Seeking the Presence of God

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. 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. 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55.6-9

How often do we stop to marvel at the word of God? Lest we fall into the trap of simply reading (or worse, reading becomes a chore), consider that the Sovereign God of the universe inspired this word through generations to His people in order to tell His story: through it, with the Holy Spirit as our interpreter and counselor, we get a glimpse, however small it may be, into the mind of God.

Yet that is itself the paradox. Notice how this passage begins: "Seek the Lord while He may be found." Remember the words of David in Psalm 139:

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast."

Or remember Paul's contemplation in Romans 8: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"

So if God is onmipresent, what does it mean to seek Him while He can be found? If God's ways are higher than ours, we'll never be able to understand completely. The best we get is a glimpse.

Think of it like this: we're walking by the railroad tracks and a train speeds by. We decide to follow it, so we start running. Regardless of how fast we run, are we likely to catch the train as it fades away into the distance? No- but as we continue running we get closer and closer to the train's final destination.

In much the same way, as we seek to understand the word of God we do not gain full insight into the mind of God. Yet with the help of the Holy Spirit and with perseverance in seeking on our own parts, we will get closer and closer to the target. Thus to "seek the Lord while He is near" becomes a command of intention to us. Even though our understanding of the infinite is immeasurably limited because we are finite, in seeking we are able to draw nearer to God and are transformed by His presence through the process.

Bibliography

NIV Archaeological Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Print.

Be Holy

"Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when He is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"

1 Peter 1:13-16

I am incapable of holiness. Every instinct within me runs without hesitation from it towards immediate self-gratification and later towards my own destruction. This seems to be the way of humanity. Think about the apostle Paul, as he records in Romans 7:

"So I find it to be a law that when I want to do good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me."

Romans 7:21-23

Scripture is filled with stories about people whom God called to holiness, yet who inevitably found ways to fall short of that calling. Our own lives are testimonies to this. Yet there is hope!

As Peter exhorts the church in his letter, we can take the path of spiritual discipline. The disciplines themselves do nothing to save us: they simply place us bare before the power of the Holy Spirit, which brings the dead back to life in a new creation.

Brothers and sisters, my prayer for us this week is that we are willing to submit ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit, allowing ourselves to be shaped and transformed by Him as we are intentional in pursuing Christ through discipleship.

Lord God, make us holy as You are holy.

Bibliography

The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2006.

On Memorizing Scripture

"And you never can be sorry for the trouble you took to learn them [two thousand Bible verses]; for knowledge is worth more than anything there is in the world; it's what makes great men and good men..."

Judge Thatcher, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,
Mark Twain (emphasis mine)

In a world dominated by the latest educational and discipleship trends, I would encourage us not to shy away from memorization. The Judge was above commending Tom on his (albeit alleged) learning of two thousand verses of Scripture. Without getting into the various arguments for and against rote memorization as a teaching tool, I think it is important that we take another look at the Judge's final statement (emphasized above). Now consider the words of the Psalmist:

"Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep Your word. I do not turn aside from Your rules, for You have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth."

Psalm 119:97-103

Brothers and sisters, we should be intentional about memorizing Scripture. We are surrounded by pressing matters and temptation every day: in order to navigate these troubled waters, it is vital that God's word is our meditation. It should be the chart by which we navigate. The psalmist notes the wisdom it gives him in comparison to those who are considered wise in society. More importantly, he proclaims the practical impact of having God's word as his meditation: holding his own feet back from evil, he does not turn aside from obeying the command of God.

Lord, let this be the case in our own lives. Empower us by Your Spirit to better hear Your voice and obey Your word.

Bibliography

ESV Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001. Kindle.

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. New York, NY: Random House Publishing, 1989.

Monkey See...

I am not a parent. My wife and I have no plans to change that in the immediate future. However, I am a son. My parents are amazing: they have always set an excellent example for me. The lessons that I learned from them are innumerable, and I can never thank God enough for them both.

That is the perspective which I bring into today's discussion. Parents, your children learn from you. They learn not only the wisdom that you teach, but they learn behavior from watching you. This is not inherently a bad thing; in fact, God ordained it that way. Take a look at the following passage:

He decreed statues for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. They would not be like their forefathers- a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.

Psalm 78:5-8 (emphasis mine)

If you continue reading through the chapter, you find that the parents

• "did not keep God's covenant, and refused to live by His law" (10)
• "continued to sin against Him" (17)
• "kept on sinning in spit of His wonders" (32)
• "put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep His statutes"(56).

Here's where the point hits home. Immediately following the last reference above, we find these words: "Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow" (57, emphasis mine). The story that is recounted in this chapter spans generations; each successive generation follows the example taught to it by its predecessors.

If we want future generations to follow God, we have no choice but to model that lifestyle for them. This is a responsibility not just for parents, but for any of us who have influence on those younger than ourselves. The fact of the matter is simple: we cannot teach them to live as disciples of Jesus Christ if we are not doing it ourselves.

Bibliography

NIV Archaeological Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Print.

Abide in Me

Following Jesus puts us in a peculiar situation. Of utmost importance, it means that we have a relationship with Him. This relationship goes deep, reshaping our lives both personally and publicly. It also means that the world will hate us.

"If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world- therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'Servants are not greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also."

John 15:19-20

How then are we to bear fruit when the world is hostile to the Gospel? Take a look at Jesus' words in John 15:1-11. It is no coincidence that Jesus gave these words just before the passage quoted above. It is a very hard thing for us to hear that people are against us. So He offers a prescription: to be fruitful, abide in Me.

The word abide comes from the Greek word which is transliterated meno: it is a verb that means "to stay, remain, live, dwell, abide." In addition to this, it has a special annotation: "to be in a state that begins and continues, yet may or may not end or stop." The editors of the concordance referenced went on to note that "'To abide in Christ' is to follow His example of a life obedient to the will of God" (Goodrick, Kohlenberger, and Swanson, 1570).

Here's the deal: if we want to see the world redeemed, we must abide in Jesus. As His people, we need to be intentional about being close to Him and then, at the end of the day, desiring to draw closer still. There is no program or plan that will make the difference. Apart from Jesus, the Church cannot fulfill the Great Commission. Apart from Him, the Christian becomes ineffective.

But we have to count the cost. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus often warned His immediate followers of this; one instance was in Luke 14. Even as we look back to the passage quoted at the beginning of this post, we can see that the cost is real and is not limited to the financial realm. In fact, it may cost us everything. We who wish to follow Him today must be prepared to heed the same warning.

Bibliography

Goodrick, Edward W., John R. Kohlenberger, and James A. Swanson. Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1999. Print.

The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford UP, 1989. Print.

Leaving 99

"Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices."

Luke 15:4-5

I have heard this passage taught many times. I have read it many more. Yet I did not fully understand it until I became a teacher.

Teachers are entrusted with so many responsibilities and hopes for their students. Both inside and outside the classroom, we see them trying to learn and find their way. I have the privilege of serving at a Christian school, which gives me the freedom to express not just my hopes for them academically and socially, but also spiritually.

I will be honest: I am not perfect. I have wasted opportunities. As God has been working in my life lately, I am trying to do better; in doing so, I am getting a deeper understanding of this passage and what it requires.

First, it requires love. My friends who are parents understand this on a real, urgent level when they cannot find their child. The shepherd has to love the sheep, otherwise he would not care to pursue it. But more than love is needed. 

A shepherd must also be strong and courageous. Without these qualities, he would not brave the unknowns of the wild in order to find the sheep. He would be unable to lift the sheep from any snares and the carry it back to the flock.

That all sounds good, but why are we talking about it? Our culture needs shepherds. It needs parents, teachers, pastors, coworkers, neighbors, and friends who will be loving enough to watch over it, courageous enough to pursue it, and strong enough both to carry it towards safety and to lead it in the way it should go. It needs shepherds who will protect it from the thieves that come to harm it. It needs men and women who get what Jesus was talking about and who are striving daily to follow in the example of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11).

Can we be those shepherds? May God enable us by His Spirit for this purpose.

Bibliography

The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford UP, 1989. Print.

Continuing to Grow

As we mark our first anniversary of The Landing, I have just finished rereading a book that I read almost a decade ago as I was entering my first semester at university. I have been wanting to do this for about a year now, and decided that this was the perfect time to again read The Heart of the Artist.

In my copy of this book there were many highlights and notes from my first read and our class discussions. Now there are many more. It is amazing how much more we get out of things the second time around, as we have grown with age and experience. Today I would like to share a quote that I found particularly challenging:

"Growing in Christ doesn't mean that we acquire a bunch of head knowledge. It means that we grow in areas such as moral excellence, intimacy with Christ, self-control and discipline, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love" (39).

From the beginning of our work here at The Landing, our goal has been to participate in a global, digital society, working to fulfill the Great Commission: "make disciples of all nations... teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). The last year has wrought its fair share of changes in each of our lives, but that goal remains constant.

As you read this post or others that are available through our archives, we hope that you do not leave only with information. Thanks to the rapid growth of the internet, information can be found anywhere. Rather, it is our prayer that you are challenged in your faith. In the aforementioned quote from Rory Noland, he points out that discipleship is not just learning new data; instead, discipleship is taking what we learn from Jesus and letting it make a noticeable, tangible difference in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I look forward to continuing to write here at The Landing. With so many distractions online, I pray that this will continue to be a quiet place where we can be challenged towards spiritual maturity in Christ.

Though I may never have met you, dear reader and friend, know that I am praying for you. As Spring approaches and 2015 continues, I pray that you would come to know God in a deeper way. I pray that He would empower you to make a difference in your family, workplace, and community for His Name's sake.

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (1 Thessalonians 5:28)

Bibliography

The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford UP, 1989. Print.

Noland, Rory. The Heart of the Artist: A Character-building Guide for You and Your Ministry Team. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999. Print.

The Responsibilities of the Disciple in Regards to Sin

"My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All men must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads."
Galatians 6:1-5

I love being challenged by Scripture. The author of Hebrews tells us that it "is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword" and "it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (4:12). It does this by the power of the Holy Spirit, continuing to teach us as we follow Jesus. How amazing is this continual act of God's love?

Then we come to a passage like the one given above. This passage can be considered challenging, because of how it begins and ends. The issue: "Bear one another's burdens" vs. "All must carry their own loads."

At first glance, these two statements stand in direct contradiction. Biblical exegesis, however, shows that his is not the case. Let us begin by looking at the differences between the two nouns, translated into English as "burdens" and "loads." The first, burdens, is transliterated in Greek as baros, which can refer to weight, burden, or difficulty. The second comes from the Greek phortion, which is a burden, load, or cargo. J. M. Boice says that the difference between the two is that the first are burdens "more than a man should carry," while the second is "a common term for a man's 'pack'" (502).

Taking this subtle nuance into consideration, as disciples of Christ being filled with the Holy Spirit we are obliged to help our brothers trapped beneath the burden of sin. In his commentary on these verses, John Calvin offers an insightful reflection on this: "When we perceive a brother to have transgressed, let us consider that he has fallen into the snares of Satan; let us be moved with compassion, and prepare our minds to exercise forgiveness. But offences and falls of this description must undoubtedly be distinguished from deep-seated crimes, accompanied by deliberate and obstinate disregard of the authority of God" (171). No sin is to be ignored or swept under the rug, but this passage refers explicitly to those brothers or sisters who are habitually and willfully choosing sin over the new life which Christ has offered.

Let the disciple beware, however. Paul warns caution against temptation as we strive for our brother's restoration. He even encourages warning against two conceits: (1) the believer thinking he is more important than he actually is, and (2) the believer comparing himself with others (Boice, 502). It is in the context of this latter conceit that we come to the final thought in the Scripture: "For all must carry their own loads." The English, in my opinion, presents the timing of this with much less clarity than the Greek or even the Latin, which uses the verb portabit, a future tense verb. In the end, each disciple will carry his own pack of works when he/she stands in the presence of God. J.V. Fesko notes that

"We can either look to Christ by faith and receive his righteousness and perfect obedience, or we can try to stand on our own. However, if we lean on our own devices, there will be no one else to blame when we fall. We will have to give an account for every one of our actions. There will not be any justification by guilt, by poor parents, by weakness, or by any other excuse we may try to conjure up" (188-9).

At the end of the journey, we will be responsible for our own actions. There will be no excuse that can be given. At the same time, we are responsible for coming to the aid of our brothers and sisters in Christ as they too wrestle with sin. We must do so in humility and kindness.

I myself am still working through the implications of these things, both as a disciple of Jesus Christ and as an educator. It is my prayer for each of us that as we allow God to teach us through His word, He would show us practical opportunities to apply this passage in each of our varied situations.

Bibliography

Boice, James M. "Galatians." Romans through Galatians. Ed. Frank E. Gaebelein. Vol. 10. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1976. Print. The Expositor's Bible Commentary with the New International Version.

Calvin, Jean. "Galatians." Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians. Trans. William Pringle. Vol. XXI. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2009. 170-76. Print. Calvin's Commentaries.

Fesko, J. V., and Jon D. Payne. Galatians. Powder Springs, GA: Tolle Lege, 2012. 183-89. Print.

Goodrick, Edward W., John R. Kohlenberger, and James A. Swanson. Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1999. Print.

The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford UP, 1989. Print.

Keeping Perspective

by Joshua Bland

I recently got to visit with some former students about perspective. As we all know, life is full of ups and downs. Things too often change much faster than we would prefer.

As a high school teacher, I know that this time of year is full of many, many changes for my students and their families. The term is drawing to a close; new activities will soon occupy their time. Some may begin summer work; others may be welcoming a brother or sister home from university.

The pace also changes for teachers. Summers are spent with family; many do reading, research, or seminars to help as we strive to continue learning.

In all honesty, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Life happens. Jobs change, people move, and loved ones die. As we approach these situations, we find ourselves in the constant question: will I allow God to lead and receive the glory, or am I in it for me. You see, the answer to this question is vital to determining our actions and responses in any given situation. I do not think like God does; my ego still wants, nay craves, authority and glory. Redemption and sanctification are a process of us submitting ourselves anew to the Lord's call to follow Him.

As we move through these times of change following in the command and ordinance of God for His own glory, we need to remember the word of the Lord found in Joshua 1.9: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be troubled or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Concerning Discipleship, Children, and Student Ministry

by Wade Overturf

As I thought about what I should say in my first article in the first ever Ouachita River Fellowship newsletter, the only thing that I could think about was sharing my heart for ministry.  The Great Commission tells us to "Go and make disciples", but we sometimes miss the true meaning of this phrase.  What Jesus was saying with this statement in Matthew 28 is that as we are living our lives we should be showing others around us what it means to be a disciple of Christ.  This, in turn, helps those who don't have a relationship with Christ more fully understand what happens to your life when God takes over control.

        If I could say one thing that sums up who I am and what I am about it would be that I strive everyday to be walking with Christ so that others can see Him in me.  My goal as Youth and Children's Pastor is
to pass this practice down to the next generation.  If we can instill this principle in the students and children at ORF then the difference that they can make is unbelievable. Please pray along side of me for the youth and children of Ouachita River Fellowship that God may use their lives in a mighty way!

Living the Commission

by Joshua Bland

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” American church culture has often interpreted the process of going as primary in the Great Commission, found Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB). While this is not a bad thing, we perhaps have missed part of the original meaning: the Greek word here rendered “go” is not a command, but a participle. By shifting our emphasis to the sole command to disciple, we are actually afforded a greater amount of freedom to be the witness of Christ in the world.

Think of it this way: it takes time to prepare for international missions. To pack up one's life and move to another people group for the purpose of sharing the news of Jesus Christ is a large commitment of time. Mind you, this is a noble cause. But it is not the only mission field which is available to us. It also takes time to go to school, to work 40 hours a week, to shop at Walmart or Kroger, and to survive the daily grind. This may not sound nearly as glorious as moving to an exotic land for the Gospel, but there is the same need and hunger for the Gospel in these situations as there is elsewhere.

How then do we live the Great Commission? A more literal interpretation of this command is: “As you are going, make disciples.” Have you seen the beautiful freedom afforded here? As you go to work, make disciples. As you shop for groceries, make disciples. As you study for school or spend time with your family, make disciples. The command to make disciples is supplemented by the phrases regarding baptizing and teaching. Baptism serves as a visible symbol of new life in Christ, and teaching means that the journey does not end here. Once someone chooses Christ, we as disciples have the commitment to continue helping that person to grow. Given the exact same situation, you and I may make disciples differently because we are different people.

You have gifts which I lack; the reverse may also be true. This flexibility allowed by the Great Commission seems to foreshadow the announcement made by Paul: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NASB). Because we are different and have been differently gifted, we are able to disciple in different ways.

Despite our differences, our goal must be the same; ours is the message of the cross, that salvation is only available through Jesus Christ. As announced by Christ, “No man comes to the Father except through Me.” While I write these few thoughts online, you may be verbally telling someone of what God has done in Christ to demonstrate His love for them. Or perhaps you are showing with your actions what it means to be a Christ follower. And God is using us both for His glory.

The Intersect

by Joshua Bland

Recently I have been re-watching the television series Chuck. I started watching a few years ago and never finished it; now, with the help of Netflix, I have started from the beginning. For those of you who do not know about the show, let me sum it up:

Chuck is a tech-smart slacker working at the Nerd Herd (the show's equivalent of the Geek Squad). He is sent an email by an old associate that contains an encrypted government supercomputer, which is downloaded into his brain. The show follows Chuck's life and relationships as he learns to live with the Intersect.

After having a marathon of episodes during a recent bad weather day, 2 Corinthians 5:17 came to my mind: "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." Jesus talks throughout the Gospels, particularly that of John, about the coming of the Holy Spirit. We see this happen in Acts, given as a sign of our redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14).

While the scene of Acts 2 is certainly compelling and powerful, the aftermath is equally important. The Holy Spirit transformed the lives of the disciples, equipping them to share the Gospel in their communities, to endure persecutions, and to spur one another on in faith, discipleship, and works.

While all analogies fall short, notice this one: the Holy Spirit is to the disciple what the Intersect is to Chuck. Without it, he could not function properly or successfully in increasingly daunting situations. Without it, his life would never be what it could be; his full potential could not be realized. Even with the Intersect, episode after episode shows Chuck messing up or failing in some way; we will do the same with the Holy Spirit in us. When failure occurs, there is opportunity for redemption and maturity that can come from it. However, if we choose (or continue to choose) to ignore the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can not be the sons and daughters, disciples, ministers, and evangelists that God has called us to be.