Category: Hear From the President

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Scanning the radio dial while driving to work, I tuned into J. Vernon McGee’s radio program just as he said this: “Don’t say that a loving God is going to send you to hell—he’s not. The thing that’s going to send you to hell is that you are a sinner and you don’t want to admit it.”

I enjoy such one-line quips. Here’s another, from C.S. Lewis: “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. [To] those who knock it is opened.”

G.K. Chesterton once remarked, “Hell is God’s great compliment to the reality of human freedom and the dignity of human personality.” Hell, a compliment? Yes, because God is saying to us, “You’re significant; I take you seriously. Choose to reject me—choose hell if you will—I will let you go because I love you and won’t force my will upon you.”

Many view hell as the place where God, in order to appease his wrath, sends the incorrigible, the unbelievers and those who don’t know him. The reality, however, is that hell is the result of people rejecting God and his love—pridefully insisting on autonomy and stubbornly holding to the false belief that they can give themselves life apart from God. Because God created us and upholds us by his love for relationship with himself, there are consequences for rejecting that relationship. Rather than the result of God’s wrath, hell is the result of peoples’ choice to reject God and his love.

God’s wrath is real, but rather than being opposed to his love (as though God were bipolar), God’s wrath is an expression of his love (1 John 4:19). We see this most fully at the cross where God, in love, poured out his wrath on the sin that destroys his beloved creatures. The cross is thus God’s judgment against sin and evil, and the revelation of his love for sinners that delivers them from evil to life.

God’s purpose from the beginning was to bring to fulfillment his love toward all humanity. But humans, in their rebellion, pride and alienation from God, set up obstacles to that love—obstacles that must be removed if communion with God is to be restored and made right. God’s judgment and wrath is his powerful removal of those barriers so that the purposes of his love might be fulfilled.

Jesus’ work at the cross made atonement for the world’s sin and gained victory over all evil (Ephesians 1:3-8). His wrath having achieved its objective, God reconciled us to himself in the saving work of his Son, restoring peace. God’s wrath against sin and sinfulness is presupposed in the sending of his Son. If God did not war against sinfulness—if he had no wrath against it—he would have not needed to do that. Wrath is part of God’s means to restore relationship, not a means to perpetuate estrangement. Isaiah 54:8 wonderfully shows how God’s wrath is expressive of his love. Note these three translations:

• “In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer. (NIV)
• “In a little burst of wrath I hid My face from you for a moment, but with age-enduring love and kindness I will have compassion and mercy on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. (AMP)
• “In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee,” saith the Lord thy Redeemer. (KJV)

Here God, while telling his people to take note of his anger at their sin, wraps them in his loving embrace. Notice the encouragement in verses 9 and 10:

“To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

God already has taken the actions necessary to end the enmity between himself and humanity, caused by our sinfulness. These actions flow from his heart of love, which is the essence of his being (1 John 4:8). God expresses his love by continuing to uphold us, giving us freedom to enter into a trusting and worshipful relationship with himself—even though we may abuse that freedom by rejecting his love and grace. God remains true to his nature, revealed in Jesus Christ, even for those who might choose hell—choosing to repudiate and despise the blessings of the life, light and love God has for them.

We praise God that he has expressed his love supremely in sending his Son, Jesus Christ—true God of true God—to achieve complete victory over evil and to reconcile himself in love toward all humanity (1 John 4:9-10).

Living free,

 

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of my thrills as a young father was going home from work when our children were young. I would arrive home from the office and there they were, eager and ready to run up and throw their arms around me. It was the highlight of the day and a picture that cannot be erased from my mind. I can’t help but speculate that it will be something like this when we first experience the fullness of God’s kingdom.

Father’s Days were even better! Tammy must have tutored the children to give me extra expressions of love and appreciation. I can say without a doubt, the best Father’s Day gifts I’ve ever received were hugs and kisses from my two children. And even though the kids are much older now, I still love it when they hug me, especially when the embrace is spontaneous and seems to serve no other purpose than to let me know that I’m loved and appreciated. This too, I believe, is a picture of what we will experience when we see our Father for the first time and we spontaneously run into his arms to share our love and appreciation to him.

I sometimes wonder, though, if we will have some laughs with God about things we’ve said, or the way we interpreted things he says to us. If your children are now adults, they likely have a good measure of fun reminding you of some of the things you said as they were growing up. When Stephanie is about to get into her car and drive off, I always say, “Be very careful, drive defensively. She has often said in reply, “Oh Dad, thanks for that reminder, I was going to try to average 120 mph.” It appears that sarcasm does get passed through the DNA. My son enjoys one of the proverbial statements my grandfather said to my father who then said to me, so I could not fail to pay it forward: “Remember, nothing good happens past midnight—it is better to be safe, sleeping in your bed.”

For a bit of humor, I thought I’d share some things some kids wish their parents would say:

• Here, take my wallet and GO CRAZY shopping.
• No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring. Now quit complaining and let’s go to the mall.
• Your mother and I are going away for the weekend … you might want to consider throwing a party.
• Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.
• Let’s watch a really emotional chick flick tonight.
• When I was growing up, we had it so easy!
• Can you turn up that music?
• That skirt’s a little on the long side, don’t you think?
• Don’t bother to hang up your clothes, they’re gonna get wrinkled anyway.
• I understand why you let your car run out of gas. You have a lot on your mind.
• A date with a boy? Here, take 50 bucks to make it extra-romantic.
• You need more lipstick.

We try our best to raise our children the best we can, but we know we are far from perfect parents. That’s why when our children love and appreciate us on Father’s Day, it warms our heart. We often focus on our weaknesses and mistakes and can list all kinds of things we wish we’d said or done, or wish we hadn’t said or done. We are surprised when the kids don’t seem to be as focused on those things; rather they focus on the relationship we have and the good memories of their childhood.

I’ll never be a perfect parent, and neither will you. But thank God we have a good example to follow. And I mean that. Thank God because he is the perfect Father. We take great comfort in knowing that truth. And he’s not just perfect; he’s infinitely perfect.

Even the love we have for our children comes from God. John says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love… This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another… We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:7-8, 10-11, 19).

I thank God for the ability and the blessing of loving my children. But even more, I’m grateful beyond words that he loves my children even more than I do. And in the end, I’m counting on that far more than my own parenting. I pray as we know God’s love more and more, may all of us who are fathers or father figures continue to learn even more how to love our children as our heavenly Father loves us as his dearly beloved children.

Happy Father’s Day,

 

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The cartoon below gives me a lasting chuckle, though my laughter is mixed with a tinge of sadness from my past. When I was a child, my parents taught me to take notes in church. There was “a method to their madness”—they wanted me to pay attention in church rather than retreat into my own thought world. Note-taking was a good way to help me concentrate. No matter how riveting or boring the message, each week my parents would check my notes to make sure I had been listening. The better my notes, the better I enjoyed my weekend. However, as we have all experienced, some sermons were easier to listen to than others.

The standard sermon format in the church of my youth had seven points, though some had 12 and others had three. Some sermons were pointless (pun intended), but that was not the norm. We were told to “inculcate” these various points “into our lives.” One advantage of listening to such sermons was that my vocabulary increased immensely, adding words like inculcate, admonish, reprehensible and proleptic (words you don’t typically hear a 10-year old say!). But there also were disadvantages. One was that by the end of the year I had 364 points that I was admonished to inculcate. By the end of the second year the list had grown to 728! Such is the burden of a “works-righteousness” approach to sermons and life. For a humorous take on this, see my video at http://youtu.be/YAPnszQ_V_E. By the way, I’m not against having points in sermons—some of the points I learned as a child were helpful.

Once when I was attending one of his week-long seminars, I joked with presenter John Maxwell about the proliferation of points in his presentations and books with titles like, 25 Ways to Win with People, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth and 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork. John laughed when I said that I was still working on memorizing over 2000 of his points, and was wondering how many rules there are to efficient memorizing! Please understand that I’m not picking on John—there is much helpful information in his books and seminars.

Rightly used, lists and points can be helpful, even necessary. We have our own in the various GCI policy manuals. In some ways, I wish they weren’t necessary, but in a time when a growing number of people look to file lawsuits, we must have policies that minimize risk. Most importantly they help us stay focused on the simplicity that is in Christ, even as we function within a world of great complexity.

Though lists can be helpful, the ones I endured as a child often obscured the reality of who Jesus is in relationship to God and to us. It is on these things that our sermons should focus. The simplicity of our relationship with Christ is where we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). He is the one who places us in right relationship with the Father and Spirit. He is the one to whom we belong, with all our being. He brings us together and makes us one by his Spirit.

The church is a place where people should sense that they are wanted and loved—by God and his people. When they experience that belonging, their lives begin to change and unity of purpose is experienced despite differences of age, gender and socio-economic status. Let me illustrate this with a couple of examples.

One of our U.S. pastors, David Perry, led a fundraising project to buy bicycles for GCI pastors in Mozambique. In sharing his gratitude for the contributors, he told me where some of the donations originated. Six elderly people in a small house church gave $50.00—an amount that was all they could afford among them. David got misty-eyed as he explained that they just wanted to participate in an outreach project, despite limitations of age and finances.

Our church in Guadalajara, Mexico, pastored by Alfredo Mercado, has had an increasing focus on mission. Recently they had several baptisms. Last year, they hosted a GCI conference coordinated by Lorenzo Arroyo. Others attending from the U.S. included Lorenzo’s wife Rita, Heber Ticas, Gary and Cathy Deddo and Tammy and me. It was a delightful, joy-filled time. One family who drove several hours to attend was inspired to go back home and plant a house church. The conference was made possible by donations from GCI congregations pastored by Robin Chester in Bend, Oregon, and by Mike Swagerty in Sacramento, California.

There are many more such stories that illustrate a focus on the simplicity that is in Christ—churches where members see a need, then join together to meet it. Some of our churches are supporting church plants, others are supporting summer camps and several are covering the travel costs for elders to come to our Glendora office and other far-flung places to receive needed training.

When we focus on the simplicity that is in Christ, we focus on what Christ is doing—sharing with us the love and life of the Father, Son and Spirit. As we join with Jesus, we are transformed into his likeness. This is what the church is all about—living and sharing the gospel. I am more grateful than words can express for the ways our churches are joining Jesus in this gospel ministry. But I will just keep saying “thanks.”

Working together for the gospel,

 

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The Guinness Book of Records calls it the world’s best-selling book, with over two billion copies sold to date. It is one of the most quoted (and frequently misquoted) books there is. I’m referring, of course, to the Bible.

Though we don’t know how many people have actually read it, it’s safe to say that billions have been affected by the Bible’s message. Prior to the 20th century, very few people had access to a Bible. Early in Christian history, churches typically owned only a single copy of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) and copies of various letters written by early church leaders. These were often stored in a cabinet called an “armarion.” Seminary professor Timothy Paul Jones comments on its contents:

It’s possible that not all of these texts would have been identical to the twenty-seven books that you find in the New Testament today. To be sure, the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, Paul’s letters, and probably John’s first letter would have had a place in the armarion. But the cabinet could lack a few writings that your New Testament includes—the letter to the Hebrews and maybe the second epistle that’s ascribed to Peter, for example, or a couple of John’s letters. A quirky allegory entitled The Shepherd might have made an appearance in some areas. You might even find a letter or two from a Roman pastor named Clement. The New Testament canon—that’s the twenty-seven texts that you find in your New Testament today—wasn’t yet clear to Christians everywhere.

Thankfully, this lack of clarity as to the content of the New Testament was resolved in the fourth century by councils representing the whole church. But sadly, recent surveys indicate that Bible reading in our day has declined significantly. There are numerous reasons for that decline, including the habit of reading the Bible in fragmentary ways, reading it only for personal devotion and failing to recognize the Bible for the amazing literature that it is. Another reason for the decline is the instant communication that has altered the way people engage with all books.

Sadly, another reason for the decline in Bible reading is the habit many preachers have of misusing the Bible by lifting out passages in a proof-texting manner to illustrate their own sermon ideas. In that regard, note this from author Peter Mead:

Not only does proof-texting fall short, but it also steals the experience of seeing the bigger picture, the sweeping thoughts, the epic narratives and the heart-stirring poems of Scripture. I often ponder the fact that the biblical men and women whom I most aspire to be like are not those with a ready quiver full of pithy proof-texts, but those who know the God of the Bible because they are washed in the Bible as a whole, book by book.

The Bible is a literary whole, and we gain the most when we read it as such. This means drinking deeply of the text to receive God’s message for us. Because the Bible’s communication patterns tend to be subtle, complex and nuanced, it takes time, skill and effort to do this. And the more experience you gain in doing so, the more you see the Bible for what it truly is: an unfolding narrative with plot and resolution. It is not a book of isolated bits and pieces for us to draw from in a proof-texting way.

My good friend John Halford likens the Bible to a symphony by Beethoven. John came to understand Beethoven well only when he listened to all nine of his symphonies—not just favorite parts of a few. John says that he has had the same experience with the Bible. Just as Beethoven’s symphonies fit together as a unified whole, so it is with Holy Scripture. In that regard, note what Paul wrote to Timothy:

There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us (2 Timothy 3:15-17 The Message).

The Bible is not merely a “to do” list from God. Rather, it is the dynamic and unified story of his love for humanity. In the Bible the Triune God of the universe shares with us his very heart and mind, nature, character and purposes. We find there the unfolding of his faithfulness and plan for us, inviting us to participate in what he is doing. The Bible holds out to us his promise of eternal relationship with him—it’s our story of hope, redemption and sonship.

I encourage you to read the Bible personally and, as preachers and teachers, to encourage others to do so in order to find answers to life’s biggest and most important questions: Who is God? and, Who am I in relation to God?

Reading with you,

Joseph Tkach

P.S. We have many helpful articles about the Bible on our GCI website. You’ll find a list at www.gci.org/bible.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

One of the verses in the Bible that has always intrigued me is Hebrews 13:8. There we read that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” My first thought about this verse was always that Jesus is perfect—always has been and always will be. But as many of you reading this will remember, our fellowship used to use this verse in support of the erroneous teaching that God commands Christians to observe the seventh-day Sabbath. We wrongly assumed that if Jesus is never-changing, then so must be the Sabbath command. We also wrongly believed that law-keeping, including Sabbath observance, would somehow make us “perfect” like Jesus (Hebrews 2:10; 10:1).

But the reality is that God gave the Sabbath to Israel under the old covenant, not to perfect his people, but to provide a sign pointing them toward the ultimate, eternal rest found in Jesus, who alone is perfect (Hebrews 4:1-11). In misusing Hebrews 13:8, we ascribed to the Sabbath more than God intended, treating it as if the sign was the reality. For more about this, I encourage you to read Gary Deddo’s helpful article, “A Sign Forever.” It’s included in this issue.

Israel’s rabbis and other teachers understood that the Law of Moses, particularly its commands related to Sabbath and Holy Day observance, apply only to national Israel under the old covenant. When Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), it was to show the Pharisees (representatives of old covenant Israel) that they misunderstood why God had given Israel as a nation this holy time. In stating that he was “Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28), Jesus was confronting the Pharisees’ attempt to subvert his authority in this matter, thus wrongly claiming it for themselves.

There is no question: Jesus is perfect and Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that his perfection never ceases—not even when the Son of God became the Son of man—100% divine and 100% human. The union of human and divine in Jesus did not diminish God’s perfection in any way, though Jesus yielded himself fully to the limitations of our humanity—going so far as to suffer and die in the flesh in order to redeem us.

Through his incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus redeemed not just humanity, but all the created order, including time. Jesus is Lord of all time: “Yesterday and today and forever.” The New Testament speaks of time in a rather fluid way—both as chronos (the chronological passage of time, one moment after another) and kairos (the “times” of God’s redemptive intervention within the universe of created space and time). In the article “Time” in The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Carl Henry says this:

While the New Testament [in speaking of chronos] gives prominent scope to the future…its central kairos is the life and death and resurrection of the incarnate Christ, which is decisively significant for the kingdom of God. The terms, “day [of the Lord]” and “hour,” “now” and “today” gain dramatic significance in the New Testament context whenever the eternal order impinges upon the sweep of ordinary events (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, article “Time,” p. 1095).

Grasping the concept of time as both chronos and kairos helps us understand the biblical teaching that the “end time” began with Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension. With this great and decisive “Christ event,” kairos intersected chronos, bringing healing “Today”—the continuing time when the salvation that is present in Jesus is being received by those who rest (trust) in Jesus (Hebrews 3:13-15).

How sad (and foolish) that some would try to limit God by setting dates for his future intervention within chronos. Many such dates have come and gone: 1844, 1917, 1975, 2000, 2008, 2010 and others. All of these predictions have failed, including ones of our own. By God’s grace, we learned how utterly futile date-setting is. We no longer try to pin down the sovereign God in this way. Instead, we rest in his present and continuing salvation.

Israel lived mainly in chronos time as evidenced by her observances of the Sabbath and Holy Days (Leviticus 23). Her lunar-solar calendar was rooted in the world of physical time and space and looked forward to events yet future. But the gospel proclaims that the promised future has arrived: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). As Christians, we live in two “time zones”: both chronos and kairos time. In both, we experience the perfection of Christ as he weaves his new (resurrection) life into the fabric of all creation, including all people in all places and all times. And that includes weaving his life into the fabric of our lives—all of our life, including the times when we suffer.

I’ve been thinking a lot about that suffering recently. Several dear friends are battling cancer and other serious illnesses. Some are suffering a great deal, and some have died. Though I can’t heal the sick and certainly can’t raise the dead, I trust Jesus to show up in such times whether in life or death. In all such times, he comes bearing a complete victory that extends into and beyond all time. That’s how great our Lord and Savior is. In him, in his perfection, we have rest. By the Holy Spirit we are united to Jesus—bonded cosmically, as it were, to the Lord of all creation, including all time.

Resting in Jesus, we have the calling to bear witness to who Jesus truly is and to tell the story of what he has done, is doing and will yet do for our salvation—the eternal Sabbath rest that we have in him.

Resting with you in the perfection of Christ,
Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We all want The Good Life, don’t we? But what, exactly, is it? For many, it’s about material possessions, money, security and opportunity.

Referring to the rap song “Good Life” by hip hop artist Kanye West, the Urban Dictionary offers this definition of The Good Life:

Living life drama and worry free. Do your thing, be thankful for what you have, and take full advantage of everything you do have while still improving on your situation. The Good Life usually consists of being healthy, having confidence, having fun, partying and hooking up with sexy girls but varies from each person. Try not to become jealous of other people and don’t make a big deal out of everything in life. Just live your life, have fun, be positive, and you will be living The Good Life. [1]

Composers Distel and Reardon addressed The Good Life in a song by that name, popularized by singer Tony Bennett. Here are the lyrics:

Oh, the good life, full of fun
Seems to be the ideal
Mm, the good life lets you hide
All the sadness you feel

You won’t really fall in love
For you can’t take the chance
So please be honest with yourself
Don’t try to fake romance

It’s the good life to be free
And explore the unknown
Like the heartaches when you learn
You must face them alone

Please remember, I still want you
And in case you wonder why
Well, just wake up
Kiss the good life, goodbye

Of course, the ultimate answers to life’s big questions are not found in song lyrics. We also understand from life experience that material possessions are not what make life “good.”

The question, What constitutes The Good Life? is not new. The ancient Greek philosophers pondered the question. According to historian Arthur L. Herman, Plato and Aristotle disagreed on the answer, leading to the founding of two schools of thought. Plato’s Rationalism defined The Good Life as consisting of “ideal forms” such as truth, justice, beauty and goodness. Aristotle’s Empiricism defined it as possessing knowledge that is gained through experience. Both philosophers taught that The Good Life comes from the contemplative life of the mind.

But what does the Bible say?

The prophet Micah wrote this: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV). God gave Micah this prophetic insight during a time when calamity and exile awaited Israel. This pivotal passage tells us that living life with fairness and kindness, in humility before God, is the basis of The Good Life.

Interestingly, the Greek philosophers agree with the biblical wisdom that The Good Life has nothing to do with material possessions. Instead, it’s about possessing knowledge that then is rightly applied in relationship to the world around us. But the Bible adds a vital insight: The Good Life has God at its center. It’s about possessing the Word of God made open to us by the Spirit of God. Karl Barth said it this way:

The hearing of the Word of God the creator, which makes human life to become Christian life, is not man’s work but God’s: the Holy Spirit’s work. Just as our spirit cannot produce the Word of God, so too it cannot receive it… A sheer miracle must happen to him, a second miracle in addition to the miracle of his own existence, if his life shall be a true Christian life, which is a life within the hearing of God’s word. This miracle is the office of the Holy Spirit. [2]

The Good Life is life centered on the Living Word of God, who as its Creator and Redeemer, has a foundational relationship with all of life. Thus The Good Life is not something that is bought or sold. It is not about a transaction of any sort. Rather, it’s about being in a personal relationship with the very Source of life. In that relationship, we are freely given God’s own kind of life. It is sent to us from the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit. And we receive that life as we surrender in worship by the Spirit, through the Son, to the Father. And that relationship of worship to God bears fruit in all of our other relationships, expressing itself towards others in a spirit of justice, kindness and humility.

Jesus (his being and his acts) constitutes The Good Life. And by grace, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are given to share that Life with Jesus. In him, we are alive. In him, we have life eternal. This is ultimate reality. This is The Good Life!

Sharing The Good Life with Christ and with you,
Joseph Tkach

[1] www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The+Good+Life
[2] Karl Barth. The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life: The Theological Basis of
Ethics, pages 10-11.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Research shows that women, on average, talk about three times as much as men. The average woman notches up about 20,000 words in a day, which is about 13,000 more than the average man. Women also generally speak more quickly and devote more brainpower to speaking. So far, research has been unable to explain exactly why, though some evidence points to a genetic cause. [1] After 60 years of my own observation, I think I have a plausible explanation: motherhood.

Mothers typically spend more time with their children than fathers, and thus say much more to them. With that in mind, here is some Mother’s Day humor, speculating on what some mothers might have said to their famous young sons:

• Columbus’ mother: “I don’t care what you’ve discovered, you still could have written!”
• Michelangelo’s mother: “Can’t you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?”
• Abraham Lincoln’s mother: “Again with the stovepipe hat? Can’t you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?”
• Albert Einstein’s mother: “Can’t you do something about your hair? Oil, styling gel, mousse, anything …?”
• George Washington’s mother: “The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance goodbye!”
• Thomas Edison’s mother: “Of course I’m proud that you invented the electric light bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed!”

That’s all in fun, of course, but there is no doubt that mothers have had a tremendous impact on history, as noted by American poet William Ross Wallace (1819-1881) in “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.” Here is the third verse:

Woman, how divine your mission,
Here upon our natal sod;
Keep—oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Indeed, mothers have a vital calling—a divine mission. It is therefore fitting that we honor them on Mother’s Day. As we do, let’s remember the divine mission that was given to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

For some, Mary is a super-human, mystical object of devotion. That’s unfortunate in that it can cause one to under-appreciate the courage and faith that Mary showed in humbly accepting her divine calling with these words: “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38 NASB). To serve as the Messiah’s mother was a daunting responsibility. But Mary drew strength from her faith in God and comfort and support from her Aunt Elizabeth and her husband-to-be, Joseph.

Mothers today also face great challenges—these are not easy times to bring up children who are content in themselves, have a vital faith and are able to resist the pressures of moral compromise. Often the effort, skill and experience that it takes to be an effective mother (or father!), is devalued in our society, which seems only to value earning money. Investing in “people-making,” as some call parenting, is seriously undervalued as a high calling that takes intelligence, discipline, maturity and a wide range of both practical and personal abilities. Although we tend to think of God in masculine images, we perhaps get the best glimpse of his unrelenting, unconditional love for us when we see the selfless love of a mother for her children.

As Mother’s Day approaches (May 11 in the U.S.), I hope you’ll take time to show appreciation for all mothers, including your own.

Your brother in Christ,

Joseph Tkach

P.S. Though a mother’s true value is not measured in dollars and cents, it might interest you to know that in 2013 a stay-at-home mom’s work was valued at an annual cost of $113,568. [2]

____________

[1] http://news.sciencemag.org/brain-behavior/2013/02/language-gene-more-active-young-girls-boys?ref=hp

[2] http://www.salary.com/2013-mom-infographics/

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

First it was the Millennium Bug, threatening to destroy civilization. Then it was the Mayan Calendar, anticipating the end of the world as we know it. Now some people—particularly those with a seemingly incurable case of prediction addiction—are making a big deal out of “blood moons.” Here they go again!

The term “blood moon” arose in folklore—often with religious connotations. It describes an astronomical phenomenon of four successive lunar eclipses within a short period. The scientific name is a “tetrad.” We are in one of those periods now. Well, so what?

Though rare, tetrads are not unique. They have occurred 142 times in the past 5000 years and will happen eight more times this century. But some prophecy buffs regard the current tetrad as especially significant because the eclipses will coincide with certain Jewish festivals. Though they warn that this is ominous, we seem to have survived the first eclipse just fine. It came and went on April 15, which was the second day of the Passover festival. In the U.S., the big event that day was passing the deadline to file income tax returns (I hope you survived!). The second eclipse in the tetrad then comes on October 8, 2014, during the festival of Tabernacles. The third will come on April 5, 2015, again during Passover, and the fourth on September 28, 2015, again during Tabernacles. Ironically, three of these four eclipses will not even be visible in Israel, although the September 2015 one may be.

Again, I ask, “So what?” There is nothing particularly extraordinary about this. The Jewish holy days are scheduled according to a lunar calendar with some occurring on the full moon. Thus the current tetrad is not the first to coincide with Old Testament festivals. It happened in 1967-68; 1949-50; 1493-94; 860-61; 842-43; 795-796; 162-163; and 32-33 AD. But this historic reality does not stop the current speculation. Some people insist on interpreting this as the harbinger of a significant prophetic event. A few see it as signaling the rapture or the tribulation. Others, no doubt, will try to fit it into their speculative prophetic timeline in other ways. They should heed Isaiah’s warning:

When people tell you, “Try out the fortunetellers. Consult the spiritualists. Why not tap into the spirit-world, get in touch with the dead?” Tell them, “No, we’re going to study the Scriptures.” People who try the other ways get nowhere—a dead end! (Isaiah 8:19-22 MSG).

Jesus warned of false prophets, alarmists who would proclaim, “Here’s the Messiah! There he is is!” But Jesus’ advice was this:

“Don’t fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better” (Matthew 24:23-25 MSG).

Jesus, not astrology or astronomy, is the lens through which we read and thus interpret scripture. Some will object, pointing to Jesus’ prophecy about the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem:

“Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29).

Others, no doubt, will point to Peter’s words, spoken on Pentecost:

“The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord” (Acts 2:20).

In making this proclamation, Peter was quoting Joel’s prophecy, as recorded in the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament), concerning the heavenly signs that would accompany the outpouring of God’s Spirit. These signs would occur, “before the coming of the…day of the Lord.” In Peter’s mind, the time between Jesus’ death and resurrection and his promised return were telescoped into a short span of time. As he spoke these words, reverberating in Peter’s mind, no doubt, was the darkening of the sun and the red moon that occurred on the Passover at Jesus’ death (Luke 23:44). He and other of the disciples likely considered those events as fulfilling Joel’s prophecy concerning the beginning of the last days—the time when the Holy Spirit would be working to call and convict all humanity. Ever since Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, we have been living in those last days.

There is no warrant for using predictable astronomical events as a hermeneutical device for interpreting the Bible. God set these marvels of the universe in motion and they are a joy to behold. As David declared, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1). We should enjoy God’s creation for what it is, not for something beyond its purpose.

Cosmic events and even general historical events, are not to be used to try to make God’s providential working predictable. Such approaches should be left to those who practice astrology, divination and necromancy—practices strictly off limits for those who worship the living God.

Yes, when God works according to his divine wisdom, the effects will be seen in history and even in the wide expanse of the universe. This is so because God in Christ is Lord of both history and the entire cosmos. As those who worship him, we recognize and can anticipate the kinds of things our God will do, because we know that they will express his nature and purposes, which are revealed to us in Jesus Christ. And that is all we need to know. Jesus himself is God’s final Sign. He is the ultimate Reality, who enables us to trust in God in every circumstance and at all times. God revealed to us in Christ is faithful, not predictable.

Frankly, it is wearisome to me to see people reacting to these naturally occurring phenomenon with a spirit that is not unlike that of the Pharisees who came to Jesus seeking a sign in the sky. The Bible says they did so to “test” Jesus. Note Jesus’ reaction:

He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side (Mark 8:12-13).

We don’t need a sign when we have the Reality standing before us, alive among us by his Spirit. So let’s pause to sigh deeply like Jesus did and go back to the Lord’s work and worship.

Your brother in Christ,
Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Have you ever picked up one of those small, multi-layered sandwiches at a buffet and been surprised at how tasty it was? A Bible story can be like that—perhaps a bit confusing at first with its multiple layers, yet surprisingly tasty and nourishing once you get into it. There’s a story like that in Mark chapter 11. The first layer goes like this:

As they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it (Mark 11:12-14).

Why did Jesus do that? It seems at first glance a rather unreasonable thing to do. It wasn’t the season for figs—so why blame the tree? Was the pressure of the last weeks of his earthly ministry getting to Jesus? No, he knew exactly what he was doing. He didn’t mutter this under his breath—as verse 14 indicates, he made sure his disciples heard.

Mark then adds another layer to this “tasty sandwich”:

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers’” (Mark 11:15-17).

What Jesus did here was a public relations nightmare! Approaching the city the day before, the multitudes greeted him as a conquering hero. This was a particularly sensitive time of year and the occupying Romans were on the lookout for trouble. Jesus had “flown under the radar” in his triumphal entry, so the sensible thing for him to do now would have been to keep his head down. Instead, he causes a major incident in the most sensitive spot imaginable—the Temple. He charges it with being unfruitful in prayer for the nations.

This shocking proclamation exposes the corruption and hypocrisy of Israel’s religious elite. Jesus is accusing them of abandoning Israel’s mission to be a light to the nations, and attempting to keep God’s blessing for themselves. Jesus is asking for trouble!

Then Mark adds another layer:

The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching (Mark 11:18).

Jesus’ prophetic word was sure to provoke a showdown with the religious elite. But it wasn’t quite time yet. So…

When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city (Mark 11:19).

Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree was not about the tree. It had no fruit through no fault of its own. That would be clear to all. He was using the incident with the tree to illustrate a far more important lesson. But it was not a lesson that the disciples grasped at the time, as we see in the last layers of the story:

In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” (Mark 11:20-21).

Jesus’ reply to Peter might seem rather unsatisfying—perhaps even condescending:

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them” (Mark 11:22-23).

Let’s review what Jesus is saying here in context. He is not giving advance notice of a breakthrough in civil engineering. This lesson is no more about the mountain than the other was about the fig tree. In the ancient world, “mountains” often symbolized empires and kingdoms. Casting them into the sea symbolized their judgment—being thrown into a place of destruction (Mark 9:42). This was likely baffling to the disciples, because what Jesus predicted did not happen immediately. The disciples were weak in faith, and so the one who “does not doubt” here is Jesus. He has no doubts that his Father will bring this to pass—that he will judge the Jewish religious elite and the Roman overlords who refuse to bow to Jesus’ lordship. Eventually, they will be thrown down.

The point here is that the kingdom that Jesus is inaugurating by the authority of his words and deeds stands over all other authorities, religious or secular. His rule and reign has begun and he knows that it will reach its fullness over time. Jesus’ words of judgment—sorting out what is what—will come to pass, even if there is a delay, just as there was between the words Jesus spoke and the effects seen upon the fig tree. This delay does not diminish the effectiveness and certainty of his authoritative word. In that regard, remember the prophecy of Micah:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it (Micah 4:1).

These “last days” have been unfolding for a long time. The Temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 and then, by AD 476, the Roman Empire ceased to exist. Yet we still await the ultimate consummation of the last days, which will occur at Jesus’ return in glory. The kingdom Jesus inaugurated 2,000 years ago, eventually will completely overthrow all opposition, whether religious or secular. But, according to our Lord’s way, this overthrow comes gradually, and not through cruelty, force or intimidation. Instead, the kingdom advances through the pronouncement of the Lord’s word by his people who, themselves, live by faith in that word. Opponents to Jesus’ kingdom reign are thus conquered “from the roots,” over long periods of time and in ways generally not immediately seen. For these vanquished foes, rather than revenge, there is forgiveness, love and mercy.

The time span between the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom involves a process of judgment that leads to peace—a peace that the world is unable to understand, for it goes against the grain of human nature (John 14:27). Those whom Jesus chose to join him in the next stage of his ministry needed to understand, as do we. We await the fullness of the kingdom with patience and a hope that will not be disappointed.

With concluding words from Jesus, Mark adds a final and rather surprising layer to this tasty sandwich:

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:24-25).

Here is the unexpected, perhaps shocking, way the kingdom unfolds. Through clarifying judgment, over time, all opposition to the kingdom is overcome as it is exposed for what it is: nothing compared to the rule and reign of God in Christ, which alone gives life eternal. As believers, we pray for and thus welcome this unfolding judgment—not through revenge or condemnation, but by extending the Lord’s forgiveness to all. This we do because our concern is that deception be lifted and all enter God’s glorious kingdom, receiving God’s forgiveness as his redeemed children. Because we have received that forgiveness, we have passed through the Lord’s loving and freeing judgment, which led to our repentance. And now we wish for others to gain what we have received. Ultimately, God’s judgment, delivered to us in Jesus Christ, is a word of compassion and salvation. And that is a tasty sandwich indeed!

Your brother in Christ,

Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Teachers tell us that to lay the foundation for a good education, students need to master the three academic Rs—Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithamatic. As we prepare for Easter-themed worship this weekend, let’s focus on three spiritual Rs that help us understand God’s plan for all humanity—Redemption, Restoration and Reconciliation.

These three are “feel good” words, even when not used in a religious context. We like it when something is reconciled, restored and redeemed. Like when our checkbook reconciles with our bank statement. Or when a broken life is redeemed. How about when something that is broken is fixed and thus restored? I have a huge model of a sailing ship in my office. During the relocation of GCI’s home office from Pasadena to Glendora, it was broken. My good friend Scott Wertz restored it. Now you can’t tell where it was cracked. I love that it looks brand new.

In his parables, Jesus often used the “feel good” aspect of redemption, restoration and reconciliation to help us understand how God “feels good” about bringing humanity to salvation. There is the parable of the lost coin, and also the one about the lost sheep. Jesus wants us to know that God loves us. We are his highly-valued possessions, and he wants us back with him, where we belong.

It’s God’s nature to seek to live in friendly relationship with his creation. Jesus told us: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). How sad that the relationship is often portrayed as almost adversarial: IF you do everything God tells you, THEN he will, almost grudgingly, let you in. I’m sure many of us remember receiving the communion elements, worried half-sick that we might be eating and drinking damnation to ourselves. What a travesty of the truth!

The night before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed for his disciples, and all who followed them, with these words: “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (John 17:24). Paul then added this thought in Ephesians 1:4: “He [God the Father] chose us in him [Jesus] before the creation of the world…” Let’s not read over this exquisite point—the Triune God wants us! We belonged to him before the world was created. To borrow an old phrase, we were a gleam in God’s eye before he spoke the cosmos into existence with all its matter, energy and attendant processes and multiplicity of life forms. We belonged to God from even before that beginning. God’s love has been outgoing throughout eternity and he is drawing people back to himself.

All that exists is the fruit of God’s free will and divine love. The universe is not necessary and not self-sufficient. The universe and everything in it are contingent and dependent. As created things, we can never be just ourselves alone. God maintains the core of our being or we cease to exist. But it is his will that we do exist—not just for a few decades, but forever.

Once this fact of God’s love and purposes for us and all creation has sunk in, there can be only one response—gratitude. And that gratitude is expressed in worship. Worship is so much more than singing a hymn, saying a prayer or giving an offering. To be sure, these are components of our worship, but there is much more to worship than those actions, which usually are done in a church service.

Worship that expresses gratitude to God is not the product of our religious experience, faith, repentance or decision. Instead, as noted by J. B. Torrance, it is “the gift of participating through the Spirit in the incarnate Son’s communion with the Father.” In worship, Jesus first offers himself to the Father on our behalf and in our place. Then, on the basis of that self-offering, Jesus shares with us his human-Godward act of worship—his praise, prayer, repentance and adoration. While this response to God in worship becomes our own as we participate in faith, it always is in Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. The ultimate worshiper and our worship leader is Jesus.

Viewed from this trinitarian perspective, our worship of God is a 24/7 activity. United to Christ and filled with his Spirit, all our time is holy; all our activities are part of a life of worship—a response of gratitude to our triune God.

My wish for you all is that you have inspiring and meaningful times of worship during this Holy Week, culminating in the Easter celebration of our Lord’s resurrection. He is risen!

Your brother in Christ,