your offering, and together as ONE affirmed the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I think we would all come away knowing we were of one heart and soul.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Monday, March 12, 2012
Jesus Made "One" Anything But "The Loneliest Number" (Part 4)
What Did Jesus Do?
“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them (Gentile converts to faith in Jesus),
by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us (Jewish converts),
and he made NO DISTINCTION between us and them…”
Acts 15:8-9
I am one of, oh, I don’t know, maybe half a dozen fans of The Friends of Distinction, who were kind of The 5th Dimension wannabes (If you don’t know who The 5th Dimension were you’re much younger than I, and definitely haven’t a clue about The Friends of Distinction). Don’t worry if this is confusing, this WDJD isn’t about music of the 60s and 70s, or about friends among whom we may want to make distinctions. You see, Jesus made “one” anything but “the loneliest number” because he made no distinction between ‘us’ and ‘them.’ (Which is kind of like saying The 5th Dimension vs. The Friends of Distinction wouldn’t matter at all to Jesus, because he would love them and their sound equally.).
The problem with the followers of Jesus, in the First Century and the Twenty-first, is that we seem to have a real issue with not making distinctions among those who should all be friends whom we accept and love equally. Whether it’s an unbearable yoke on the neck (Acts 15:10) of other disciples, or any other kind of “Jesus and ______” doctrine we might require to receive anyone as a fellow believer, making distinctions among ones who should be our friends in Christ is a refutation of the faith which declares that all who are saved are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus alone (Acts 15:11).
Yet, we continue to make distinctions based on the age of folks we are willing to baptize, which Bible translation we use, what kind of music is incorporated into worship, whether the pastor wears a robe or jeans, and all kinds of other stuff that Jesus never employed to separate his followers. It’s like this, Jesus wanted his followers, all his followers, to be ONE, friends with no distinctions!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them (Gentile converts to faith in Jesus),
by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us (Jewish converts),
and he made NO DISTINCTION between us and them…”
Acts 15:8-9
I am one of, oh, I don’t know, maybe half a dozen fans of The Friends of Distinction, who were kind of The 5th Dimension wannabes (If you don’t know who The 5th Dimension were you’re much younger than I, and definitely haven’t a clue about The Friends of Distinction). Don’t worry if this is confusing, this WDJD isn’t about music of the 60s and 70s, or about friends among whom we may want to make distinctions. You see, Jesus made “one” anything but “the loneliest number” because he made no distinction between ‘us’ and ‘them.’ (Which is kind of like saying The 5th Dimension vs. The Friends of Distinction wouldn’t matter at all to Jesus, because he would love them and their sound equally.).
The problem with the followers of Jesus, in the First Century and the Twenty-first, is that we seem to have a real issue with not making distinctions among those who should all be friends whom we accept and love equally. Whether it’s an unbearable yoke on the neck (Acts 15:10) of other disciples, or any other kind of “Jesus and ______” doctrine we might require to receive anyone as a fellow believer, making distinctions among ones who should be our friends in Christ is a refutation of the faith which declares that all who are saved are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus alone (Acts 15:11).
Yet, we continue to make distinctions based on the age of folks we are willing to baptize, which Bible translation we use, what kind of music is incorporated into worship, whether the pastor wears a robe or jeans, and all kinds of other stuff that Jesus never employed to separate his followers. It’s like this, Jesus wanted his followers, all his followers, to be ONE, friends with no distinctions!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Jesus Made "One" Anything But "The Loneliest Number" (Part 3)
What Did Jesus Do?
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is no male and female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like politics. This dislike for politics extends to individuals who practice nothing but politics. That’s right, I really don’t like politicians. This is why I am contemplating voting “No” in November if all I get to choose from is a group of politicians. As I said, I don’t know about you, but I also believe Jesus didn’t care for politics and politicians all that much. In fact, Jesus sought to pretty much eradicate politics. Think about it, politics is always so adversarial, so contentious, so win-lose. But Jesus wanted his followers to understand that we’re all in this together; Jesus made “one” anything but “the loneliest number.” And he did it be tackling politics head on.
First, there’s ethnic politics. Jew vs. Greek. Judaizers vs. Hellenists. Blacks vs. Whites. Whites vs. Reds. In Christ there is simply no place for any of this. “Jew,” what’s a Jew? “Gentile,” what’s a Gentile? There is neither Jew nor Greek…for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.
Next there are the politics of class and economics. Slave vs. Free. Owners vs. Workers. Wealthy vs. Poor. 1%ers vs. the 99%. In Christ there is simply no place for any of this. “Slave,” what’s a slave? “Free,” what’s free? There is neither slave nor free…for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.
Finally, there is gender politics. Male vs. Female. Husband vs. Wife. Men speaking in church vs. Women keeping their mouths shut. Adam vs. Amanda (see Adam’s Rib with Hepburn and Tracy). In Christ there is simply no place for any of this. “Male,” what is it to be male? “Female,” what is it to be female? There is no male and female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.
Pick any kind of distinction or difference you may, Jesus will have none of it for his people. Bikers vs. Cagers. Duke vs. UNC. Dems vs. Reps. Conservatives vs. Liberals. We have to put all this stuff out of our minds and hearts, that is, if we have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). All politics is far more concerned with keeping others out than bringing them in. But, for those who practice faith rather than politics, for those who follow Jesus, the sole concern is with gathering others in.
The thing is, others cease to be “other” when all are ONE in Christ Jesus. In the end, I don’t care what kind of politics you pursue, you are going to end up lonely, no matter how many supporters and sympathizers and like-minded friends you have, because politics is fickle. But in Christ Jesus, where all are ONE, there is faithful fellowship that endures because Jesus has for all time and eternity made “one” anything but “the loneliest number.”
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is no male and female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like politics. This dislike for politics extends to individuals who practice nothing but politics. That’s right, I really don’t like politicians. This is why I am contemplating voting “No” in November if all I get to choose from is a group of politicians. As I said, I don’t know about you, but I also believe Jesus didn’t care for politics and politicians all that much. In fact, Jesus sought to pretty much eradicate politics. Think about it, politics is always so adversarial, so contentious, so win-lose. But Jesus wanted his followers to understand that we’re all in this together; Jesus made “one” anything but “the loneliest number.” And he did it be tackling politics head on.
First, there’s ethnic politics. Jew vs. Greek. Judaizers vs. Hellenists. Blacks vs. Whites. Whites vs. Reds. In Christ there is simply no place for any of this. “Jew,” what’s a Jew? “Gentile,” what’s a Gentile? There is neither Jew nor Greek…for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.
Next there are the politics of class and economics. Slave vs. Free. Owners vs. Workers. Wealthy vs. Poor. 1%ers vs. the 99%. In Christ there is simply no place for any of this. “Slave,” what’s a slave? “Free,” what’s free? There is neither slave nor free…for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.
Finally, there is gender politics. Male vs. Female. Husband vs. Wife. Men speaking in church vs. Women keeping their mouths shut. Adam vs. Amanda (see Adam’s Rib with Hepburn and Tracy). In Christ there is simply no place for any of this. “Male,” what is it to be male? “Female,” what is it to be female? There is no male and female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.
Pick any kind of distinction or difference you may, Jesus will have none of it for his people. Bikers vs. Cagers. Duke vs. UNC. Dems vs. Reps. Conservatives vs. Liberals. We have to put all this stuff out of our minds and hearts, that is, if we have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). All politics is far more concerned with keeping others out than bringing them in. But, for those who practice faith rather than politics, for those who follow Jesus, the sole concern is with gathering others in.
The thing is, others cease to be “other” when all are ONE in Christ Jesus. In the end, I don’t care what kind of politics you pursue, you are going to end up lonely, no matter how many supporters and sympathizers and like-minded friends you have, because politics is fickle. But in Christ Jesus, where all are ONE, there is faithful fellowship that endures because Jesus has for all time and eternity made “one” anything but “the loneliest number.”
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Friday, March 9, 2012
Jesus Made "One" Anything But "The Loneliest Number" (Part 2)
What Did Jesus Do?
There is ONE body and ONE Spirit—ONE Lord, One faith,
ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all…
Ephesians 4:4-6
Something tells me that if Jesus were here to witness the divisions in his Body over sprinkling vs. pouring vs. dunking, and grape juice vs. wine, and hymnody vs. contemporary “praise music,” and KJV vs. every other translation it would at the very least give him a migraine, if not make him want to throw up, as Woody Allen once quipped in a seriously humorous way. While the mysterious “Masked Man” with the silver bullets may have been a hero in the Old West, Jesus did not exalt any Lone Ranger mentality. Contrary to all logic, Jesus taught that the real strength in numbers is when many add up to 1. That’s right, Jesus made “one” anything but “the loneliest number.”
It troubles me as much as anything these days that the Church has forgotten the most essential math lesson in God’s kingdom. It may be a maxim on the battlefield that to divide is to conquer, but, for Christian soldiers, to be divided is to be defeated. How is it that we don’t get this? Sometimes I am afraid that not getting the importance of being 1 in Christ is a strong indication that we really don’t get Him. And, if we don’t get Him, how, in the name of heaven, can we share Him? You’ve seen those bumper stickers that say, “If you don’t KNOW Peace you’ll have NO Peace”? Well, no one can know the peace of Christ if all we have to offer is a piece of Him! The one thing this does answer for me is why so many seemingly have no use for the faith we put on display, because it’s a faith that can’t deliver Jesus because we’ve made it all but impossible for Christ to be seen after we’ve divided him up into so many little pieces.
Here’s what I think just might be Job #1 for the Church—to be ONE! How else will the world ever come to know the ONE hope to which we have all been called if we don’t clearly and consistently put on display the ONE God and Father of all by showing our unity in the ONE Son of God and Savior of all, by the power of the ONE Holy Spirit who is in all upon whom God has poured out his grace and truth? I’ve never been much of a Beatles fan, but I think if Jesus were here today he might make use of a band that would exhort his people to “Come Together” and “Love, Love, Love.”
Think about this the next time you attend a worship service where Communion is being celebrated: Jesus is the Maitre d’ who, whenever two or more are gathered in his name, announces, “Table for One!” I don’t know about you, but I believe it’s time our congregations started relating to each other as ONE in Jesus. And I think it doesn’t matter if it begins in pew or pulpit, but begin it must if the churches in your community and in mine, and in every community, are going to be the Church.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
There is ONE body and ONE Spirit—ONE Lord, One faith,
ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all…
Ephesians 4:4-6
Something tells me that if Jesus were here to witness the divisions in his Body over sprinkling vs. pouring vs. dunking, and grape juice vs. wine, and hymnody vs. contemporary “praise music,” and KJV vs. every other translation it would at the very least give him a migraine, if not make him want to throw up, as Woody Allen once quipped in a seriously humorous way. While the mysterious “Masked Man” with the silver bullets may have been a hero in the Old West, Jesus did not exalt any Lone Ranger mentality. Contrary to all logic, Jesus taught that the real strength in numbers is when many add up to 1. That’s right, Jesus made “one” anything but “the loneliest number.”
It troubles me as much as anything these days that the Church has forgotten the most essential math lesson in God’s kingdom. It may be a maxim on the battlefield that to divide is to conquer, but, for Christian soldiers, to be divided is to be defeated. How is it that we don’t get this? Sometimes I am afraid that not getting the importance of being 1 in Christ is a strong indication that we really don’t get Him. And, if we don’t get Him, how, in the name of heaven, can we share Him? You’ve seen those bumper stickers that say, “If you don’t KNOW Peace you’ll have NO Peace”? Well, no one can know the peace of Christ if all we have to offer is a piece of Him! The one thing this does answer for me is why so many seemingly have no use for the faith we put on display, because it’s a faith that can’t deliver Jesus because we’ve made it all but impossible for Christ to be seen after we’ve divided him up into so many little pieces.
Here’s what I think just might be Job #1 for the Church—to be ONE! How else will the world ever come to know the ONE hope to which we have all been called if we don’t clearly and consistently put on display the ONE God and Father of all by showing our unity in the ONE Son of God and Savior of all, by the power of the ONE Holy Spirit who is in all upon whom God has poured out his grace and truth? I’ve never been much of a Beatles fan, but I think if Jesus were here today he might make use of a band that would exhort his people to “Come Together” and “Love, Love, Love.”
Think about this the next time you attend a worship service where Communion is being celebrated: Jesus is the Maitre d’ who, whenever two or more are gathered in his name, announces, “Table for One!” I don’t know about you, but I believe it’s time our congregations started relating to each other as ONE in Jesus. And I think it doesn’t matter if it begins in pew or pulpit, but begin it must if the churches in your community and in mine, and in every community, are going to be the Church.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Jesus Made "One" Anything But "The Loneliest Number"
What Did Jesus Do?
“Holy Father, keep them in your name…
that they may be ONE, even as we are one.”
John 17:11
One of the bitterest disappointments I experienced moving from Milton, PA to Marion, NC nine years ago (And there have been some very bitter disappointments!) was seeing how broken and divided the Body of Christ is in McDowell County. With 160+ congregations in little ol’ McDowell, I thought I was relocating to the heart of the so-called “Bible Belt.” It turns out the “belt” is unbuckled! Where the congregations in Milton (Which is demographically very similar to Marion) came together in Jesus’ name regularly to minister to the wider community, in McDowell County the many congregations are much more interested in doing their own thing, their own way, on their own for Jesus. In other words, being part of the Body of Christ in McDowell County is disturbingly lonely, if you catch my drift. The thing is, Jesus made “one" anything but “the loneliest number.”
You see, Jesus, the Son, didn’t come to do his thing, he came to do the Father’s because, though they are two persons, the Father and the Son are one in their attributes, character, power, purpose, and substance. And it was the Son’s deepest desire, even as it was the Father’s, that all those whom he received from the Father should also be one. Many believers, yes, but one in and with the Lord. Many congregations, yes, but one Church under Christ’s lordship, not doing their thing, but his.
I still don’t understand the stubborn resistance to coming together in the name of the Son, to do his thing to the glory of the Father. I don’t imagine I ever will understand it. And I believe it will always be painful to witness and experience. Painful, and lonely.
I want you to know that I don’t care if “Presbyterian” is part of what your congregation calls itself or not. Doesn’t matter to me if “Methodist” is part of the name. Or Baptist, Lutheran, or Pentecostal. If “Catholic” is part of your identity it’s fine with me. If we agree that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, that he is the Son of God the Father, and that he sends the Holy Spirit to every believer, and in the Spirit makes us all one in his one true Church, then we should seek opportunities to worship and to minister together as one in Jesus’ name, which means in his authority and power. When come together as one in Jesus it’s anything but lonely!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“Holy Father, keep them in your name…
that they may be ONE, even as we are one.”
John 17:11
One of the bitterest disappointments I experienced moving from Milton, PA to Marion, NC nine years ago (And there have been some very bitter disappointments!) was seeing how broken and divided the Body of Christ is in McDowell County. With 160+ congregations in little ol’ McDowell, I thought I was relocating to the heart of the so-called “Bible Belt.” It turns out the “belt” is unbuckled! Where the congregations in Milton (Which is demographically very similar to Marion) came together in Jesus’ name regularly to minister to the wider community, in McDowell County the many congregations are much more interested in doing their own thing, their own way, on their own for Jesus. In other words, being part of the Body of Christ in McDowell County is disturbingly lonely, if you catch my drift. The thing is, Jesus made “one" anything but “the loneliest number.”
You see, Jesus, the Son, didn’t come to do his thing, he came to do the Father’s because, though they are two persons, the Father and the Son are one in their attributes, character, power, purpose, and substance. And it was the Son’s deepest desire, even as it was the Father’s, that all those whom he received from the Father should also be one. Many believers, yes, but one in and with the Lord. Many congregations, yes, but one Church under Christ’s lordship, not doing their thing, but his.
I still don’t understand the stubborn resistance to coming together in the name of the Son, to do his thing to the glory of the Father. I don’t imagine I ever will understand it. And I believe it will always be painful to witness and experience. Painful, and lonely.
I want you to know that I don’t care if “Presbyterian” is part of what your congregation calls itself or not. Doesn’t matter to me if “Methodist” is part of the name. Or Baptist, Lutheran, or Pentecostal. If “Catholic” is part of your identity it’s fine with me. If we agree that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, that he is the Son of God the Father, and that he sends the Holy Spirit to every believer, and in the Spirit makes us all one in his one true Church, then we should seek opportunities to worship and to minister together as one in Jesus’ name, which means in his authority and power. When come together as one in Jesus it’s anything but lonely!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Jesus Trusted The Father, Not Man
What Did Jesus Do?
But Jesus did not entrust himself to them, for he himself knew what was in man.
John 2:24-25
While I hardly expect the modern political state of Israel to put its trust in Jesus, I hope it can be true to its heritage of faith in the One whom Jesus trusted. Jesus could have trusted in those who enthusiastically believed in his name by virtue of his show of power (“signs”; John 2:23), but he knew better than to do that because he knew what was in man. So Jesus placed his trust completely in the Father.
Though its lapses have been many and tragic, historically Israel has always been delivered when it has trusted in the one whom Jesus called “Father.” Today, modern Israel, surrounded by many nations who would like to see it destroyed, much the same as ancient Israel had many enemies, must decide where it will place its trust. Truly, the IAF and IDF (Israeli Air Force and Israel Defense Forces) are exceptionally fine “Chariots” and “horses” in which to trust. But they’re still “chariots” and “horses,” and Israel has always been called to place its trust rather in the name of the LORD its God (Psalm 20:7).
All this is to say that the admittedly extremely volatile political situation in the Middle East is more than merely political for Israel, and, I believe, she must look to more than political survival and military deliverance. In a similar way, though the United States is not Israel, and has no national covenant history to call upon, many Christian Americans who lament the current political and economic condition of this nation, need to ask ourselves in whom, or in what, do we trust, and seek more than political and economic deliverance.
Modern political Israel is not to be confused with the ancient theocracy. Yet, there can be no hope or future for modern political Israel apart from trust in the LORD and his deliverance. Similarly, there can be no hope or future for 21st Century America apart from trust in the one whom Jesus called Father, and Israel called LORD. Should Israel maintain the highest possible levels of military vigilance? Absolutely! But it must even more vigilantly call upon the LORD its God. Should Americans exercise our responsibility to be an informed and active electorate? Absolutely! But we must also vigorously call upon the Father, in and through Jesus who put his trust in God, and not in man. Deliverance may, for a time, come to Israel through its arms, and to America through the ballot. But true and lasting deliverance will only come by placing all our trust in God.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37:4
But Jesus did not entrust himself to them, for he himself knew what was in man.
John 2:24-25
While I hardly expect the modern political state of Israel to put its trust in Jesus, I hope it can be true to its heritage of faith in the One whom Jesus trusted. Jesus could have trusted in those who enthusiastically believed in his name by virtue of his show of power (“signs”; John 2:23), but he knew better than to do that because he knew what was in man. So Jesus placed his trust completely in the Father.
Though its lapses have been many and tragic, historically Israel has always been delivered when it has trusted in the one whom Jesus called “Father.” Today, modern Israel, surrounded by many nations who would like to see it destroyed, much the same as ancient Israel had many enemies, must decide where it will place its trust. Truly, the IAF and IDF (Israeli Air Force and Israel Defense Forces) are exceptionally fine “Chariots” and “horses” in which to trust. But they’re still “chariots” and “horses,” and Israel has always been called to place its trust rather in the name of the LORD its God (Psalm 20:7).
All this is to say that the admittedly extremely volatile political situation in the Middle East is more than merely political for Israel, and, I believe, she must look to more than political survival and military deliverance. In a similar way, though the United States is not Israel, and has no national covenant history to call upon, many Christian Americans who lament the current political and economic condition of this nation, need to ask ourselves in whom, or in what, do we trust, and seek more than political and economic deliverance.
Modern political Israel is not to be confused with the ancient theocracy. Yet, there can be no hope or future for modern political Israel apart from trust in the LORD and his deliverance. Similarly, there can be no hope or future for 21st Century America apart from trust in the one whom Jesus called Father, and Israel called LORD. Should Israel maintain the highest possible levels of military vigilance? Absolutely! But it must even more vigilantly call upon the LORD its God. Should Americans exercise our responsibility to be an informed and active electorate? Absolutely! But we must also vigorously call upon the Father, in and through Jesus who put his trust in God, and not in man. Deliverance may, for a time, come to Israel through its arms, and to America through the ballot. But true and lasting deliverance will only come by placing all our trust in God.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37:4
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Jesus Cared Little for Casual Dining
What Did Jesus Do?
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—
for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Luke 7:47
I bet you never thought of the term “casual dining” as hate speech. But, in a world where 26,000 children die each day from starvation or preventable diseases, there is something hateful in diminishing dining to something merely casual, incidental, or of little significance. Go without any food for a day or two, and you will begin to think of your next meal as very meaningful indeed!
Apparently a certain Simon and his pharisaical colleagues were quite full, of themselves at the very least, and of what else we can only guess. But dining had become so casual that Simon overlooked, intentionally or otherwise, several common courtesies a host would normally extend to his guests, as he reclined at table with Jesus at his house. We have no idea what kind of idle conversation may have been taking place at what up to a point was a fairly meaningless meal. But, when “a woman of the city, who was a sinner” showed up (Luke 7:37), the dining, and the conversation, turned quickly from the casual to the memorable.
For, where Simon had neglected several points of hospitality which one would have expected at a meal, in fact behaving so casually towards his guest as to be suspected of being intentionally rude, the uninvited woman of easy virtue lavished upon the Lord such attention and devotion that we still remember her demonstrative discipleship after two thousand years. Actually, the turn in the conversation began with Simon talking to himself (Luke 7:39), making a remark which Jesus simply could not allow to pass, for it supplied a timeless teaching moment.
You see, Simon knew all about Jesus, or at least his reputation. That’s why the Pharisee had invited the itinerant rabbi to his home for dinner. Jesus was something of a celebrity at the time, something of a prophet, to say the least. But what kind of prophet would sit still with a prostitute washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair? No kind of prophet that Simon could imagine. And certainly no kind of Messiah! Yet here was this woman carrying on so. Why? Because she got it/Him, where Simon and the other Pharisees did not. Jesus was, and is, the kind of Messiah Pharisees could not recognize, much less take seriously, so dinner with him was strictly casual. But, for sinners like the woman who could not stop kissing the feet of Jesus (Luke 7:45), Jesus was and is the Savior we can not do enough for, and dinner with Him is never anything less than a feast, a love feast.
Here’s the thing, in our microwave, meals “to go” culture, where “casual dining” is a major industry, too many of us give far too little thought to the meaning of our meals. I think that’s one of the objects of observing a fast, to heighten our appreciation of the blessing of food for our belly, because we don’t know what we’ve got until, well, it’s gone. And what we, who have been forgiven much, have, and what we should celebrate, and what we should share every time we eat, whether in the company of family, friends, or strangers, is the very real love of the Father in and through the Son. I believe we need to recover the “love feast” attitude of the First Century believers who always received their food “with glad and generous hearts.” Glad to know the love of God thorugh our daily bread. Generous in making every meal an opportunity to love God back by sharing our bread with others. Meals like this are congenial, intimate, warm, but never casual or thoughtless. Meals like this are ones where Jesus is truly welcomed, and where Jesus truly welcomes. Meals like this are ones where those who have been forgiven much love much.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37:4
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—
for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Luke 7:47
I bet you never thought of the term “casual dining” as hate speech. But, in a world where 26,000 children die each day from starvation or preventable diseases, there is something hateful in diminishing dining to something merely casual, incidental, or of little significance. Go without any food for a day or two, and you will begin to think of your next meal as very meaningful indeed!
Apparently a certain Simon and his pharisaical colleagues were quite full, of themselves at the very least, and of what else we can only guess. But dining had become so casual that Simon overlooked, intentionally or otherwise, several common courtesies a host would normally extend to his guests, as he reclined at table with Jesus at his house. We have no idea what kind of idle conversation may have been taking place at what up to a point was a fairly meaningless meal. But, when “a woman of the city, who was a sinner” showed up (Luke 7:37), the dining, and the conversation, turned quickly from the casual to the memorable.
For, where Simon had neglected several points of hospitality which one would have expected at a meal, in fact behaving so casually towards his guest as to be suspected of being intentionally rude, the uninvited woman of easy virtue lavished upon the Lord such attention and devotion that we still remember her demonstrative discipleship after two thousand years. Actually, the turn in the conversation began with Simon talking to himself (Luke 7:39), making a remark which Jesus simply could not allow to pass, for it supplied a timeless teaching moment.
You see, Simon knew all about Jesus, or at least his reputation. That’s why the Pharisee had invited the itinerant rabbi to his home for dinner. Jesus was something of a celebrity at the time, something of a prophet, to say the least. But what kind of prophet would sit still with a prostitute washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair? No kind of prophet that Simon could imagine. And certainly no kind of Messiah! Yet here was this woman carrying on so. Why? Because she got it/Him, where Simon and the other Pharisees did not. Jesus was, and is, the kind of Messiah Pharisees could not recognize, much less take seriously, so dinner with him was strictly casual. But, for sinners like the woman who could not stop kissing the feet of Jesus (Luke 7:45), Jesus was and is the Savior we can not do enough for, and dinner with Him is never anything less than a feast, a love feast.
Here’s the thing, in our microwave, meals “to go” culture, where “casual dining” is a major industry, too many of us give far too little thought to the meaning of our meals. I think that’s one of the objects of observing a fast, to heighten our appreciation of the blessing of food for our belly, because we don’t know what we’ve got until, well, it’s gone. And what we, who have been forgiven much, have, and what we should celebrate, and what we should share every time we eat, whether in the company of family, friends, or strangers, is the very real love of the Father in and through the Son. I believe we need to recover the “love feast” attitude of the First Century believers who always received their food “with glad and generous hearts.” Glad to know the love of God thorugh our daily bread. Generous in making every meal an opportunity to love God back by sharing our bread with others. Meals like this are congenial, intimate, warm, but never casual or thoughtless. Meals like this are ones where Jesus is truly welcomed, and where Jesus truly welcomes. Meals like this are ones where those who have been forgiven much love much.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37:4
Jesus Cared About Lost Souls, And Empty Stomachs
What Did Jesus Do?
“I have compassion on the crowd…
And I am unwilling to send them away hungry.”
Matthew 15:32
Empty bellies were as much of concern to Jesus as lost souls. It was as much against Christ’s nature (which he of course shares with the Father) to overlook the very real physical needs of the multitudes who came out to see him and hear him, as it was to ignore their spiritual needs. The Lord recognized the need for the stomach to be filled with food just as much as he did the heart with love. Certainly, Jesus knew that “man does not live by bread alone.” But he also understood that man can only live so long in this world without bread.
You see compassion is more than concern. Compassion is concern converted into action. The clueless don’t see the need. The callous see the need, but could care less. The compassionate see the need, and do something about it. I believe the dominant characteristic of the incarnate Christ was his compassion, his unwillingness send the hungry away empty, to walk away and leave those who were broken in pieces, to pass by the sick and the lame and ignore their infirmities, to leave the lost with no option but hopelessness.
The Apostle James would warn the Church to test its faith by the measure of its compassion, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (James 2:15-16) Translation: For Christ’s sake, have compassion! That’s what Jesus did.
Be unwilling to send any away hungry, ill-clothed, cold, homeless, friendless. Whether confronted with a crowd, or just one knocking on our door, we are to care about the lost souls and the empty bellies, and show them, spiritually and materially, the compassion of Christ.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“I have compassion on the crowd…
And I am unwilling to send them away hungry.”
Matthew 15:32
Empty bellies were as much of concern to Jesus as lost souls. It was as much against Christ’s nature (which he of course shares with the Father) to overlook the very real physical needs of the multitudes who came out to see him and hear him, as it was to ignore their spiritual needs. The Lord recognized the need for the stomach to be filled with food just as much as he did the heart with love. Certainly, Jesus knew that “man does not live by bread alone.” But he also understood that man can only live so long in this world without bread.
You see compassion is more than concern. Compassion is concern converted into action. The clueless don’t see the need. The callous see the need, but could care less. The compassionate see the need, and do something about it. I believe the dominant characteristic of the incarnate Christ was his compassion, his unwillingness send the hungry away empty, to walk away and leave those who were broken in pieces, to pass by the sick and the lame and ignore their infirmities, to leave the lost with no option but hopelessness.
The Apostle James would warn the Church to test its faith by the measure of its compassion, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (James 2:15-16) Translation: For Christ’s sake, have compassion! That’s what Jesus did.
Be unwilling to send any away hungry, ill-clothed, cold, homeless, friendless. Whether confronted with a crowd, or just one knocking on our door, we are to care about the lost souls and the empty bellies, and show them, spiritually and materially, the compassion of Christ.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
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