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Can you handle the truth?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

joeandtammyIn 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.

"Jesus Discourses with His Disciples" by James Tissot. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.
“Jesus Discourses with His Disciples” by James Tissot (public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

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

Shining Christ’s light in the darkness

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Joe Tkach and Tammy TkachLast 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.

Used with permission, Leadership Journal.
Used with permission, Leadership Journal.

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).

benenson
Peter Benenson

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.

The Center of the center

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

joeandtammyThe 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!

Global_warming_ubx
Used with permission
via Wikimedia Commons

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.

The practice of prayer

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Joe Tkach and Tammy TkachMany 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.”

''Praying Hands'' by Albrecht Dürer, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Praying Hands by Albrecht Dürer
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

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!

Momentary happiness vs. lasting joy

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

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

Happy 2

Tkach-Dad-and-SonThough 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.

Rest, rejuvenation & relationship

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Joe Tkach and Tammy TkachI 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.

Hickory

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.

Wisconsin retreat

wisconsin retreat campfireThis 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

home office visitPS: 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:

Perth congregation

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:

Mohan

Science, mushrooms & doctrine

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Joe Tkach and Tammy TkachI love science—especially when it benefits our health. A few years back, many of us were delighted when a scientific study was published showing the health benefits of drinking red wine (in moderation, of course). Then other studies showed the health benefits of eating dark chocolate and drinking coffee (as many as 4-5 cups a day, though many would find that a bit much!). I eagerly await studies that, no doubt, will show the health benefits of eating mushrooms (true confession: I’m a mycophile—a lover of mushrooms—I prefer them fried).

Asian_mushrooms
Various species of Asian mushrooms
(with permission, Wikimedia Commons)

Though there is disagreement as to the number of types of mushrooms (some say as many as 140,000) and the number safe for human consumption, nearly 100 types are currently being studied to determine their benefits to human health. A small number are proving to be immune-system boosters. You may recall that some of the most potent natural medicines (including penicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline) are made from fungal extracts.

Limited atonement?

For good or for bad, mushrooms are highly potent. This is due to a remarkable capacity to absorb, concentrate and thus reflect the medium in which they grow. The doctrines we hold to are like that. Consider the doctrine of a limited atonement, which states that God created some people to be damned and others to be saved, with Jesus dying only for those predestined for salvation. Believing this doctrine has significant consequences in the minds and hearts of those who embrace it—leading at times to hating some people (the damned) while loving others (the saved). Defending this doctrine takes some creative double-talk, asserting, contrary to appearances, that God loves both groups. But how can God’s love be the same for both groups if he predestined one to be damned? Like a mushroom grown in a toxic medium, the bad that flows from this doctrine intensifies, calling into question the character and nature of a God who would will two absolutely opposite things for the people he created in, through and to (to be inherited by) Christ—those whose very existence is being upheld by Christ moment-by-moment (see Colossians 1:16-17; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Romans 11:36 and Hebrews 1:2).

The Bible declares that God loves all his creation—including all people. In the beginning, God declared all his creation “good.” He then sent his Son to save, not condemn, what had fallen prey to sin and evil (John 3:16-17). How is this creation-redemption sequence to be understood? Some tried to explain it with the theory of a limited atonement. This idea arose, in part, from a medieval cosmology, which reasoned that for God to know everything and not have his will contravened in any way, he had to decree and thus ordain everything in advance. But this line of reasoning has both a wrong premise and a wrong conclusion, making God out to be the author of sin and evil. But remember what Scripture declares: “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). It is contradictory to conclude that God, who is “the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17, KJV), is the author of sin and evil. The truth is that sin and evil came not from God but from creatures who, misusing their God-given freedom, brought about the opposite of good.

Those who defend the limited atonement doctrine try to get around these clear declarations of Scripture by saying that God allows sin but does not author it. They thus make a distinction between what God makes happen (his sovereign will of decree) and what he allows to happen (his sovereign will of moral command). While there is a moral difference between allowing something and causing something, making this distinction does not resolve the problem at all. If God in his sovereignty both wills the results and guarantees both outcomes, then saying that he wills but does not author sin (which he says he hates), is double-talk. If, as they assert, God wills what he allows, then the agency of others (those predestined for damnation) has no material bearing on the final state of things—no other agency than God’s is involved in the ultimate sense and thus no other agency than God is morally responsible for the final state of things.

The biblical teaching about salvation

We eliminate the need for any such double-talk when we embrace the biblical teaching that humanity was created by God for the purpose of eternal communion and fellowship with God. As finite creatures, we do not possess this eternal life, and thus we cannot give it to ourselves. Eternal communion and fellowship with the triune God can only be received as a gift from God—one he freely gives us, and one we must freely and continuously receive from him. Thus we understand that holy, eternal, personal relationship with God necessarily includes the need for freedom to receive it and to continually live in it. This freedom itself must be received as a gift given and maintained by God. This is exactly what God grants to us by his Holy Spirit, who delivers to us the freedom that was won by Jesus Christ in our place and on our behalf. In his own divine freedom, God gives freedom to all humanity. In doing so, he does not decree or will sin and evil into existence (though he knew we would misuse and abuse our freedom—throw it away, actually). From the foundation of the world, God knew what he would do in love (at great cost to himself) to save us from our predicament.

Karl Barth

Karl Barth
Karl Barth

In critiquing the doctrine of a limited atonement, Karl Barth taught that neither the Father nor Jesus do anything behind each other’s back. Jesus explained that he was sent to reveal the Father and that he did only what the Father sent him to do, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Scripture reveals that Jesus is one (homoousios in Greek) with the Father, and through the Incarnation is homoousios with all humanity. The atonement is thus the result of Jesus acting according to his own nature as the unique God-man to remove all the barriers standing between us and God. Who Jesus was (and is) and what he did (and does) secures our trust and gives us the ability to speak of God’s redeeming work on behalf of all humanity.

Karl Barth understood that the idea of a limited atonement contradicts the entire truth and reality of the Son of God’s assumption of our “flesh” (meaning in the biblical context our human nature and fallen condition) and the reality of Jesus being the new head (the new Adam) of all humanity, not just part of it (see Romans 5:14; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45). To believe in a limited atonement is to believe that Jesus is not for all (which he clearly is) and does not love all (which he clearly does), and to believe that Jesus and the Father, with the Holy Spirit, are not one in heart, mind, purpose, will, being and action (which they clearly are). Barth comments:

We cannot follow the classical doctrine [of the atonement] and make the open number of those who are elect in Jesus Christ into a closed number to which all other men are opposed as if they were rejected. Such an assumption is shattered by the unity of the real and revealed will of God in Jesus Christ (Dogmatics, II/2, subsection entitled, “The Determination of the Elect”).

Barth explained that there are people who know and live as the elect of God, and those who deny and live against it. The reality is that we are not given to know the number of people on either side.

Thomas F. Torrance

Thomas F. Torrance
Thomas F. Torrance

T. F. Torrance rejected both a limited atonement and univeralism, teaching that every human being will experience judgment (krisis in Greek, from which we get our English word crisis), in which it will be seen how each person responds to God’s loving forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption in Christ that is for all people:

God cannot hold Himself back forever, or rather the sinner cannot live forever entrenched in his independence, surrounded by all the defenses which he builds around his mortal life, in order to protect himself from God. So long as he lives on earth, he can hide himself in time, for as long as he is in time, God waits to have mercy upon him. But when he passes out of time in eternity, all his defenses fall away from him, and he stands naked before God. But in eternity he has no time for decision, for repentance, or for faith, for in time the voice of God calls to him and gives him time to make up his mind, and to answer. But when he passes from time into eternity, then all that has gone on in his soul comes to is ultimate crisis. Once that crisis begins, as so many of the parables of Jesus tell us, there is no time for preparation or action. It all happens in a flash, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye (from T.F.’s sermon “The approach to God,” in When Christ Comes and Comes Again, p. 133).

Universalism?

Because Barth and Torrance rejected the doctrine of a limited atonement, some mistakenly conclude they believed in a doctrine of universalism. They also reason that they were “light on sin,” teaching that it doesn’t matter what we believe or how we live. What these critics fail to see is the substantial difference between universal atonement (which is correct) and universalism (which is incorrect). Universal atonement means Jesus Christ’s atonement, which is not contingent upon human works, is sufficient for all humanity and efficient for all who respond to God’s love. Universal atonement does not mean that all will necessarily respond favorably and positively to God, receiving the free gift of relationship with him, entering with and through Jesus into eternal communion with the Father, Son and Spirit. All doctrines of strict universalism (and there are several) are biblically unsound, declaring that, in the end, all souls (human, and perhaps also angelic and demonic, even including Satan) will necessarily experience God’s eternal salvation. Some who embrace universalism even argue that repentance toward God and faith in Jesus are irrelevant.

Contrary to doctrines of strict universalism, the Bible teaches that there is salvation only in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). In Christ (God’s elect One: the Messiah, Chosen One, Son of Man), all humanity is elect. God, who desires that all come to repentance, has created and reconciled all humanity for true fellowship with himself. Moreover, in Christ, God has already made gracious and just provision for all—even for those who at death appear not to have yet believed the gospel. But this reality of universal atonement does not necessarily mean that every person ultimately will accept God’s free gift delivered to them by the Holy Spirit. Eternal communion and fellowship with God cannot be forced. The Bible teaches that all who remain hostile to God (blaspheming the Holy Spirit) by their own choice cannot experience or enter into that fellowship (salvation). What they freely, personally decide in response to God, makes a difference in what they will experience. However, that personal response does not change the reality of who God is and what he has done on their behalf in and through Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit.

Stay out of two ditches

There are two ditches we must avoid. On one side is the doctrine of a limited atonement, which mistakenly views God as creating some to have a loving relationship with him and others to be punished eternally for not loving him (despite the fact that he has not granted them the freedom to respond to his love). On the other side are the various doctrines of strict universalism, which mistakenly view God as not giving anyone a meaningful choice in the matter. Note that both ditches involve coercion, and thus are not the result of a loving relationship. It is just as coercive to say that God is going to make the entire world love him, as it is to say that he is only going to make a limited number love him.

The common error in these opposing ditches is in viewing God as a coercive “lover” who uses impersonal, mechanical or causal forces and legal maneuvers to bring about his two divergent wills. We avoid these ditches by staying well within the limits of the biblical revelation. Doing so allows us to hope for the salvation of all humanity (because of the universal extent of God’s grace) without presuming to know something that God has not revealed, namely, that all people necessarily will confess their sin and need for grace and thus receive their salvation from Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior.

Joyfully living in Christ, now and forever,
Joseph Tkach

Jesus: embodiment of the law

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

joeandtammyLast week I noted that on the day of Pentecost following Jesus’ ascension, God fulfilled the many Old Testament promises to send the Holy Spirit to humanity in a new way. You’ll recall that Ezekiel prophesied that God would give his people “a new heart” and put within them “a new spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26, NRSV translation throughout). He also proclaimed that the “breath” or “spirit” of God (either translation is correct) would make the dry bones of “a vast multitude” come to life (Ezekiel 37:10). Joel quoted God as saying, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh” (Joel 2:28). Prophesying concerning this time, Jeremiah gave this declaration from God: “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel… I will put my law [torah] within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33).

Sermon on teh Mo
Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch
(Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

What other prophets implied, Jeremiah made explicit: the deep connection between God’s Spirit and Torah (meaning law, way or instruction). But what is the nature of that connection? The answer is found in the New Testament where Jesus spoke of himself as not abolishing the law but fulfilling it (Matthew 5:17). In like manner, Paul spoke of Jesus in this way: “For Christ is the end [telos] of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). Telos, which means “end” or “purpose,” speaks to the fulfillment of the goal to which a thing is related. For Paul, the Torah is fulfilled in Jesus because he is the embodiment of the law.

John addressed this same truth when he referred to Jesus as “the Word” who “became flesh” (John 1:14). Jesus embodied the ways of God—following them and then teaching them to others. For John, as the Word of God in himself, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Torah.

In connecting Jesus with the Torah, John drew from the Old Testament scriptures and from Jewish tradition of his day (oral tradition that later was recorded in various Jewish writings). These sources present Moses as the one who brings the Word of God (the Torah) to God’s people. The correlation of Moses with God and with God’s instruction (the Torah) was deeply ingrained in Jewish thought.

Jewish tradition associated the Torah with the presence of God. The Rabbis taught that the tablets of stone on which were written the law were made of blue sapphire as a symbol of the heavens and God’s throne to which Moses was said to have ascended to receive the Torah written by the “finger of God.” The Torah itself makes a similar point: “Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up [on the Mountain of God], and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness” (Exodus 24:9-10). In John’s day and beyond the Rabbis referred to the Torah as life and light. But for John, Jesus is the eschatological life and light promised and expected in the Torah. Rabbis also referred to the Torah as the bread of life and truth. As you know, John attributed both to Jesus.

Some Jewish teachers taught that God first created the Torah, then used it as a tool in creating the cosmos. One Jewish commentary notes that when the Torah declares, “In the beginning when God created…” (Genesis 1:1), the word in can be translated “by,” and beginning understood as meaning the Torah. Thus they read the verse this way: “By the Torah when God created…” In like manner, they taught that God, working through the Torah, gave creation its order and moral structure. In contrast, John taught that God created the cosmos through Jesus (John 1:3). Thus the glorious things ascribed by the Rabbis to the Torah, were ascribed by John to Jesus, the Word of God incarnate.

In similar (and rather startling) fashion, John contrasted Moses (the mediator of the law/Torah) and Jesus. In John 1:17, he wrote: “The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” In understanding this and similar statements, it’s important to remember that John was interpreting the Old Testament through a Christocentric lens—reading it in light of the person, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus as being the promised Messiah. With that perspective, John wrote that Jesus, the one who came from the presence of God in heaven, is, in himself, the Word of God who then gave God’s instruction (word) to others. When Jewish religious authorities of John’s day marveled at Jesus’ teaching in the temple, Jesus chided them: “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me” (John 7:16). In speaking of the final judgment for those who reject God, Jesus claimed that, “the word that I have spoken will serve as judge” (John 12:48). Then Jesus explained why: “I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49). Jesus himself is the life and light of the world because he is the Word of God who perfectly fulfills God’s will, ways and instructions [God’s torah].

Like the words (Torah) given to Moses (though far better), the authoritative Word (Jesus) came from a heavenly origin. We note this in Jesus’ high-priestly prayer: “The words that you gave to me I have given to them…. I have given them your word” (John 17:8, 14). John taught that Jesus not only brings the Word of God to people, he is the Word of God come down from heaven to give life to the world. Whereas Moses shared the word (Torah) from God, Jesus is the Word. Only Jesus is the Word personified, the one who includes us in the very life of the Trinity.

But what about the Holy Spirit? How does he fit in? As we learn from John’s further teaching, along with other New Testament witnesses, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to work out in us and among us what Jesus, the Word of God, accomplished for us in his earthly life. The law written on our hearts, and the new life given to us by the Spirit are none other than Jesus the Word of God indwelling us by his Spirit.

Evermore realizing the real life we have in Christ,
Joseph Tkach

Pentecost

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Joe Tkach and Tammy TkachThere are many themes that are appropriate to preach on the Day of Pentecost: God reverses the tower of Babel; God takes residence in his people; God gives spiritual unity; God gives new identity; God writes his law in our hearts; God reconciles people to himself and more. A theme that has been going through my mind in preparation for Pentecost this year is based on what Jesus said concerning what the Holy Spirit would do following his resurrection and ascension: “He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14, NRSV). There is a lot in this sentence. We know that the Spirit works to convict us of the truth that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. We also know that he reveals that Jesus is our elder brother who unconditionally loves us and has reconciled us to the Father. But another way the Spirit fulfills what Jesus said, is by inspiring what we do in proclaiming the gospel message through our relationships and interactions with others.

We see a wonderful example of this when we read about the birth of the New Testament church on the day of Pentecost ten days after Jesus’ ascension. You’ll recall Jesus’ instruction to his disciples to wait for what would happen that day: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about’” (Acts 1:4). Because they followed Jesus’ instructions, the disciples witnessed the coming of the Holy Spirit in great power. Acts 2:1-13 describes the gift they received that day, just as Jesus promised. First came a sound like a violent wind, then tongues of fire, and then the Spirit demonstrated miraculous power by giving the disciples a unique way to share the story of Jesus and its purpose for humanity (the gospel). Most, if not all, of the disciples spoke in this miraculous way, and the people hearing were amazed and perplexed to be hearing the story of Jesus in their own language and from people who they considered to be uneducated and uncultured (Galileans). A few in the audience mocked the unfolding event, accusing the disciples of being drunk (mockers still exist today, don’t they?). But the disciples where not drunk in the flesh (and it does violence to the text to suggest that they were “drunk in the Spirit”).

St. Peter Preaching at Pentecost by Benjamin West Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
St. Peter Preaching at Pentecost by Benjamin West Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Peter’s sermon/testimony to the gathered crowd is recorded in Acts 2:14-41. Peter explained the validity of this miraculous event in which the language barrier was supernaturally transcended as a sign that all people would now be gathered together in Christ. In order to show God’s love for all and his desire that all be included in his international people, the Holy Spirit initiated this declaration of the gospel in the native languages of the audience. The Holy Spirit continues in our day to enable the proclamation of the gospel message in ways that are relevant and accessible to all people. He enables ordinary believers to bear witness to that message in ways that pierce the hearts of those God is calling. In doing so, the Holy Spirit points people to Jesus, the Lord of the universe who sheds light on everything and everyone in the cosmos.

The creed issued at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325 has only this brief statement on the Holy Spirit: “We believe in the Holy Spirit.” Though the creed says much more about God the Father and God the Son, we should not conclude that the creed’s authors were giving the Holy Spirit the short end of the stick (thinking that the Spirit should be given short shrift, some, unfortunately, have wandered into tritheism). There is a reason for the relative anonymity of the Spirit in the Nicene creed. As theologian Kim Fabricius rightly notes in one of his books, the Holy Spirit is “the self-effacing and anonymous member of the Trinity.” As the Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son, he does not seek his own glory, but works to glorify the Son, who, in turn, glorifies the Father. One of the primary ways the Spirit does this work, is by enabling, inspiring and guiding us to participate with Jesus in his ongoing ministry to fulfill the Father’s mission to the world. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus does the heavy lifting in this ministry; yet he invites us to participate in substantial ways, including befriending, encouraging, helping and interacting with people—just like he did (and continues to do). When it comes to ministry, we might say that Jesus is the heart surgeon and we are his attending nurses. As we participate with him in his ongoing ministry, we experience the joy of what he is doing and we fulfill his commission to his church.

Nothing in the Hebrew scriptures or in the religious tradition of first-century Judaism would have prepared the disciples for the absolutely unique and dramatic arrival of the Holy Spirit on that day of Pentecost. Nothing in the symbolism of leaven (used by Jews during the Days of Unleavened Bread), would have led the disciples to expect the Holy Spirit to cause them to speak in other tongues so that they would be able to communicate the gospel message across cultural and linguistic barriers. Indeed, on that day of Pentecost, God was doing something new. Understanding this, Peter declared to the gathered audience that the “last days” had arrived (Acts 2:16-17)—a truth even more significant and amazing than the miracle of speaking in tongues.

In Jewish thinking the idea of the “last days” was associated with numerous Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah and the kingdom of God. Peter was saying, in effect, that a new age had dawned. We rightly call it the age of grace and truth, the church age, or the age of the new covenant in the Spirit. As revealed on that Pentecost, since the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, God is working in the world in a new way.

Pentecost is a powerful reminder of this truth for us today. We do not observe Pentecost as an old covenant festival, nor as a required festival. Celebrating what God did on that day of Pentecost is part of church tradition—not only the tradition of our denomination, but of many others. Pentecost celebrates the saving acts of God in the last days involving a deeper working of the Holy Spirit, who renews, transforms and empowers us to be his witnesses—those who spread the good news in word and deed, in small and even sometimes extraordinary ways, and always to the glory of our God and Savior—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I’m reminded here of a grand quote by John Chrysostom. Chrysostom is the anglicized form of a Greek word that means “golden-mouthed.” This nickname came from his fantastic preaching. He said:

So the whole of our lifetime is a festival. For when Paul said, “Let us keep the feast” [1 Corinthians 5:7-8], he wasn’t referring to the Passover or Pentecost. He was pointing out that all time is a festival for Christians…. For what good thing has not already come to pass? The Son of God was made human for you. He freed you from death and called you to a kingdom. Now that you have gained such good things—and are still gaining them—how can you do anything less than “keep the feast” all your life? So let no one be downcast about poverty or illness or the cunning of enemies. It is a festival, all of it—our whole lifetime! (Homilies on 1 Corinthians 15.6).

Loving to keep in step with the Holy Spirit,
Joseph Tkach

Shepherds of God’s flock

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Joe at Lola Linga entranceLast week I reported on two GCI conferences I attended recently in South Africa. The first was for our International Mission Developers who met in Johannesburg with some of our national leaders and representatives from our home office. The second (called the Pan-African Conference) was for our pastoral leaders from throughout Africa who met in Bela-Bela (north of Pretoria) with those who attended the first conference.

We met for the Pan-African Conference at the Linga Longa Retreat Center, which is operated by our South Africa churches (that’s me at right, pointing the way in). The conference started Thursday evening and continued through Sunday, with about 110 attending conference sessions and over 170 at the Sunday worship service.

Among other topics, the conference addressed how the Holy Spirit affects traditional African religion, church planting, updates from various African regions, ministerial training and education, children and youth ministry, and a Q&A on how to teach GCI beliefs. It was a grand event!

Group and worship
One of the conference sessions at left. Sunday worship service at right (which was held in a tent).

Spending time with our wonderful pastoral leaders from Africa (pictured above and at the end of this letter) was a reminder to me of the value of viewing church leaders as faithful shepherds of God’s flock. This imagery is common in Scripture.

Good Shepherd (stained glass window at St. Johns Ashfield used with permission Wikimedia commons
The Good Shepherd (stained glass window at St. Johns Ashfield), Wikimedia commons, with permission

In the ancient middle-east, raising sheep and goats was an important part of the economy (it still is today). Sheep, goats and chickens were some of the first animals to be domesticated. Fairly low maintenance (“easy keepers,” we’d say), they yielded a high return for nomads and people with a more settled agricultural lifestyle. As noted in the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, the term shepherd was used historically (including in the Bible) to refer to leaders:

Because of the fundamental role of shepherding in the ancient world, the word “shepherd” became a common term for a ruler. The kings of Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt were often referred to as shepherds who protected their people. This imagery formed the background for the Old Testament, where the same usage is found. God is pictured as the shepherd of Israel, concerned for every aspect of his people’s welfare. Rulers and leaders of the people are often referred to as shepherds (cf., e.g., Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Jeremiah 10:21; 12:10; 22:22; 23:1-2).

Though in our day it’s popular to think of sheep as dull or silly, studies show that they are actually quite intelligent. The Bible talks about sheep as hearing the master’s voice—able to distinguish their shepherd from all others. The Bible uses sheep and shepherds as metaphors to portray two truths: the helplessness of humanity to save itself, and the goodness of God, who lovingly cares for his sheep—especially those that are lost. The New Testament refers to Jesus as “the good shepherd” (John 10:11), “the great Shepherd” (Hebrews 13:20) and “the Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). To serve his flock, Jesus calls some people to serve as under-shepherds (called pastors)—joining with him in leading, protecting, feeding and caring for his sheep, including seeking after those that have gone astray.

I realize that serving with Jesus as an under-shepherd is not always easy. When I travel and meet our pastors around the world, I’m reminded of the struggles they face daily. In some cases we can offer them material assistance, and in all cases I try to give them encouragement by reminding them that they are constantly in our thoughts and prayers. They are not alone.

Like us, Jesus had many struggles, including conflict among his first disciples. Yet he shepherded them sacrificially: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-5). He also said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). He then spoke of them as the Father’s gift to him (John 10:29). Such statements reveal the heart and the commitment of our Chief Shepherd—the heart and commitment shared by his faithful under-shepherds.

The Christian life is not only knowing about our union with Christ. It’s also about living into that union, in communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As pastors, we’re called to lead people in the way of communion—joining with Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, in caring for his flock. I’m thankful for the shepherd-leaders that our triune God has provided within GCI, including those I met with recently at our Pan-African conference. I ask that you join with me in not only in praising God for these pastoral leaders, but also in praying for them.

Thanking the Chief Shepherd,
Joseph Tkach

PS: On our way home from South Africa, Tammy and I joined GCI’s Northampton, England, congregation in celebrating its 40th church anniversary. Over 160 attended a service with great singing and special music from two choirs. Roger Clark, John O’Donovan and Maggie Mitchell did an extraordinary job planning and coordinating the event.


Here are pictures of some of the shepherd-leaders who attended the Pan-African conference:

African Leaders 3
Left to right, top row: Emmanuel Okai and his son Nana Yew (Ghana); Joseph Tkach preaching at the Sunday worship service. Left to right, bottom row: Tim Maguire (South Africa) addressing the conference; Rigobert Rafiringason (Madagascar) addressing the conference with his son Lova translating.
Left to right, top row: Emmanuel Okai and his son Nana Yew from Ghana; Charles Albrecht with Sylvester Nkosi from Malawi; Joseph Mpofu from Zimbabwe and Charles; Monde Skade from South Africa with Charles and Monde's wife, Pat. Middle row: conference praise team; Mutinta Nyumbu from Zambia, James Henderson from the UK, Joseph Tkach and Inyambo Nyumbu from Zambia; Bottom row: Manuel Vasco and Mariano Maganizo from Mozambique, Charles Albrecht, Kalengule Kaoma , Oliviera Kitambala and Henrique from Angola; Kalengule, Susan Williams and Kalengule's wife Nsama.
Left to right, top row: Conference praise team – Lova Rafiringason (South Africa), Myma Mantey (Ghana), Megan Maguire and Caleb Makhela Jr. (South Africa); Mutinta Nyumbu (Zambia), James Henderson (UK), Joseph Tkach, and Mutinta’s husband Inyambo. Left to right, bottom row: Manuel Vasco and Mariano Maganizo (Mozambique), Charles Albrecht (home office), Kalengule Kaoma (Zambia), and Oliviera Kitambala and Henrique Mananga (Angola); Kalengule, Susan Williams (home office) and Kalengule’s wife Nsama.