bible

Condemning Condemnation

Condemning Condemnation

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Condemnation. It’s such a harsh word. The noble goal of our culture in recent years is acceptance. Those two seem to stand in harsh opposition. Acceptance is loving and welcoming. Condemning seems to carry with it disapproval and hate. 

Recently verse 17 of the 3rd chapter of the Gospel of John has been used to condemn condemnation by positioning Jesus as the great affirmer. This verse follows the most famous verse in Scripture and says “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” At first glance it appears we have a friend in Jesus in our quest to affirm and accept…He didn’t come to condemn! 

There is a challenge we face if we attempt to draw that lesson from this verse, though. The Bible isn’t a fortune cookie, and so we generally can’t simply grab a sentence we like and draw broad conclusions. There is a coherent, consistent overarching message in scripture. Each historical narrative, poem, letter, and sermon provides an important puzzle piece illuminating the grand message. In short, it all fits together to tell us about God, His plan, mankind, and our purpose in His mission.

Before digging into John 3, it’s good to revisit that overall metanarrative. The story of the Bible is that God created and sustains everything that is, was, and ever will be. Among other things, He is good, He is love, and what He created was glorious. Humans were created in His image and were given stewardship over creation. God’s design for humans was for us to live in relational harmony with each other and with Him. Humans turned from God, though. Even today, we turn from Him both by nature and by our own choice. Every single one of us.

That’s the root of our problem…we were designed to live life in an intimate relationship with God and turning away has left us deeply unsatisfied, but our tendency is to double-down…even though we know our judgment is imperfect, we stubbornly pursue the paths we think will make us whole again. The uncomfortable truth is, we don’t have it in us. We simply aren’t capable of bridging the chasm between ourselves and our deepest need…our Creator. We have run too far. You might even say that in our current circumstances, we are condemned to a life separated from God. 

Now snap back to John 3…that’s right where Jesus is meeting us. God–our Creator–loves us so much He sent His only Son so that anyone who places his or her trust in Him will be reconciled to God (16). Jesus did not come into this world to condemn the world (17)…it was already condemned without Him! If we make it to verse 18, it says “…anyone who does not believe is already condemned…” In verse 19 it tells us that Jesus is the light and “people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” That’s the story of all of us. We’ve lived in the darkness that comes from being isolated from Him. We’re comfortable in the dark and so we shun the light.

What I’ve learned from both Scripture and personal experience is that Jesus meets us where we are. Whatever lifestyle we’re living, whatever we may be worshiping, and whatever speed we may be running from Him. Wherever we are, we can simply turn and discover He’s right there with His arms ready to embrace us. He already knows us deeply and loves us wholly. When we turn to Him, we place our trust entirely in Him. It’s a humble acknowledgment that our Creator knows more about His creation than we do. Although we may recoil against some of the implications of the life He calls us to, we trust and know He is good, He knows everything, designed everything, He is wise, and He loves us. We can trust Him. And so when Jesus meets us where we are, He doesn’t leave us there. When we turn to embrace and trust Him, we don’t turn back! We continue drawing nearer to Him and following Him, even if it means our old life slips away. Honestly, we know it wasn’t working anyway. But like a childhood stuffed animal or an old, favorite sweatshirt…it can be hard to walk away from the things that gave us comfort before we knew Him.

The lesson we learn from leaning into Scripture is that Jesus doesn’t come into the world to condemn us because we are already condemned without Him. The great news is that Jesus knows us fully and loves us deeply…in fact, He is the only one who truly can. The message the world screams at us is that we are fine the way we are. We are captains of our own fate, we are the masters of our souls. These days this is called affirmation and acceptance. But true affirmation acknowledges more than just our preference and inclinations…it acknowledges our circumstance, our loneliness, our pain, and our longings. It acknowledges our weariness. And love doesn’t leave us there. Jesus won’t leave us there.

Contend!

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Contend for the faith… I’ve been wrestling with this verse all week. That’s kind of funny because the Greek word for “contend” has an athletic connotation to it. Wrestle. Fight. Struggle. It seems there is much of that everywhere I look.

It’s easy to stumble across verses like this and misinterpret them as a clarion call to declare war against those outside the faith. That wasn’t Jude’s intent. His warning and call to action was to fight for the faith within the church. As we read the rest of the verse we see an implication staggering to our modern, enlightened minds. Stating that the Christian faith was “delivered to the saints once for all” is a bold claim that God’s truth doesn’t change. It says there was a message delivered by Jesus in the early 30s AD and that message has not changed.

By the time Jude was writing this just a few decades later, there were people inside the church claiming to have new interpretations, revelations, and applications of God’s truth. They claimed that truth changes with the time and culture. They claimed God adapts to each generation. They claimed that if Jesus were ministering on earth today, His message would be similar, but different. What Jude knew and what we must realize is that those outside the church will always disagree with the believers. That’s to be expected. Although our deep desire is for them to agree with us, our methods are different than wrestling and “contending.” But when those inside the faith begin to undermine and distort God’s truth…that’s when we are called to contend.

And so Jude’s clarion call was for those inside the church to wrestle with God’s timeless truths. We are to recognize that His truth never changes and the redemptive work Jesus left for His followers is the exact same as the day He ascended. And the beauty of it is that we aren’t called to quell conversation. We aren’t called to fight using the weapons of this world, but with grace and without compromise. Each generation brings relevant challenges which need to be fleshed out anew in a way that refines our understanding but will never undermine it. This is precisely what has happened countless times over the years, from the Jerusalem Council in Acts to the Council of Nicaea, the Council of Chalcedon, and countless others.

Jude’s challenge is a call to be both wise and humble with our discernment, carefully and intentionally train others in the skill and art of Scripture Interpretation and Godly living, so that when we are gone the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all will continue to be in good hands. If our most precious beliefs were given once for all, it is our duty to diligent seek the timeless Biblical truths that apply to all people in all places at all times, today, yesterday, and tomorrow. Every claim about our faith must meet this standard, and if it does we must contend for it to remain treasured and undistorted.

One Chapter

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Every Christian I know holds the Bible in high regard. We carry them dutifully to church every week, own multiple copies, and download Bible apps to our phones. Unfortunately, despite our reverence for God’s Word and its extreme availability, surveys show both Biblical literacy and Scripture intake are at their lowest in generations. Why is it that those of us who earnestly believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God struggle to integrate it into our lives? Honestly, the why doesn’t even matter. The real question is what do we do about it?

When I became a Christian at 32, I thought I had a lot of catching up to do. Unlike so many others, I didn’t grow up attending church regularly. Within a year of coming to faith, I was diving into Scripture for the first time. As I poured over the pages and got to know the histories, parables, wisdom, and poetry, it was life-changing. There have been innumerable things that have stretched and deepened my Christian walk, but none so much as getting into God’s Word. This is why I’m passionate about helping others get into the Word.

Many of us fall into the routine of attending weekly services to be taught. We’ve been lulled into thinking a half-hour on Sunday is all we need in order to know and understand God and His will for us. I believe I speak on behalf of most preachers when I say their deep desire is for every believer to learn to read and interpret scripture personally. Sunday morning is the cherry on top of our weekly walk with God, it is not intended to be our sole soul sustenance.

At the beginning of this year I invited a few friends to get into the Word with me. We started in Luke and then moved to Acts. It was an incredible time of growth, community, and encouragement. The plan was reasonable and a bunch of us moved through it. Last week I invited my friends to get back on the journey with me. This time we’re going through the entire New Testament. 260 chapters. If we read five days a week, it will take exactly one year. The five-days-a-week plan gives us the flexibility to miss a day or two without getting too far behind. If we find ourselves a week behind, it’s still easy to catch up.

To help everyone out, I’ve got a Facebook group going. We can post encouragement, insights, and questions while also helping with accountability. Jump in any time you like, we’re right HERE.

I keep referring to this as a “bookmark plan” because if you’re using a physical Bible all you need is a bookmark. No checklists are necessary. Just move your bookmark every day and you’ll always know where you are. However…because many people love checklists, I’ve created one for you here: 260 Day Plan.

Join the journey. Get into the Word until the Word gets into you. Our first goal is to get into the habit of getting into Scripture. We’ll share tips along the way and introduce more ideas to help get you deeper into the Word and draw nearer to God.

Where’s John?

Where’s John?

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I embarked on a communal journey through scripture way back in January. A bunch of brave and slightly crazy folks joined in, committing to read about a chapter a day in Luke and then Acts. Signposts and reflections of that journey have appeared here along the way. As planned, we made it though Luke in four weeks and then through Acts in the following four. Although there were no formal checklists, I personally found it helpful to write a quick reflection on my personal Facebook after each day’s reading. This had an additional benefit of reminding everyone we were still moving along together. The encouragement I received also helped motivate me to continue daily.

As the end of the Book of Acts approached, there were questions regarding where this journey would go next. A couple of my original goals were to encourage others to read chapters rather than verses, demystify Bible reading, and foster a love for God’s Word in the people of God. When the end approached, it was clear many people were finding new joy and life in the Word and that the journey should continue. And so…we boldly dove into the Gospel of John.

But…then…the rhythm got off somehow. The daily sharing and accountability became inconsistent and essentially stopped. In the past month or so, I’ve made it through John 11. I fully intend to continue reading and sharing, but want to share the “behind the scenes” happenings and lessons since we began the Gospel of John. In other words, what’s happening in the Bouchard Bubble? Where’s John?

First: Filled

I’ve often encouraged others to “serve as an overflow.” In other words, become so spiritually full that the work of God spills out of us. To posture ourselves in the opposite way–serving in order to receive from God–is fruitless and leads not to God but to burn-out. I have found that it’s vital that followers of Christ “fill up” through personal discipleship habits. Our community gatherings can be refreshing, but it’s our daily habits that keep us turned toward our Savior. As my life got a bit chaotic, I recognized that there were things I simply had to let drop. Although the side of me that seeks the affirmation of others wanted to push through John and enjoy the feedback and encouragement I was receiving from so many of you, the wiser path was to let that drop. A piece of me still hoped I could fit it in every day, but it simply didn’t happen.

The public “chapter a day” posts are a ministry. It falls into that “overflow” category. Although those posts dried up, I have personally continued to stay in the Word daily. I don’t often publicly talk about my scripture intake. Honestly, it’s the spiritual discipline I find easiest and enjoy the most. Not everyone has the same experience, so I stay quiet. Even though I haven’t been pushing through John, I am 100% caught up on my personal “Bible in a Year” plan. Last fall I began supplementing that with a plan that involves reading one Psalm per day out loud. Both of these provide spiritual nourishment that sustains me through darker days and fuels ministry when things are going well. My hope and prayer is that through this dry spell, all of you have continue exploring and enjoying the Word of God on your own as well.

Second: Opposition

Many of you already know that I’ve been pursuing a Master’s degree in Theological Studies. I began that journey in the Fall of 2014 and completed my FINAL class on March 8, 2018 (woot, woot). A Master’s degree is a lot of work and a lot of stress. It’s interesting to note that our reading of Luke/Acts coincided with my final class and John didn’t kick off until class was over. Because of the timing, I thought I’d have ample extra time to spend on John. However…

Although some people erroneously think I’m a relatively laid-back person, I’m actually naturally quite tense. Throughout seminary, I never was able to be content to simply pass class (okay…or even get a B). Although my grades likely will never be relevant to any circumstance I face in this life (or the next), I just couldn’t help but overachieve in every class. Looking back, I realize now that adrenaline had been a vital sustaining fluid for the past few years. Once class was over…well, let’s just say there was a bit of a crash. In the weeks since, I’ve been discovering a new and healthy rhythm of life. This has been thrown off by a random case of strep throat and a huge, high-pressure implementation at my day job. In addition to those big things, it seems as if there have been a thousand tiny gnats of darkness buzzing around my head for the past month. I’d love to say every bit of opposition is in the past. It’s not, but surely it’s back to normal levels.

Finally: The Layers of John

I said this when we started and quite a few times since: John is deep and layered. The first couple of times I shared about Luke, I summarized it in a few words. Every now and then I’d write a bit more. People kept reading in spite of the length, so I threw caution to the wind and began just saying what I had to say about each chapter. This worked well through Luke and Acts. The reason I picked those to begin with is because they are so matter-of-fact. Although there is depth to be explored, it tends to be historical but still approachable by most of us today. John, on the other hand, is full of depth impossible to even scratch in a single rambling Facebook post. Honestly, it’s a bit intimidating and I’ve shied away from it.

The Gospel of John is beautiful and life-changing. As I write reflections about it, I’m balancing the goal of demystifying scripture while attempting to remaining true to the depths of the text. During our walk through Luke and Acts, I would pretty much share off the top of my head after reading the chapter. With John, I tend to reference a few commentaries before I share. Perhaps I’m returning to my old ways and setting a higher standard for myself than is truly necessary. Even so…this is where the path has led and so it is what I will follow.

What’s next?

I’d love to continue this path through the Gospel of John. One thing I’ve learned in my decade or so of following Jesus is that persistence is a more valuable trait than perfection. I invite you to persist with me in this journey. I’m again setting a goal of a chapter per day, starting with John 12. Come along with me. If there is anything I can do to assist your journey, please reach out.

The Beginning

The Beginning

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Our Story

As our calendars changed from ‘17 to ‘18, a bunch of us embarked on a journey through scripture together. There are no checklists or daily reminders. There is no guilt or condemnation. Our strategy is grace-filled engagement with the Bible. The guideline I recommended was about a chapter per day through Luke and then Acts. The goal was to discover the joy of the habit of reading God’s Word. And we did it.

What’s next?

As the end of Acts approached, it was clear that this journey must continue. After a week of rest and grace, today we are starting the Gospel of John.

What to expect

The Gospel of John is quite different from Luke. As I mentioned during our Luke/Acts reading, when you spend time in the Word, you begin to recognize the voices of the writers. John is poetic and sweeping, as opposed to the matter-of-fact gritty writing of Luke. John is more concerned with ideas and themes than chronology. When we read it straight-through, we tend to assume the events happen in the order they are presented. That’s the way we tell stories today. In first century literature it was common to arrange a story by themes instead. We get a bit of that in this book. It progresses sort of in order (with the beginning of Jesus ministry at the beginning and the crucifixion/resurrection at the end) but not entirely in order. Even Luke did that a little bit in his Gospel, but not as much as John.

Although we don’t have a firm date on when this was written, it is widely accepted to be the last of Gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were all written much earlier and have quite a bit of overlap. John, on the other hand, has more unique material in it than any other Gospel. As we read Luke/Acts, I share that they were written in the late 50s to mid-60s AD. John was likely written somewhere around 70-100 AD. Historical writings outside the Bible tell us that John died around the year 100 AD, and the leaders of the early church (many of whom would have known John personally) tell us that this book was written late in his life. So as you read this, imagine a wise and gentle old man reading it to you. Once known as one of the “sons of thunder,” as he grew older he picked up the name “the beloved disciple.” He was a leader in the early church, likely writing this Gospel from the church in Ephesus.

Why did John write?

The book of Ecclesiastes tells us “there is nothing new under the sun.” Even in Paul’s day (and he died way back around 65 AD), people were claiming that Jesus was an enlightened or inspired man but was not God. Some claimed He was a special man who had divinely revealed special knowledge from God. People claimed to have new and special knowledge from God to supplement the teachings of Jesus. These same claims are being made today. As the eyewitnesses died out and these new and false teachings became more widespread, he took up his pen and recorded what he knew to be true. He writes as an eyewitness to the life and teachings of Jesus, but also as a wise leader who has seen the tragic consequences false leaders who twist the truth. Just like Luke, the Gospel of John confronts you with the most important question of our lives, “who is Jesus?” John begins his answer in the very first sentence.

As we soak in the sweepingly poetic writing of John, we’ll see that he beautifully records the most important things he knows about Jesus. This book is one that a new believer can read and come away with increased knowledge and faith. It also is so layered that we can return to it over and over again for the rest of our lives and never fully plumb its depths. As you read, two things to look out for are the miracles and “I am” statements of Jesus. The other Gospels have numerous miracles. This book has seven. Each is recorded in order to affirm an important truth about who Jesus is and what He has dominion over. There are also seven sets of “I am” statements. Each of these reveals something important about Jesus. Pay attention to them. Let me know what you think.

Finally…let me know if there is anything I can do to support you in reading this book. I’ve been posting a few thoughts on the chapter on my personal Facebook timeline as we go, but I am open to other options. I have a public Facebook page as well and can share there instead (if someone asks me to). As always, feel free to shoot questions my way any time. Let’s pray for each other as we continue our journey together.

End of an Act

End of an Act

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Today, the journey ends. A ragtag band of folks from around the world have traveled with Luke through the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. One day at a time and one chapter at  time, we have done it. Every question and comment has been a treasure. Having so many fellow travelers has helped keep me on track.

As the end drew near I have gotten reflective. This kicked off organically and without much of a plan. So, why did I do this and what did we learn? What’s next? In the past week I’ve uncovered my deeper motivation. In typical preacher style, I’ve got four alliterated points.

Engage. I’ve seen countless studies and statistics claiming that although the Bible is more accessible than it has ever been, Christian are less engaged with it. In general, we claim to believe everything it says but we rarely open it. People tend to have overly mystical view of it and stay away because it seem intimidating. My goal is to dispel some of that anxiety. Through this Luke/Acts adventure, we have visibly demonstrated we can read our Bibles entire books at a time and that it really doesn’t take very long. A chapter Luke or Acts generally takes less than ten minutes. We have learned first-hand that we can do this. Even if we don’t understand every nuance, we can spend time in the Word. 

Enrich. A sentiment I hear often is “I need to be spiritually filled.” The pace and stress of life can be draining. When we join a church and start serving, we discover that the biggest joy in our lives can quickly become a burden. Scripture intake is one of the best ways to retreat and refill. Honestly, there were days during this reading that I didn’t have the energy at the end of the day to crack open my Bible. But, because of the team, I did. Each and every time, the rewards were plentiful. Simply spending time in the Word enriches us spiritually. By keeping the plan encouraging and grace-filled, it kept it from becoming a burden.  

Educate. The reason reading plans tend to die in Leviticus is because it is a tough book! It’s difficult to understand how the minutiae of ancient ceremonial laws about cleanliness apply to us today. When the words on the page don’t seem to apply, it is almost impossible to engage and be enriched. By starting in Luke and Acts, the gap isn’t so wide. One really cool thing about the Bible is that there is an overarching metanarrative of God’s plan for mankind, which is a plan of salvation and redemption. When we grasp that overall plan, it is easier to wade into those harder books. It’s okay to start in Luke instead of Genesis. It’s okay to read Acts next instead of Leviticus. Part of the goal of this plan is to give people permission to do just that.

Luke gives us the account of the final stage in God’s plan (the coming of Jesus and the work He did on our behalf). Acts gives us the outworking of that plan…how it transforms lives and is spread to the world. These books are a great place to begin grasping that big-picture view. What God revealed in part through the Law and Prophets, He revealed in full through the incarnation (and now to use through the Bible). If all we have is the life of Jesus, that is enough. But as we press more deeply, the light of Jesus shines on and illuminates all of Scripture. Throughout this journey I have encouraged questions and tried to challenge people to dive more deeply into both the historical facts and the theological truths, as well as the implications of both. We can spend the rest of our lives studying the Word and not plumb the depths fully. I’m looking forward to doing just that, and hopefully if you’ve been reading along, you’ve got a taste for it too.

Evangelize. Reading about the life of Jesus is unlike any other reading experience. Jesus has a way of cutting through all the excuses we may have and confronting us with the big “Who Is Jesus?” question. It is impossible to read Luke or Acts and come away thinking that Jesus was just a good moral teacher. It’s also impossible that these accounts are embellished or infused with legend. The authors of these books honestly believed the words they wrote were absolutely true. You can discount them as conspirators or fools (although neither claim will hold up under scrutiny), but there is little else that can be said against them.

In Luke, Jesus clearly claims to be the Son of God sent to atone for the guilt of mankind. All of us are rebels. We have all turned from God. Jesus came not to woo us back, but to win us back. He took the punishment we deserved. Through His humanity, He was qualified to stand in for us. Through His divinity, He sacrifice was so valuable that it was sufficient to pay the price for us all. This is what He believed, and this is what all of His followers believed. It is explained and demonstrated in Luke and then attested to in Acts. When people grasped this back then, it led them to live bold and fearless lives for the faith, spreading the Good News to everyone they know and meet. As I have posted daily reflections, I find myself doing the same. This journey did not begin with the goal of evangelism, but as we progressed it became natural. Some days it was more overt than others, but I found myself continually confronting people with the question: “who is Jesus?” That’s the most important question of our lives, and it is one we should not dismiss too quickly.

If you’ve journeyed with me, congratulations on finished two books of the Bible. Hopefully you’ve been pressing in deeply and letting it speak into your life. My prayer is that you’ve been engaged with the Word, enriched by the Word, educated about the Word, and evangelized by the Word. Like I’ve said countless times, I have found the Christian worldview to be the most complete and comprehensive. No question is off limits. I say that as someone who spent twenty years as an atheist, with a degree in pure science (Physics) and a minor in philosophy. Mine pre-Christian system was not an unexamined worldview, but I now know I had a billion blind spots. If you have questions, send them my way. Since become a Christian 12 years ago, I have tried to poke holes in it in every possible way as I’ve tested its claims. It has withstood them all.

What’s next?

I started getting this question before we even finished Luke. I love the enthusiasm (and just realized that’s a fifth “E” word to add to the points above). This journey has been too beautiful to end now, so of course it will continue. But we’re going to take a week off. A little bit of rest will give everyone time to catch up with Luke and Acts. It will also give me time to write my FINAL PAPER FOR MY MASTERS!!! It’s due this week. I’m a huge advocate for reasonable reading plans, and the reasonable thing is to start on Monday, March 5.

The plan will be pretty much the same. We’ll shoot for a chapter a day, but give each other some grace. This time we’ll be in the Gospel of John. It has 21 chapters, so it’ll take three weeks. Next Sunday I’ll post an intro with some background to that book and comments about the likely author. If you don’t want to wait a week, then go ahead and start any time. I’ll be posting on Facebook daily starting on the 5th, and every Sunday here on the blog.

As always, thank you so much for coming on this adventure with me. Thank you for reading my thousand-word blog posts. And thank you for the encouragement and prayers. Y’all mean the world to me, so let’s spend eternity together.

The Lazy List

The Lazy List

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As I finished reading this third week of Acts (and 7th week of the Luke/Acts series), I found myself thinking about how much time it was taking every day. The answer was “not much.” That doesn’t mean I managed to squeeze it in every day, of course. Wednesdays seem to be extra jam-packed so they’ve become my most frequent skip day. But I’m old, so Fridays tend to be boring, which transforms it into my make-up day.

When reflecting on how much time was “not much,” I thought it’d be fun to think about things I do daily that take more time than reading a chapter of Luke or Acts.

  1. Look for the remote for the TV.
  2. Find something to watch on Amazon Prime.
  3. Watch something on Amazon Prime.
  4. Search for the perfect playlist to read by. (yes, I can spend more time finding a station or playlist than it actually takes to do the reading).
  5. Find the right podcast to listen to on my drive home from work.
  6. Play PokemonGO (seriously…I could read the Bible in a month if I spent as much time in the Word as I do trying to catch ‘em all).
  7. Browse Facebook.
  8. Read outrage on Twitter (people are even more outraged there than on Facebook).

    I can dig it!
  9. Try to figure out how to use Snapchat.
  10. Stare off into space.
  11. Watch the local news (seriously…I watch for 45 minutes and see the same irrelevant stories 3 times each and the same set of commercials about 8 times).
  12. Talk around the coffee pot at work.
  13. Laugh at the dogs.

I don’t do every single one of these every day, but I guarantee I do them every weekday and most weekend days as well. Every one of them takes more time than taking a slow and deliberate read through a chapter of Luke or Acts. None are more profitable, though.

We’ve heard that “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) This verse tells us scripture is important, life-changing, and vital to our Christian walk. It does not promise it is intuitive or easy. That’s why Paul is encouraging Timothy to stick with it. That’s why I’m encouraging you to stick with it. The entire New Testament was written almost 2,000 years ago. That’s quite a cultural gap to cross, but it is not impossible. It just takes a bit of persistence. “And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

I have one more week in the Acts of the Apostles. We’ve read 24 chapters in Luke and 21 in Acts so far. That’s more than many (most?) Christians ever read. If you’ve stayed with us, congratulations. Well done! If you stopped along the way, just pick it back up again. Start right where you left off or rejoin us in Acts 22 Monday.

In case it’s not obvious, I’m pretty passionate about God’s Word. In the past 12 years I have journeyed from a completely unchurched atheist to a (soon to be) seminary graduate. Obviously God has done an amazing work in me. The tool He has used the most to shape, chisel, mold, and grow me is the Bible.

What’s on your lazy list? Is there anything you can put down in order to pick up the Word?

Acts and Actions

Acts and Actions

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We’ve finished one week in the book of Acts. I love this book because it takes everything we learn in Luke and shows us the implications. This is what eyewitnesses to the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus did next. This is how the first and second generation of believers formed communities and walked out their faith.

Luke speaks to us as individuals. It confronts us with facts and forces us to answer one question: who was Jesus? As I said numerous times as we read that book, it only leaves two options. He was either God in the flesh, come to reconcile and redeem humanity or he was a raving lunatic. He is either the Lord or a lunatic. There is no in between. There is no wiggle room. As we read Luke, we respond with complete surrender or complete rebellion. If you think you’re walking a tightrope between the two, you are in rebellion.

Acts speaks to us as a body of believers. It shows us that our faith is not meant to be a solo project and is not something we can remain silent about. These early believers shared their faith everywhere they went. The honestly believed that all who weren’t following Jesus were doomed to perish. They had both urgency and boldness. They didn’t see any other possible response.

Three things that we find in these believers:

First, they know, acknowledge, and proclaim the truth about Jesus. They believe He was the promised messiah who came to reconcile mankind. He is the savior. Even more, they believed He was God. His life, death, and resurrection provided the only path of redemption. Like I said last week, reconciliation is simple but not easy. All you have to do is trust Him. Fully. They knew this and lived like it.

 

Second, they feared no man. With their eyes fixed on eternity, the opposition of this earth was minor. They didn’t worry what others would think. They didn’t worry that their friends would think they were weird or their coworkers would talk behind their back. Their identity was found in the savior and nothing else.

Third, they humbly worked out the implications of the incarnation with unity. Those with political agendas were quickly corrected and removed (see: Ananias, Sapphira, Simon). The believers weren’t seeking their truths, they were seeking His truth. The truth. And they yielded to it. Together.

What’s the big takeaway from this book? It’s in the title. Act. People often criticize the modern church by comparing it to the believers in this book. What’s the answer? Act. Seriously. Shut up and act. Pursue Christ, allow scripture to refine and sharpen you, and live out the faith. Instead of criticizing all those churches that don’t measure up, be the church that does. Find a band of believers that agree then take the Gospel to the world with urgency and boldness.

What’s stopping you?

Note: A bunch of crazy folks decided we would read through the books of Luke and Acts. We started January first and read six chapters per week of Luke, with a day of grace every week. Now we’ve moved to Acts. We’re shooting for seven chapters a week. If you want to read more than that or less, that’s fine too. There are no checklists or daily reminder. If you want to spend time in the Word of God, just do it. I’ve been posting a weekly check-in with a few thoughts and reflections every week. 

Simple, Not Easy

Simple, Not Easy

onebouchard

Today is grace day. As we take a day off between Luke and Acts, it’s an opportunity to take look both back and ahead. In just a few short weeks we’ve made it through all 24 chapters of the Gospel of Luke. Over the next few weeks, we’ll travel through 28 chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. Personally, I have found reading through books of the Bible has been the most fruitful way to learn about following Jesus. If you’ve taken this journey with me so far, I trust that you have found it uplifting, insightful, and challenging.

Looking back, my first reflection is about the book itself. I have loved how detailed and comprehensive Luke is. Luke was highly educated, compiling the Gospel of Luke from numerous eye-witness accounts. He wrote in a way that would be verifiable to the people of his day. These aren’t mysterious, mystical ramblings intended to inspire and enlighten like we find in other religions. This is an ancient biography. Whatever your opinions of miracles may be, the writer and witnesses to these events are simply reporting what they have seen. As far as style, it was not written to a Jewish audience and is somewhat linear in its telling of the life of Jesus. All of this makes it one of the most approachable books in the Bible for today’s audience. Written communication was much different back then, but this book comes pretty close to what we’re used to. Although it takes a little bit of work at times, most of us can get a lot out of this book quickly.

My second reflection is about Jesus Himself. Although much of what He said was misunderstood in its immediate context, He was quite clear about who He was and why He came. He has not left room for anyone (then or now) to call Him a great teacher or miracle worker. He quite clearly and repeatedly claimed divinity…that’s why the religious elite wanted to kill Him. If He claimed divinity and was not, then He was quite mad. But when we see what He did and what He taught, we see that He spent His entire ministry freeing people. He frees them from sickness, oppression, hunger, and even from death. Each of these acts points to the greatest one…He came to save all of us from the power of sin and death. The one form of oppression that enslaves us all is sin. The one form of poverty that touches each of us is spiritual. It is only through Jesus we are freed from the power and penalty that comes from sin. It is only through Jesus we become reconciled to God, which makes us spiritually rich. Some claim the ministry of Jesus is only about poverty alleviation and social justice here on earth. In this one book, we have seen people who are poor, rich, sick, healthy, Jew, Gentile, man, and woman all come to Jesus. We have seen that exact same demographic turn their back on Him. While the ministry of Jesus certainly brings with it justice and liberation here on earth, it is ultimately meaningless without freedom from sin and reconciliation with God. That’s why Jesus came.

Finally, the last reflection about Luke is personal. This time through Luke, I paid special attention to the interactions Jesus had with others. Throughout the Gospel, His invitation was open to everyone He met. Everyone. Throughout the Gospel, we see people continually walk away. I never once noticed Him turn His back on anyone. That is incredible to think about. The stereotype of Christianity is that it is judgmental and exclusionary. Jesus doesn’t model that. But why did so many turn away? In Luke, Jesus invites people to follow Him. It’s more than just belief…it’s a call to trust and follow. That is where new life is found, that is where we find freedom and refreshing. But there is a cost, and Jesus states it quite plainly. When He says “trust me,” He means with everything. For most, that is too steep a price to pay. Yes, we want relief. We want assurance. But we want it on our terms. We’re still stuck in a transactional mindset, negotiating with God…trying to get a small bit of relief in exchange for a tiny bit of obedience. Jesus holds His arms open wide and says, “give me all of you, and I will give you all of me.” He knows He’s getting the bad end of that deal, but He offers it anyway because of His deep love for us. He knows it will cost Him His life. He will die an agonizing death. Even so…His arms are open wide. Following Jesus is simple, but not easy.

We’re clinging to the pennies in our pocket while He’s offering us the keys to a Kingdom.

 

If you aren’t caught up with us in Luke, read a chapter or two today. Or dive into Acts since that’s where we’re headed next. This is a no-frills, no-pressure, grace-filled journey. Enjoy it.

As you start to dive into Acts, here are a few things to watch for.

Luke wrote Acts, so the writing style, pace, and language is going to be nearly identical to what we just finished. Expect a few historical details along the way. Feel free to Google some of the names and places if you like. There’s a lot of travel in this book, so this will be a great time to visit the maps in the back of your Bible!

Pay attention to the messages preached. Who is the message for? Why is it important? What’s the purpose? Remember, although the Old Testament tells Israel to welcome in the foreigners and sojourners, Judaism was primarily a national religion. Bringing outsiders in was uncommon. This changes dramatically in this book. Notice the role of women in this book. Are they valued or are they outcast? Do they play prominent roles or are they bystanders? A lot of people think the early church was pretty close to perfect. Pay close attention…what do you think? What did they do right and what did they get wrong?

If you’re reading closely, a few weeks in you might notice where Luke joins the story. This is one of my favorite little treasures in the book. If you think back on the Gospel, you’ll notice Luke isn’t in it at all. However, from Paul’s writings and from Acts, we know that Luke was converted to Christianity sometime after the ascension. If you’re reading closely, you’ll spot a specific shift in a specific town. Luke starts using the word “we” to refer to the travelers. Cool stuff.

A couple of final things to watch out for…look for how the Holy Spirit moves, acts, and empowers people. We’ll see it right off in chapter two, but pay attention throughout the rest of the book. Also pay special attention when they speak of the Word of God. What are they talking about? Why is it important? We’ve often heard Jesus referred to as “the Word.” Is that what they mean here?

I hope you’re enjoying our journey through Luke and Acts. I’ve been sharing a few reflections every day on my Facebook page to keep us on track and motivated. Feel free to join the conversation. I love seeing so many people reading along…people seem to be talking about the Word everywhere I go and it’s beautiful. Thanks for coming along with me.

Both Feet

Both Feet

onebouchard

Three weeks ago I began a journey through the Gospel of Luke. Many brave folks joined with me to read 6 chapters per week of Luke before moving on to 7 chapters of Acts. It has been an incredible journey. I’ve loved every interaction with each of you who are reading along, even if we aren’t going at the same pace. The pace I’m setting has us finishing Luke in the coming week.

One observation that stuck out this time through has been the extent of Jesus’ ministry of reconciliation. He is demonstrating the mercy of God by feeding the hungry, welcoming the outcasts, and freeing the oppressed. His day-to-day actions affirm that God sees every human as valuable. By entering into this world, Jesus demonstrates God’s willingness to enter the muck and mire to pursue each and every one of us. We are that loved. You and I can’t fully imagine what it would be like to step out of the perfection of heaven and enter into this fallen world. God is the one living being who knows the beauty and perfection of this world before it was tainted by sin. He chose to enter this broken place for you. That’s how much we are loved.

In the first eighteen chapters, I have not seen Jesus turn His back on a single person. His invitation is always the same…follow me. The invitation is open to the poor and rich alike. Smelly fishermen and corrupt tax collectors. His arms are open to the outcast and unclean. Religious leaders and soldiers. It’s even open to people who will ultimately betray Him. All are welcome. But following Him means trusting Him…not only trust Him with eternity, but with every day of this life, too. Following Him means we trust His plans for today, setting aside our own ambition. He becomes our deepest desire and greatest love. He is our Lord. We’re stubborn, though, and obedience is hard. In these chapters we’ve seen person after person turn from Him. Those people understand the cost and are honest. How many of us say the words necessary to fit in Christian circles but cling to our own stubborn pride on the inside? How many think they trust Jesus’s plan for their eternal destiny and yet aren’t trusting Him with His plan for their life today? What’s interesting is that I’ve not once seen Jesus demand perfection from anyone. But His call to trust Him is not something that can be done halfheartedly. To trust at all, we must trust completely.

Next, I see the ministry of Jesus is one of both reconciliation and liberation. When Luke mentions “the poor,” the term broadly includes not just those with little money, but also the prisoners, disabled, oppressed, hungry, mournful, persecuted, and sick. Not only is there material poverty, but spiritual poverty as well. The rich ruler in Luke 18 has every material thing he could ever need, but turns away from Jesus. He is spiritually empty, but refuses to take a handout.

Following Jesus brings with it the continuation of His ministry of liberation. Every person on earth is either participating in liberation or in need of it. Followers of Jesus commit to participate in this mission. If you think you’re a Christian but aren’t actively participating in both demonstrating the mercy of God and actively working to liberate the poor and oppressed, it is likely you’re spiritually impoverished and in need of your own liberation. Don’t be like the rich young ruler…grab hold of the outstretched hand of Jesus. Follow Him.

While the ministry of liberation is important, when it is not accompanied by the message of reconciliation with God, it is ultimately meaningless. If we solved world hunger, freed all slaves in the world, stopped all wars, and ended racism completely, we would have successfully made this “a better world to go to hell from,” (to quote Adrian Rogers). Jesus has His eye both on today and on eternity and we must as well.

As I reflected on this week, I imagined my two feet on this path of discipleship. One foot is the proclamation of the Gospel. The other is the work of liberation…ending oppression and seeking justice. It takes both feet to follow Jesus. If we only do one or the other, we don’t move. Jesus is always on the move. To follow Him, we must know, grow, seek, and serve.

If you haven’t started reading Luke yet, go ahead and open it up. You can join me in chapter 19 (which is a great place to jump in) or start with chapter 1. See how far you get in 15 minutes. Check in and let me know how it goes.