Category: Hear From the President

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Perhaps you remember Wayne’s World from the TV show Saturday Night Live. Comedians Mike Myers (as Wayne Campbell) and Dana Carvey (as Garth Algar) gave tongue-in-cheek compliments by kneeling and waving their arms in mock worship, proclaiming, “We’re not worthy!” People today exclaim “I’m not worthy” upon witnessing a particularly amazing feat. When I think of some of the skilled folks I’ve been blessed to fish with, “I’m not worthy” comes to my mind as well.

Of course, some not-so-skilled people tell exaggerated stories about their “epic” fishing trips. But let me tell you two fishing stories that need no exaggeration. The first story is a personal one, about the time I took my son on his first fishing outing. As attested by the pictures above, it was a good day. I’ll never forget the look on my son’s face as he reeled in his first fish. Rather large for a less-than-four-year-old boy, it nearly pulled him out of the boat! When we met some people back on shore, and they realized it was my son’s first catch, several jokingly proclaimed, “We’re not worthy!” Quite a fishing story, don’t you think? But nothing compared to the second—one I’m sure you know. It’s the incident where Jesus directed Simon Peter to a location where he and his companions then hauled in a record catch. Though Simon was the professional fisherman, Jesus gave Simon these instructions:

“Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. (Luke 5:4-7)

Notice Simon Peter’s reaction (illustrated in the painting above):

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken…. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:8-11)

Peter’s response to Jesus was, in essence, “I’m not worthy.” Isn’t that how we often feel when encountering God’s love and grace? We know we’re sinners and there’s nothing we can do to make ourselves worthy in God’s sight. But Jesus’ intent is never to push us away, or to shame us, but to help us understand that our worthiness comes not from ourselves, but from him. Jesus makes us worthy.

“But,” some might object, “isn’t it true that God refuses to be in the presence of sinners?” Though this false idea is held by some, the truth, thank God, is that the Son of God came to live among sinners—to be in their presence, and through his presence to make them worthy. This doesn’t mean that Jesus ignores our sin; in fact, he hates it—he hates how it hurts us and distorts and denigrates God’s character and God’s purposes for us.

The fact that we are sinners does not deter Jesus from seeking us out and fellowshipping with us—drawing us to the Father, in the Spirit. And while it’s true that what is “dead in sin” cannot make itself holy, God is both willing and able to make that which is dead, fully alive—to make that which is unholy, truly holy.

Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus associated and fellowshipped with sinners, much to the dislike of the Jewish religious leaders of his day: “The Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them'” (Luke 15:2). Jesus, who is the ultimate “fisher of men” (and women), rubbed shoulders with the people (sinners all) he intended to “catch,” including the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:7-29), pictured at right.

The Bible describes more than one miracle of Jesus involving catching fish—you might say that Jesus is the author of the ultimate fishing stories! Unlike fishermen who are famous for exaggerated stories, Jesus has no need to exaggerate. He skillfully gathered in Mary, Martha and Lazarus. He took a group of men who normally would not associate with each other and soon had them “swimming” together. Jesus “caught” those who became his apostles: Peter, Paul and the others. Throughout history he has continued to make stellar catches including former atheists C.S. Lewis and Alister McGrath. And let us not forget how he caught you and me in his net for eternal life!

Though there is nothing you or I can do to make ourselves worthy, we rest assured knowing that God the Father, by his sheer grace, makes us worthy by sharing with us in Christ through the Spirit, his own holiness. Now that’s the ultimate fishing story, and it’s great good news!

Glad to be caught by God,
Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I saw a Peanuts cartoon recently in which Charlie Brown, talking with Lucy, wonders if God is pleased with him. When he asks Lucy if she ever wonders the same thing, she replies, “He just HAS to be!” Humorous? Yes, but touching on a profound issue we all relate to, for we all seek affirmation. At one level, that’s OK—God created us as relational beings and it’s natural to seek affirmation from others. But that desire becomes a problem when affirmation is sought not knowing that God, who knows who we truly are and are becoming, is pleased with us already.

For those not secure in this gospel truth, I recommend they read The Mediation of Christ, by Thomas F. Torrance. It powerfully proclaims a vital pastoral principle: Because the gospel is always Yet not I, but Christ, we must avoid casting people back on themselves. We work contrary to that principle when our preaching and teaching point people to their sinful nature, or impose long lists of things they must do to please God. Doing so tends to focus people on self rather than Christ. But the gospel truth is that we are who we are, and who we are becoming, not apart from Christ, but in Christ. In fact, we have no being apart from Christ. Everything that was ours he has made his own so that everything that is his, is now ours in him. Paul put it this way:

You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

The Mediation of Christ helps us understand the good news that God really is pleased with us. That’s important to know in a world filled with so much bad news: the Chinese stock market imploding, Wall Street and United Airlines computer systems crashing, Greece on the brink of bankruptcy, ISIS executing thousands. Seeing all this bad news, some wrongly conclude that God is causing (or at least allowing) these things because of his hatred of sin. While it’s true that God hates sin, it’s not for the reason many assume. The truth is that God is not surprised by sin, and evil cannot thwart the plan he is working out in the universe. God hates sin because it damages and hurts his creation—it causes it pain and suffering, and that is not God’s will.

When God created the universe, he declared it good, even very good (Genesis 1:25, 27, 31). But how could God say that foreknowing that the creation would become so broken and diseased? Scripture (rightly understood) tells us that sin and evil entered the world as the absence of and defection away from what ought to be. Sin and evil are a corruption of God’s good creation and God is not the source—the creatures he created are, and we all are culpable. Yet God has good news for us—sin and evil do not change his love for his creatures, including humans who are created in his very image.

God was not caught off guard when in our pride and arrogance we rebelled against him. Along with his very good creation, God had a very good plan to assure his purpose for creation would survive even the greatest evil humans could devise. That is why John wrote about “the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). God’s plan was no fourth-down punt (to use an American football analogy), nor an emergency contingency plan. God created humanity to be in relationship with him and our failures were not unanticipated, they are not a showstopper. The opposite is true: God’s plan is the showstopper!

Regardless of what we do, or how much evil is in the world, Jesus is sufficient. He is the Son of God who assumed all original sin in the incarnation, all without sinning. In his purity, especially on the cross, he condemned sin in the flesh for the salvation of all humanity. That, dear brothers and sisters, is the good news of the gospel, which, as Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, tells us of the supremacy of Jesus, who is the very center of God’s plan:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. (Colossians 1:15-23)

In explaining who God is, Torrance reminds us that God never repents of being love. His love is always and everywhere unconditional:

It is his loving of the sinner which resists his sin that is His judgment of the sinner.… The total self-giving of the self-affirming God in love is and cannot but be the judgment of His love upon the sinner. He does not hold back His love from the sinner, for He cannot cease to be the God who loves and loves unreservedly and unconditionally. (The Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons, p. 246)

Yes, God is implacably opposed to sin for he takes no delight in seeing his creation besmirched. Yet sin and evil do not decrease God’s love for us. Note what God says through Ezekiel: “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone… so turn, and live” (Ezekiel 18:32 ESV).

In saying God is pleased with us already, we are not being antinomian nor “light on sin.” In The Doctrine of Jesus Christ, Torrance teaches that sin is a contradiction in the heart and at the basis of human existence—a corruption of our existence and a disintegration of our very being in relation to God. God, who has guaranteed that evil has no future, in mercy cuts and burns away the sin in us, condemning it to hell, and rescuing us for eternal life with him. God made this possible in Jesus where we die with him under God’s judgment—his No against sin, including the sin within us. With Christ we are ransomed and raised to newness of life. God’s love for us, therefore, is not based upon our works (good or bad). No, God is infinitely pleased with us, not because of what we do but because of who we are as his children and what he can do in and through us in fellowship and communion with him.

Let me share one more quote from Tom Torrance in The Mediation of Christ:

God loves you so utterly and completely that he has given himself for you in Jesus Christ his beloved Son, and has thereby pledged his very being as God for your salvation. In Jesus Christ God has actualized his unconditional love for you in your human nature in such a once for all way, that he cannot go back upon it without undoing the Incarnation and the Cross and thereby denying himself. Jesus Christ died for you precisely because you are sinful and utterly unworthy of him, and has thereby already made you his own before and apart from your ever believing in him. He has bound you to himself by his love in a way that he will never let you go, for even if you refuse him and damn yourself in hell his love will never cease. Therefore, repent and believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. (p. 94)

Even our individual repentance is flawed, and our Savior acts in our behalf on that too. Through his grace, we are “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). That means when God looks at us, he doesn’t see our sin—he sees the perfection of his Son—a perfection he is building in us by the Holy Spirit and that will be completed on the other side of our death, in Christ Jesus. It pleases God to reveal his Son in us (Galatians 1:15-16). Moreover, God sees the beginning from the end and he loves a good ending more than we realize.

Yes, God is pleased with you already, for you belong to him in Jesus Christ.

Feeling his pleasure as we proclaim the good news!
Joseph Tkach

PS: For a short booklet (tract) that presents this gospel truth, including an invitation to receive Christ, see the post under the Church Development heading above, left (or click here). I encourage our congregations to print copies of this booklet for members to give to friends and family, and to give to visitors at church.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I watched a video recently that parodies a TV infomercial—in this case hawking a fictitious Christian worship CD entitled It’s All About Me. The songs on the CD include Lord I Lift My Name on High, I Exalt Me, and There is None Like Me. Funny? Yes, but illustrative of the sad truth that we humans tend to worship self rather than God. As I noted last week in my “Quaffing Grace” letter, this tendency short-circuits our spiritual formation, leading to reliance on self rather than on Jesus, “The author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV).

Sometimes preachers inadvertently help people embrace a wrong approach through messages on Christian living topics like overcoming sin, helping the poor, or sharing the gospel. These topics can be helpful, but not when they focus people on self rather than on Jesus—who he is, and what he has done and is doing on our behalf. It’s vital that we help people rely fully on Jesus for their identity, their life’s vocation and their ultimate destiny. With eyes fixed on Jesus, they will see what they do to serve God and humanity not as “pull-yourself-up-by-your bootstraps” self-effort, but as real participation, by grace, in what Jesus is doing in his union with the Father and the Spirit, and with all humanity.

Let me illustrate by sharing discussions I had with two dedicated Christians. The first was with a man concerning his struggle with giving. For a long time he strove to give more in offerings to the church than he had budgeted, based on the wrong concept that giving, to be generous, must cause some pain. But no matter how much he gave (and how much pain he experienced in doing so), he still felt guilty knowing he could give more. Thankfully, his approach to giving changed one day while writing a check for the week’s offering. He found himself focusing on what his generosity would do for others rather than on its effects on himself. As this shift in his thinking occurred, feelings of guilt turned to ones of joy. For the first time, he understood a scripture often quoted in offertories: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). He came to realize that God didn’t love him less when he wasn’t a cheerful giver, but God loved seeing him experience joy when he was.

The second discussion involved two conversations with a woman concerning her prayer life. In the first she shared that she set the clock when she prayed to be sure she prayed at least 30 minutes. She would cover everything she thought important, but would be dismayed when she looked at the clock and saw not even 10 minutes had passed. So she would pray more, but each time she looked at the clock, feelings of guilt and inadequacy would rise. My comment to her, said in jest, was that it seemed to me that she was “praying to the clock!” In our second conversation she told me that my comment had revolutionized her approach to prayer (for that, God gets the credit, not me). Apparently my off-the-cuff comment got her thinking and she began to just talk with God when she prayed, not worrying about how long she prayed. In a rather short time, she started feeling more deeply connected with God than ever before.

Christian living (including spiritual formation, discipleship and mission) is not about “shoulds” and “oughts” focused on our performance. Instead it’s about participation, by grace, in what Jesus is doing in, through and around us. A focus on self-effort tends to result in a self-righteousness that often compares with others or even condemns them, falsely concluding that we have done something to deserve God’s love. But the truth of the gospel is that God loves all people as much as an infinite God possibly can. That means he loves others as much as he loves us. God’s grace does away with any “us vs. them” approach that exalts self as righteous and condemns others as unworthy.

“But,” some might object, “what about people who commit great sins? Surely God doesn’t love them as much as he loves faithful believers!” To answer this objection we need only look at the heroes of faith profiled in Hebrews 11:1-40. These were not perfect people—many of them experienced times of colossal failure. The Bible tells more stories about people God rescued from failure than about people who lived righteous lives. Sometimes we misread the Bible as if the redeemed did the work instead of the Redeemer! When we fail to understand that our lives are disciplined by grace, not self-effort, we erroneously conclude that our standing with God is about our performance. Eugene Peterson addresses this mistake in his helpful book on discipleship, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction:

The central reality for Christians is the personal, unalterable, persevering commitment that God makes to us. Perseverance is not the result of our determination; it is the result of God’s faithfulness. We survive in the way of faith not because we have extraordinary stamina but because God is righteous. Christian discipleship is a process of paying more and more attention to God’s righteousness and less and less attention to our own; finding the meaning of our lives not by probing our moods and motives and morals but by believing in God’s will and purposes; making a map of the faithfulness of God, not charting the rise and fall of our enthusiasm.

God, who is ever-faithful to us, never condemns us when we are unfaithful to him. Yes, our sins grieve him because they hurt us and others, but our sins don’t determine whether or how much God loves us.

Our triune God is perfect, complete love—there is no lesser or greater measure of his love for any person. Because God loves us, he gives us his Word and Spirit to enable us to recognize our sin, to confess it (agree with God about it) and then repent—turn away from sin back to God and his grace. Ultimately, all sin is a rejection of grace. Anyone who dies to their (false, old) self, confessing and repenting of sin, rather than justifying themselves, does so because they have received the gracious, transforming work of God. In his grace, God accepts us where we are but never leaves us there.

When we focus on Jesus and not self, we see ourselves and others the way Jesus sees us—as God’s children, and that includes the many who do not yet know their heavenly Father. As we walk with Jesus, he invites and equips us to participate in what he is doing to reach out in love to those who don’t know him. As we participate, we see with greater clarity what God is doing to turn his beloved children toward him in repentance, helping them put their lives entirely into his care.

As we share with Jesus in this ministry of reconciliation, we learn more clearly what Paul meant when he said that the law condemns but God’s grace gives life (see Acts 13:39 and Romans 5:17-20). That is why it’s vital that all our ministry, including our teaching about Christian living, is done with Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, under the umbrella of the grace of God.

Staying focused on grace, Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Last week we noted that when it comes to the freedom that is ours in Christ, some can’t handle the truth. Jesus came to reveal the freedom that is ours under grace, not to give us rules and regulations to live by. Sadly, many Christians prefer legalism over grace. Some Christian leaders won’t preach grace, fearing it would encourage their people to sin. They worry that in teaching grace they would lose control over their members who would begin doing whatever they wanted.

For some, grace is scandalous. How can God forgive all unconditionally—aren’t some sins much worse than others? How can all people have opportunity for the same reward?

For others, grace is irrational because it offends their sense of fairness and justice. You’ll recall the parable where the workers in the vineyard didn’t like it that others were paid the same for doing much less work (Matthew 20:1-16).

For others, grace is risky. One well-meaning Christian woman told me not to preach grace because that would open wide the door to lawlessness and unrighteousness. If God already has pardoned us, she wondered, wouldn’t people naturally desire to get away with as much as they can? What she failed to understand is that someone who hears of God’s grace then uses it as an excuse to continue in disobedience has actually not received grace but is presuming upon it. God’s grace does not promote licentiousness and it’s not some “newfangled idea.” No, grace has been around since the beginning. Note what the apostle Paul told his protégé Timothy:

So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord… Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8-10).

I can say from personal observation and experience that legalism produces far more lawlessness than grace. Like many of you reading this, I spent years hearing one sermon after another pleading with me to stiffen my upper lip, steel up my backbone, try harder, pray longer, read the Bible more, serve more diligently and stop every thought contrary to God’s law. All this was so I would become more holy—more like God. Over time, I realized I was actually developing a spiritual numbness. I was praying more, studying more and serving more, but it was more out of a sense of guilt or because it was expected of me, than out of a desire to know God and share his love with others.

While there is nothing wrong with praying or reading the Bible more, neither made me more holy. At times it might have made me more judgmental or pious, but not more holy. (As a side note, one of the most mature Christians I have known never read the Bible because she did not know how to read!)

Many of my favorite quotes about grace are from the colorful Christian author, Robert Farrar Capon (pictured at right). In his book Kingdom, Grace, Judgment: Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication in the Parables of Jesus, he wrote this:

The Gospel of grace must not be turned into a bait-and-switch offer. It is not one of those airline supersavers in which you read of a $59.00 fare to Orlando only to find, when you try to buy a ticket, that the six seats per flight at that price are all taken and that the trip will now cost you $199.95. Jesus must not be read as having baited us with grace only to clobber us in the end with law. For as the death and resurrection of Jesus were accomplished once and for all, so the grace that reigns by those mysteries reigns eternally—even in the thick of judgment.

I wonder why we don’t hear more sermons about Jesus and his grace, and less sermons about Christian living and how to improve ourselves or our ministries. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not opposed to sermons about personal improvement, moral living and letting our lights shine. But if those sermons are not given under the umbrella of grace, we can lose sight of the Author of grace. Here’s an illustration: One popular preacher on television almost always has three to seven “to-do” points in his sermons about how to become a more successful Christian. After a year, listeners would have at least 150 points to live by, and nearly 500 after three years. It wouldn’t be long before they’d have more points to live by than the 613 commands of the old covenant! It would be impossible to even remember all these points, let alone consciously put them into practice.

Grace is different, even counter-intuitive. God’s Spirit living in us leads us to bear fruit as we live our lives in union with Christ. We don’t produce the fruit that comes forth—we share what our Lord gives us. It’s simple to remember—we can’t do God’s work in our own power. As we live the new life in Christ, grace wrestles control out of our hands and destroys our safe, conditional world. God’s grace doesn’t just cosmetically change us—it transforms us from the inside-out. Notice Paul’s comment:

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good (Titus 2:11-14).

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon (pictured at right) put it this way:

When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I beat my breast to think I could ever have rebelled against One who loved me so and sought my good.

This is the experience of many when they move away from legalism (where they strive diligently through their own efforts to live right and stop sinning) and, trusting in Christ, begin living under grace. In that regard, note this from Capon in Between Noon & Three: Romance, Law & the Outrage of Grace:

The Reformation was a time when men went blind, staggering drunk because they had discovered, in the dusty basement of late medievalism, a whole cellar full of fifteen-hundred-year-old, two-hundred proof Grace—bottle after bottle of pure distillate of Scripture, one sip of which would convince anyone that God saves us single-handedly. The word of the Gospel—after all those centuries of trying to lift yourself into heaven by worrying about the perfection of your bootstraps—suddenly turned out to be a flat announcement that the saved were home before they started… Grace has to be drunk straight: no water, no ice, and certainly no ginger ale; neither goodness, nor badness, not the flowers that bloom in the spring of super spirituality could be allowed to enter into the case.

Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more—no spiritual calisthenics, no renunciation, no knowledge gained from seminaries and divinity schools, no crusading on behalf of righteous causes. Grace also means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less—no racism, pride, pornography, adultery or even murder. Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God possibly can. Imbibing deeply of such grace forever changes us.

I’ll have more to say about grace next week when we look at how people short-circuit their spiritual formation by fixing their eyes on self rather than on Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith.

Quaffing grace from a large decanter,
Joseph Tkach

PS: Tammy and I recently visited our congregation in Fairfield, California, pastored by Steve and Karon Smith. We had a wonderful time there with 40 brothers and sisters in Christ. Fairfield is gorgeous—surrounded by orchards, groves and vineyards. In nearby Healdsburg we visited Mauritson Winery (pictured at right), owned and operated by Clay and Carrie Mauritson. Clay was an outside linebacker for the Oregon Ducks and Carrie is the daughter of Gordon and Marilys Green, one of our pastoral couples in South Africa. I recommend Mauritson’s Zinfandel and we’ll have to return to taste their Cabernet Savignons. Oh, and their Port is quite nice—just ask Mike Swaggerty who joined us for dinner!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In a key scene in the movie A Few Good Men, defense lawyer Lieutenant Lionel Kaffee (portrayed by Tom Cruise) in cross-examining defendant Colonel Nathan Jessup (portrayed by Jack Nicholson), cries out: “I want the truth!” Colonel Jessup famously replies, “You can’t handle the truth!” Though we say we desire “the unvarnished truth,” what we often really want (as illustrated in the following joke) is truth that has been sugar-coated.

A fellow arrived home from the office just in time to receive a call from his wife who was about to fly home from Europe. “How’s my cat?” she asked. “Dead, he answered.” “Oh, honey, don’t be so honest. Why didn’t you break the news to me slowly? You’ve ruined my trip.” The semi-clueless husband replied, “What do you mean?” His wife gave him a bit of a tutorial by saying, “You could have told me he was on the roof. And when I called you from Paris, you could have told me he was acting sluggish. Then when I called from London, you could have said he was sick, and when I called you from New York, you could have said he was at the vet. Then, when I arrived home, you could have said he was dead.” Though never exposed to such protocol, the husband was willing to learn. “OK,” he said, “I’ll do better next time.” “By the way,” she asked, “How’s Mom?” After a long silence he said, “Uh, she’s on the roof.”

The Gospel accounts in the New Testament give examples of the disciples struggling to handle unvarnished truth. On several occasions, Jesus explained to them who he was and what was going to happen to him. At the Last Supper Jesus told them flat out, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Earlier, he declared that if they would stay with him they would know the truth and this truth would set them free (John 8:32). Yet the disciples struggled to grasp what Jesus was telling them and to overcome their unbelief.

The struggle to understand and believe continues. Like the iconic scene in A Few Good Men, many people in our world can’t handle the truth, yet they want its benefits—particularly the freedom it provides. Unwilling to face the truth of God, they invent other “truths”—imagining other means, ways, rules and regulations they think will lead them to freedom. But Jesus declares that he is the truth; he alone sets us free. He tells us that there is no other way to true and free life except in right relationship with God and humankind in and through him.

Most of us have had our own struggles to “handle the truth.” But such struggles never deter Jesus. We may not be able to handle the truth, but the Truth knows how to handle us! Jesus not only sets us free, but promises never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He reassures us that no power or circumstance (not even our own doubts) can snatch us out of his protective hands (John 10:29).

Sometimes, seeking freedom, instead of paying attention to the authentic truth, people devise their own (erroneous) truths. Refusing to believe there are absolute truths that apply to everyone, all the time, they proclaim that truth is relative. Some even misconstrue the grace of God (and the true freedom it provides) as being without direction, boundaries, central norms and defining authority. For them, freedom is nothing more than freedom from any and all constraints—freedom to follow any inclination they may have at any particular moment. But such mistaken ideas grossly misrepresent what truth, freedom and grace are all about. Note what the apostle Peter wrote: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16 ESV).

When Jesus declared that “the truth will set you free,” he was not talking about freedom to do whatever we want. He was declaring the mind of the God who, having designed and created us with a certain nature, gives us great purpose and the calling to live out that purpose throughout our lives. The triune God created us to live in a growing relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit by which we would be transformed into the fullness and stature of Jesus. God created us to be loved, and to love God and other people in ways that lead to an abundant life of true freedom—free to know God, to walk with God, to know the way, the truth and the life, to live the way that leads to peace and joy.

Yes, when the Son sets you free (and you live into that freedom), you are free indeed. The freedom God grants us in Christ, is freedom from and for specific things in accordance with God’s good design for us. That freedom runs in a particular direction. Whatever takes us off that path takes us away from the freedom God grants his children. Those other paths ultimately lead to slavery, not freedom.

Of course, there are times we fall from that narrow path—the way of eternal life that brings freedom—and we start walking down the broad and wide path that leads to destruction. But the good news is that Jesus brings us back. Not wanting us to be enslaved by our sinfulness; he reminds us that he is the truth, the one source of freedom. Note Paul’s words: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). God doesn’t want obedient slaves—he wants children who live with him in freedom, grace and truth. He wants children who know what true freedom is—the freedom God has provided for us in Jesus.

In reading Scripture, we must keep in mind that Jesus is the ultimate source of truth and freedom. The Bible is rightly understood only when read through the “lens” of the life and teachings of Jesus as explained by those he appointed as his interpreters. Thomas Torrance put it this way:

We have no speech or language with which to address God but the speech and language called Jesus Christ. In him our humanity, our human understanding, our human words are taken up, purified and sanctified, and addressed to God the Father for us as our very own—and that is the word of man with which God is pleased (The Mediation of Christ).

Jesus is the truth spoken from on high; he also is the perfect human response to that truth. As Torrance wrote in Theological Science, Jesus is the truth “actualized from within the ontological depths of the fallen humanity he assumed in the incarnation.” Jesus Christ is both the objective revelation of God and the appropriate response and conformation of man to divine revelation. Jesus is the one human being in whom the truth of God and human knowledge of the truth “are fully and faithfully correlated.”

Torrance’s point is that Jesus is both the revelation of God to us and the response of humanity to God. The knowledge of this reality dispels the dangerous half-truth that says we need Jesus to bring us to God, but then it’s up to us to get to Jesus. If that were true, we would never get to Jesus! In fact, people say “no” to Jesus all the time. But thanks be to God, Jesus says “no” to our “no.” He knows we don’t understand what we’re saying “no” to. Jesus, who is the way, makes the way for us. The Holy Spirit convicts us that Jesus truly is Lord and Savior. Through the Spirit, Jesus seeks us out when we are lost, helpless, alone and unbelieving.

We don’t come to Jesus through our own efforts. Jesus, through the Spirit, finds us. And when we respond by coming to Jesus, he says, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). As Jesus continues to say “no” to our “no,” he is reinforcing God’s big “yes” to humanity: Yes, you are forgiven. Yes, I accept you. Yes you are my dearly beloved child. God’s goal is that we will shout out our “yes” to him in response, understanding and embracing the truth that sets us free to be who we truly are in Christ.

It’s vital to understand that we can’t “handle” Jesus—he “handles” us! Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, welcomes and invites us to respond in a receptive way to him and to what he offers. Our triune God gives us the freedom we crave, but are incapable of achieving on our own. As C.S. Lewis notes, God grants this freedom by transforming us from the inside out:

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but he is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself.

Now that’s truth we can handle!

Loving the Truth,
Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Last month several GCI pastors participated in hands-on evangelism training called “Outside the Walls.” It was facilitated by Heber Ticas, national coordinator of GCI Church Multiplication Ministries in partnership with Pathways of Grace, one of our congregations near Dallas, Texas. Training began with classroom instruction on Friday and continued Saturday morning when the pastors joined members from the congregation in going door-to-door in neighborhoods surrounding the church meeting place to invite members of the community to participate in a children’s fun day held later that day.

Two of our pastors knocked on one door and told the man of the house they were representing the congregation, then mentioned the fun day. The man told them he didn’t believe in God because God wasn’t fixing the world’s problems. Rather than walking away, the pastors continued to talk with the man. They learned that he is a conspiracy theorist who believes religion is the cause of many of the world’s problems. The man was shocked when the pastors agreed that the man had a valid point and noted that Jesus wasn’t particularly fond of religion either. The man replied that he keeps asking questions and searching for answers. Another shock came when our pastors encouraged him to keep doing so. “No one has ever told me that before,” he replied. One pastor explained, “I believe as you ask questions, you will come to be open to some real answers—ones only God can give you.” After about 35 minutes, the man apologized for being so abrupt and confrontational and said he liked the way our pastors thought about God. The conversation ended with one of our pastors telling him: “The God I know and love, loves you and wants a relationship with you—he’s not all that concerned or worried about your conspiracy theories or your hatred of religion, and when the time is right, he will reach out to you and you will know it’s God and I believe you’ll respond accordingly.” The man looked at him and said, “That’s cool. Thanks for listening and thanks for taking time to talk with me.”

You can learn more about the Dallas-area Outside the Walls event in the article in this issue. I share this story from the event because it illustrates an important truth: people living in darkness are positively impacted when the light of Christ is openly shared with them. The contrast of light with darkness is a metaphor frequently used in Scripture to contrast good (or knowledge) with evil (or ignorance). Jesus used it to speak of judgment and sanctification:

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God (John 3:19-21 ESV).

The familiar saying, “Better to light a candle than curse the darkness,” was first spoken in public in 1961 by Peter Benenson, the British lawyer who founded Amnesty International. A candle encircled with barbed wire became the society’s emblem (see picture at right). The apostle Paul said something similar in Romans 13:12 (ESV): “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” This is what our two pastors, going door-to-door in a Dallas-area neighborhood did for one man who lives in darkness. In doing so they put into practice what Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 5:14-16:

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

I think we sometimes underestimate our ability to impact the world for good. We tend to forget that impacting just one person with the light of Christ can make a tremendous difference. Sadly, as shown in the cartoon above, some prefer to curse the darkness rather than shine that light; some prefer to point out sin rather than share God’s love and grace.

Though the darkness can overwhelm us at times, it never overwhelms God. We must never let our fear of evil in the world cause us to lose focus on who Jesus is and what he calls us to do. Remember that he reassures us that darkness cannot overcome the light. Even though we may feel like a very small candle in the midst of pervasive darkness, even a small candle offers life-giving light and warmth. Even the seemingly small ways we reflect Jesus, the light of the world, are never without positive benefit.

Jesus is the light of the whole cosmos, not just the church. He takes away the sin of the world—not just of believers. Through Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, the Father has taken us out of darkness and into the light of a life-giving relationship with the triune God who promises to never let us go. That is the good news (the gospel) about every person on the planet. Jesus is in union with all people, whether they know it or not. The two pastors talking to the atheist knew him to be a beloved child of God who, sadly, was still living in darkness. But instead of cursing that darkness (or the man!), the pastors chose to follow the lead of the Spirit to participate with Jesus in fulfilling the Father’s mission to a world living in darkness. As children of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5), they were willing to be light-bearers.

The Outside the Walls event continued on Sunday when some of the people in the community responded positively to invitations to attend our church. Though several came, the man the two pastors spoke with did not. It’s not likely he’ll show up at church any time soon. But getting him to come to church was not the purpose of the conversation. The man was given something to think about—a seed was planted in his mind and heart; a relationship with the church was begun that hopefully will continue. Because that man is a child of God, we are assured that God will continue to bring Christ’s light to him, and Pathways of Grace will likely have a part in what God is doing in that man’s life.

Let each of us follow the Spirit in sharing Christ, the light of God, with others. As we grow deeper in our relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit, we glow more and more brightly with God’s life-giving light. This is true of us as individuals, and as congregations. I pray that our congregations will shine even brighter light by reaching outside their walls to let their life in Christ by the Spirit flow out to the community around their place of meeting. As we include others in our corporate life by offering them God’s love in little and big ways, the darkness begins to dissipate and our communities will reflect more and more of the light of Christ.

Shining the light of Christ with you,
Joseph Tkach

PS: I’m looking forward to participating in the “Good News Festival 2015” coming up this fall in Maryland. You can find information about it and other worship festivals on the GCI Events webpage at www.gci.org/events.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The issue of global warming (sometimes referred to as climate change) has had a prominent and often contentious place in public discourse for some time. Lawmakers in many nations continue debating whether or not to enact sweeping policy changes to address the issue. Some see huge catastrophes looming while others are convinced that global warming is not occurring. There are many positions between these two.

Forgive the pun, but climate change is a “hot topic.” Experts and pundits on all sides of the debate continue to make all sorts of claims, typically pointing to scientific reports that seem to bolster their position. A person can go crazy, or at least suffer some depression, watching these debates unfold!

Sadly, claims on all sides of the debate are often sensationalized, and doom and gloom predictions abound. In 2007, English scientist James Lovelock predicted that as a result of global warming, billions of people will die and the few breeding pairs that survive will live in the Arctic. In 2008, based on the work of U.S. climate scientist Wieslaw Maslowski, former U.S. vice president Al Gore predicted that the entire northern polar ice cap would disappear by 2013. In 2010, Australian microbiologist Frank Fenner predicted that humans likely will be extinct within 100 years due to overpopulation, environmental destruction and climate change.

Lovelock later partially recanted his prediction, declaring, “I was alarmist about climate change and so was Gore. The problem is we don’t know what the climate is doing.” In a recent interview Lovelock noted that, “The climate is doing its usual tricks. There’s nothing much really happening yet. We were supposed to be halfway toward a frying world by now.” I find Lovelock’s candor refreshing, though sensationalized claims continue unabated with the internet awash with articles predicting dire catastrophes resulting from global warming. For example, some scientific studies point to the recent drought in Southern California as evidence of global warming. Others note that the drought is the result of normal climate cycles.

Of course, studies like these are often sensationalized in the media, despite the fact that many of the predictions have not come true. The northern polar ice cap has not disappeared and the population of earth continues to grow at a rapid pace. I might note that the media includes religious types who, as would-be prophets, love to cite scientific studies predicting catastrophes as evidence that a cataclysmic end of the world is at hand. You’ve probably noted that their predictions also have not come true.

Given these factors, what is a Christian to believe? One thing we know for sure from the record of history in this fallen world is that our knowledge often is incomplete. Moreover, we often have been incapable of solving our most pressing problems. We also see that the predictions of science have not been perfect and that the predictions of religious self-proclaimed prophets have typically failed. My point is this: it’s difficult to know the objective truth when reading about complex issues like those of climate change and global warming. There are reputable scientists who support all sides of the debate, so there is need for caution and care. Sadly, the media often throw caution to the wind in promoting the sensational—seemingly more interested in dramatic stories that entertain than objective (often complex) facts that truly inform. We need to be careful and circumspect in our reading and our reactions.

There is no doubt that we face substantial environmental problems around the world. Through Adam and Eve, God gave humankind the sacred responsibility of being custodians of our planet. Yet history shows we have largely failed. Poor disposal of sewage and waste, deforestation and environmental pollution are rampant, and the consequences often are devastating. Though there certainly is a great deal of bad news, our calling as followers of Jesus is not to trumpet bad news but to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom. That news is not so much about what we believe as who we believe (for more about the nature of the kingdom and our calling to proclaim it, I urge you to read again Gary Deddo’s article at www.gci.org/god/kingdom).

Proclaiming the good news in the midst of sensationalized bad news takes wisdom as well as courage. As the saying goes, “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” In the midst of sensational claims concerning pending doom, we look to God for ultimate answers, comforted knowing the truth that he, as proclaimed in the old song, truly does have “the whole world in his hands.” By the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, God is Lord and Savior over all time and space, over the whole universe and its history. As Jesus proclaimed: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In him we put our hope! God is wholly revealed to us in the person and work of Jesus. His incarnation and atonement is the point at which the world sees and knows the very nature and character of God. We know that by God’s grace we are connected to Christ so that our lives, our history, are caught up in his. His destiny is our destiny, and that is very good news!

We should be aware of and care about what is going on around us (including environmental disasters). We should contribute what we can for the common good as individuals and churches. But there is no need to make dire predictions, nor to cower in fear concerning what lies ahead. There is no need to buy into the sensationalized hype on either side of these issues. Instead, let us take responsible action as we place our trust in Jesus. Through our words and actions, let us point people to him and to his kingdom reign. Let us proclaim that he is the Center of the center—the only real, ultimate and lasting solution to what ails humanity. Let us show in deeds and in words that Jesus is here now, through the Spirit caring about the earth and working to transform humankind. One day, he will return bodily, and when he does he will bring with him a new (transformed) heaven and earth that is yielded fully to and thus blessed by his perfect rule and reign. In the power of the Spirit let us live now in that hope, and let us share it with others.

Knowing and loving the Center of the center,
Joseph Tkach

PS: Of course, global warming is not the only “hot topic” that is being sensationalized in the media. As you know, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that same-sex marriage is to be legal in all 50 states. Pundits (including Christians) on both sides of this issue are weighing in and, as we would expect, there are sensationalized claims on both sides. What are we to believe and do? Due to our biblical convictions concerning marriage, we don’t celebrate the decision, but we don’t throw up our hands in distress. Instead we live in hope, trusting in God, knowing he is sovereign. We live in a fallen world and it does not surprise us to see the world operate the way it does. I’m sure the apostle Paul was disappointed when he was sent to jail for proclaiming Christ, yet he wrote that Christians should rejoice in their trials. And so we don’t panic, we don’t despair, we don’t overreact. In the U.S., GCI is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and we embrace what the NAE has written in opposition to a radical redefinition of marriage at http://nae.net/the-defense-of-marriage-and-the-right-of-religious-freedom and http://nae.net/god-defined-marriage/. As we know, much of humanity rejects God since they do not see him for who he truly is—the God of holy (agape) love. As ministers of Jesus Christ, we are not called to be Old Testament prophets but to proclaim God’s holy love and grace for all people. Let’s be about our Father’s business even when events might tempt us to do otherwise.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Many of you know that when I travel I like to extend greetings in the native language. I enjoy going beyond a simple “hello,” but when I do I sometimes mess up a nuance or subtlety in the language. Though I’ve picked up some words in several languages over the years and have learned some Greek and Hebrew in my studies, English remains my heart language, and so it’s the language in which I pray.

Thinking about prayer reminds me of a story. There was a man who desired to pray the best prayer he could. Being a Jew, he was aware that traditional Judaism stresses praying in Hebrew. Being uneducated, he did not know Hebrew, so he did the only thing he knew to do—in his prayers he recited the Hebrew alphabet over and over. A Rabbi overheard him praying that way and asked what he was doing. The man replied: “The Holy One, Blessed is he, knows what is in my heart. I give him the letters, and he puts the words together.”

I believe God heard that man’s prayers—his primary concern is the heart of the one who prays. Words are important too, for they convey meaning. God, who is El Shama (the God who hears, Psalm 17:6), hears prayer in all languages and understands the subtleties and nuances inherent to any of them.

When we read the Bible in English, it’s easy to miss some of the subtleties and nuances of meaning conveyed in the Bible’s original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek). For example, the Hebrew word mitzvah is typically translated into the English word commandment. But from that perspective, God tends to be viewed as a stern taskmaster who administers burdensome decrees. But mitzvah speaks to God giving his people honor and privilege, not burdens. When God gave the Jews his mitzvot he set before them blessings that come through obedience in contrast with curses that come through disobedience. God was saying to his people: “This is the way I want you to live so you will have life and be a blessing to others.”

The Jewish people were honored and privileged to be in covenant with God and were eager to serve him. God graciously instructed them as to how to live in that relationship with him. It is with this relational perspective that we should approach the topic of prayer.

Judaism interpreted the Hebrew Bible as requiring formal prayers three times daily plus additional times on the Sabbath and festival days. There were also special prayers before meals, putting on new clothes, washing hands and lighting candles. There were special prayers when seeing something unusual (a majestic rainbow or other extraordinarily beautiful scene), when crossing paths with a king or other royalty, or when encountering the site of a great tragedy (battle, earthquake, etc.). There were special prayers when something extraordinarily good or bad happened, and before going to bed at night and upon arising in the morning. Though this approach to prayer might become ritualistic or burdensome, its intent was to facilitate constant communication with the One who watches over and blesses his people. The apostle Paul captured that intent when exhorting Christ-followers to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV). Doing so means living life before God with the conscientious intent of being in Christ and joining him in ministry.

This relational perspective does not mean doing away with set times and structured approaches to prayer. One fellow told me: “I pray when I feel inspired to.” Another said, “I pray when it is meaningful to do so.” I think both comments overlook the fact that a meaningful relationship with God includes prayer as an integral part of daily life. I’m reminded of the Birkat Ha-Mazon, one of the most important prayers in Judaism, which is recited following ordinary meals. It comes from Deuteronomy 8:10 (NIV), “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.” When I’ve enjoyed a delicious meal, I cannot help but be thankful to God who gave it. That is one of the great purposes of prayer—to increase our awareness of God and of his role in our daily lives.

If we only pray when we feel inspired to do so (that is, when we’re already aware of God’s presence), then we’ll not be increasing our awareness of God. Humility and awe before God does not come easily to us—and that’s another reason to make prayer a daily part of communing with God. Note also that in this life, if we want to do something well, we have to practice it continually, even when we don’t feel like doing so. This is as true of prayer as it is of playing a sport or mastering a musical instrument. It’s also true of becoming a good writer (and many of you know that writing is not one of my favorite activities!).

An Orthodox priest once told me that he practices the ancient tradition of crossing oneself in prayer. The first thing he does when waking up is to recite a prayer of thanksgiving for living another day in Christ, which he ends by crossing himself while saying, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Some say this practice arose during Jesus’ ministry as a replacement for the the Jewish practice of wearing phylacteries. Others say it arose following Jesus’ resurrection, with the sign of the cross being shorthand for Jesus’ atoning work. We know for sure that it was common practice by A.D. 200, when Tertullian wrote: “In all undertakings—when we enter a place or leave it; before we dress; before we bathe; when we take our meals; when we light the lamps in the evening; before we retire at night; when we sit down to read; before each task—we trace the sign of the cross on our foreheads.”

Though I’m not saying we need to adopt any particular prayer rituals (including crossing oneself), I am urging us to a regular, consistent practice of prayer. There are many helpful ways for us to acknowledge who God is and who we are in relation to him, and to do so without ceasing. Can you imagine how our relationship with God would deepen if we thought of him from the moment we awake in the morning, throughout the day, then as our last thought before drifting into sleep? Doing so would certainly help us consciously live out the day in partnership with Jesus!

Learning to pray without ceasing,
Joseph Tkach

PS: Please join me and many others in the body of Christ in praying for the loved ones of the victims who died in the shooting that occurred during a prayer meeting on June 17 at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Nine of our Christian brothers and sisters were murdered. This disgraceful, hate-filled incident is a shocking reminder that we live in a fallen world. It causes us to pray all the more for the fullness of God’s kingdom. May we all intercede through prayer for the families who have suffered this tragic loss. Let us also pray for the AME congregation—I marvel at the grace-based way they have responded, generously extending love and forgiveness in the midst of overwhelming grief. What a powerful gospel testimony!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I laughed out loud when I saw this scientific formula for happiness in an article [1] in Psychology Today:

Though viewing this rather nonsensical formula brought me momentary happiness, it did not bring lasting joy. Don’t misunderstand; I enjoy a good laugh as much as anyone—that’s why I appreciate this statement from Karl Barth: “Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God.” But though both happiness and joy can bring us to laughter, there’s an important distinction between them—a difference I experienced many years ago when my dad died (we’re pictured together at right). Obviously I was not happy about my dad’s passing, but I was calmed and encouraged by the joy I had knowing he was experiencing a new closeness to God in eternity. The thought of that glorious reality continues to give me joy.

Depending on the translation, the Bible uses the words happy and happiness about 30 times, while joy and rejoice appear more than 300 times. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word śāmâ (translated rejoice, joy and glad) is used to cover a wide range of human experiences: sex, marriage, the birth of children, harvest, victory and drinking wine (Song of Songs 1:4; Proverbs 5:18; Psalm 113:9; Isaiah 9:3 and Psalm 104:15). In the New Testament, the Greek word chara is used primarily for expressing joy in the redemptive works of God, the advent of his Son (Luke 2:10), and the resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24:41). As we read the New Testament, we see the word joy is more than an emotion; it is a characteristic of a Christian, part of the fruit produced by the inner working of the Holy Spirit.

We are familiar with joy being the result of good things as seen in the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son (Luke 15:2-24). Here the central figure representing God the Father is pictured as rejoicing over the recovery and reconciliation of that which was “lost.” Scripture also teaches us that true joy is not affected by surrounding circumstances including pain, agony and loss. Joy can be the result of suffering for Christ’s sake (Colossians 1:24). Jesus himself experienced great joy in facing the terrible suffering and shame of crucifixion (Hebrews 12:2).

Many of us have felt true joy knowing the reality of eternity, even as we’ve had to say good-bye to a loved one. This is true because there is an unbreakable relationship between love and joy. We see this in Jesus’ words as he summarized his teachings to his disciples: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:11-12). As we grow in God’s love, so does our joy grow. In fact, all the fruit of the Holy Spirit grows in us as we grow in love.

Paul helps us understand the difference between happiness and joy in his letter to the church in Philippi, which he wrote while imprisoned in Rome. In that letter he used the words joy, rejoice and joyful 16 times. I’ve visited many jails and prisons and you don’t typically find happy people there. Yet Paul found joy while chained in prison, not knowing if he would live or die. Due to his faith in Christ, he was content—through eyes of faith Paul saw his circumstances in an entirely different light than most people would. Note what he wrote:

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. (Philippians 1:12-14)

These powerful words came from an inner joy that Paul experienced despite his circumstances. He knew who he was in Christ, and who Christ was in him. He wrote:

I am not saying this because I am in need. I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13)

We can summarize the distinction between happiness and joy in many ways. Here are three:

• Happiness is temporary—often momentary or the result of short-term contentment. Joy is eternal and spiritual, keying off of who God is and what he has done, is doing and will yet do.
• Because happiness is dependent on many factors, it is fleeting and doesn’t deepen or mature. Joy matures as we grow in relationship with God and with each other.
• Happiness comes from temporal external events, observations and actions. Joy lies within you and comes from the work of the Holy Spirit.

Because God created us for fellowship with himself, nothing else can satisfy our souls and bring us lasting joy. Through faith, Jesus lives in us and we in him. Because we no longer live for ourselves, we are able to rejoice in all kinds of circumstances—even suffering (James 1:2), through which we join with Jesus who suffered on our behalf. Despite his great suffering in prison, Paul wrote this: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

Jesus has called us to a life of self-giving on behalf of others. There is a great paradox in that life: “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25). As humans, we often go hours or even days without giving much thought to God’s glory, love and holiness. But I’m sure that once we see Christ in his full glory, we will thump our heads and say, “How could I have paid so much attention to other things?”

We do not yet see Christ as clearly as we would like; we live in the slums, so to speak, and find it hard to imagine places we have never been. We are too busy trying to survive the slum to dwell on the glories of God (see our article “The Joy of Salvation” at www.gci.org/gospel/joysalv).

The joy of eternity enables us to see the miseries of this life as opportunities to receive grace and know and trust God more deeply. We learn to appreciate the joys of eternity even more after we have struggled with the shackles of sin and the difficulties in this life. We will appreciate glorified bodies even more after we experience the pains of our physical bodies. I believe that is why Karl Barth said this: “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” We can be grateful that the joy set before Jesus, which enabled him to endure the cross, has also been set before us.

Feeling joyfully grateful,
Joseph Tkach.

[1] “The Happiness Equation,” Psychology Today, August 22, 2014, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/neuronarrative/201408/the-happiness-equation.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I was privileged to participate in a pastors’ retreat held recently in Hickory, North Carolina. Hosted by Regional Pastor Paul David (PD) Kurts, it provided time away for rest, rejuvenation and relationship building. This retreat was one of several being conducted throughout the U.S. in 2015 for lead pastors and their spouses (with a few locations accommodating associate and assistant pastors).

As seen in the pictures below, the agenda at the Hickory retreat included a couple of general sessions (top picture) and lots of time for fellowship and informal discussions. One of the highlights of our time together was when PD asked for personal (family-related) prayer requests and people volunteered to pray for one another on the spot. I was reminded of just how much our pastors need what these retreats provide.

While I was in Hickory, Greg Williams (CAD Director) was participating in the pastors’ retreat in Green Lake, Wisconsin hosted by Regional Pastor Rick Shallenberger (see the group pictured below). Greg was also pleased with the relaxed retreat agenda, with only two general sessions. On Saturday morning, pastors were asked to set aside their pastor “hats” to share about their personal lives and to pray for one another. The rest of the day was free. On Sunday morning, pastors were asked to put aside the needs of their congregations to share about their personal needs as pastors. The retreat began and ended with communion. The response to the entire event was very positive.

This year, rather than holding regional conferences focused on resourcing and training pastors and other church leaders, we opted to hold these pastors’ retreats. Our primary goal in doing so was to affirm our pastors and their spouses, letting them know how much we appreciate them, and giving them time to rest, rejuvenate and build relationships.

All three of these elements are vital. Lead pastors work long hours serving their congregations and need time off to rest and recharge. Many are bivocational, which means that in addition to pastoring a church, they are employed in another full-time job. Some haven’t taken a vacation in years. This is not what we expect or desire.

Lead pastors (and other elders and ministry leaders), please take good care of yourselves! You are important—to me, to others in our home office, to your regional pastor, to your congregation, and most importantly to your family. A few weeks ago here in GCI Weekly Update, I wrote about how pastors are under-shepherds for Christ with an important responsibility to lead, protect, feed and care for God’s beloved sheep. However, I fear that in fulfilling that responsibility, some fail to exercise common sense in caring for themselves and their families. As a fellow elder, let me offer some brotherly advice:

• Take time off. Your congregation will survive without you for a week (maybe even two!). Go on vacation, and get away from home if possible. Sometimes we think we can’t afford a vacation, but there are low- or no-cost retreats designed for pastors and their spouses (see some listed at www.gci.org/pastoral/support). When you go, leave behind sermon notes, theology books and professional journals—disconnect from your vocation. If you have other mature leaders who can fill in for you, consider taking a short sabbatical (you can discuss this possibility with your RP). Time away helps pastors remember an important truth: the congregation doesn’t belong to them (or anyone else)—it belongs to Jesus. If a congregation falls apart because the pastor is gone for a week, there likely are underlying church health issues that need attention.

• Balance family and church. It’s easy to get priorities mixed up—I know, I’ve made this mistake at times over the course of my own ministry. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that pastors should put God first, then family, then ministry. But God doesn’t want you to put him above your family—he wants you to recognize that he is part of who your family is. Your relationship with God cannot and should not be separated from your relationship with your family. Your relationship with God and family, however, should never be set aside to meet your pastoral responsibilities. Your spouse and children need to have time with you apart from church and church-related events.

• Build relationships outside the congregation. You often don’t have to look beyond your neighborhood to find someone to talk with, share ideas with, even share a hobby with.

Pastors, I hope you find the pastors’ retreats helpful in providing time and space for rest, rejuvenation and relationship building. Please look for other opportunities to get away to receive from God his peace, love and joy. While we all know the importance of doing so—a year (or longer) can go by without taking time to get away. All of us in the home office, along with your regional pastor love you, value you, and want you to take care of yourselves. We pray often for you and we’re willing, in love, to gently admonish you to take care of yourselves and your families.

Feeling rejuvenated (though way out of my time zone!),
Joseph Tkach

PS: I was blessed last week to visit with GCI Pastor Augustin Kanu and his wife Christiania (pictured with me at right). Along with Augustin’s brother Emmanuel, they joined me for lunch and a tour of our home office in Glendora. Augustin pastors our Mbaise, Nigeria congregation. In May we held our Pan-African Pastors’ Conference in South Africa. Unfortunately, our Nigerian delegation could not attend because they were denied visas. So it was extra special to have one of our Nigerian pastors visit us just a few weeks later. The Kanus traveled to the U.S. to attend their son’s college graduation in Colorado.

PPS: As this letter goes out, I’m in Australia. Last weekend I visited our Perth congregation. Here is a picture of the worship service:

Part of the blessing of visiting the Perth congregation was spending time with Mohan Jayasekera, who pastors the congregation and directs our ministries in Sri Lanka. Here is a picture of us together: