We interrupt this sporadically occurring blog to bring you a developing story.
Over the past few months, we have taken time to pray, consider, and finally settle upon an opportunity as a youth pastor in an Assemblies of God church in New Jersey. We will be moving there in October.
This opportunity boasts less pay, further distance from family, and altogether fewer guarantees than the one in which I currently work. It also offers the chance to be in a part of the world about which I know very little, outside of the occasional joke I may hear from time to time.
Yes, I call this an opportunity. Which means one of three things: Either (a) Dan has completely lost his mind; or, (b) something has stirred deep within my soul, something that goes beyond rationality, into the realm of the spiritual; or, (c) both.
For those who have been following, or even glancing occasionally at, these writings, you have had an opportunity to think about Abraham. You have heard about how he left his homeland, leaving everything familiar to him, because he genuinely thought that his God had told him to do it. You have heard that he went “to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going…for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:8, 10).
When I thought it, it made no sense for several reasons. To say that my experience in a Pentecostal fellowship is limited would be an understatement. Additionally, I thought, why would I take a pay cut from my master’s level job, to put myself in a role that another educated friend of mine condescendingly described as a “glorified babysitter”? When I hear the phrase, “I’m taking my talents to--,” New Jersey is not what flows naturally from that sentence. Like Abraham, the phrase, “not knowing where he was going” seems to describe me very well.
That’s what happened when I thought about it; when I prayed about it, though, something entirely different happened. Like Abraham, I found myself longing for a “better country, a heavenly one” (v. 16). Like Abraham, I realized that “without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (v. 6). And, like Abraham, I somehow knew that God was calling me out on everything I believed.
For some time now, I have been intrigued by this man who left everything to follow something with more promise than what he had. The more I studied these passages, the more I wanted it: something better than financial security, comfort, or health benefits. I wanted life, and life abundantly.
To those as of yet unconvinced, this was more than just an early midlife crisis, more than even a thirst for adventure, more than the stereotypical generational pattern of serial employment hopping. This went deeper than any need that I felt compelled to meet. This came from the bottom of my psyche, telling me not to be afraid. This dared me to go all in and called me to lay down my cards. This was the next step in a journey of transforming everything built up within my brain, finally making sense of what James says about faith without works being dead.
You see, this is more than just about New Jersey over Ohio. It is more than being employed as a youth pastor versus a counselor. This is not about what God is doing around me, but rather in me. This is about my obedience to everything I say I believe, regardless of occupation or location.
So now we have a choice: to go forward “not knowing,” or to risk the psychosis of wondering what could have been. To the outsider, it may seem that I just up and left one situation for another. But this was the thing to which my life had been building, from my calling, to the people I have met, to the difficult steps of purifying my life of that which was unwholesome.
When we looked at it this way, we decided to go for it.
When Jesus says, “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39), I hear it loudly and find myself in a precarious balance in the struggle for control. But, despite my best attempts, can I actually control my condition? Is there even such a thing as social or financial “security”? Am I investing myself in the things that last, or am I just another voice in the crowd clamoring for self-preservation? For me, the Christian life is about recognizing that there is no security outside the “shelter of the Most High” (Psalm 91:1), and anything less to which we turn is in danger of becoming an idol.
All of which sounds nice, but can actually be quite scary when you factor our current pregnancy, the comfort of our support network in Ohio, and the relative reassurance of a steady income. I often wonder what Abraham thought when God first called him out of his homeland. We may never know, since the Bible simply says, “He went.” I think I may now have an idea, though.
Thinking about the various unresolved factors can be intimidating, even overwhelming. However, in praying about this decision, I have become on better speaking terms with Christ than ever before in my life. It challenged me to consider that my most uncomfortable and vulnerable moments in life have also corresponded to the times of the deepest sense of closeness to God. When I am weak, I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Abraham is considered to be one of the fathers of our faith. Now I truly see his fatherhood as much more than a biological dynamic. Those who long to know God, who seek to please God, who desire to walk with God, must know Him on similar terms that Abraham did: by faith. Not just believing that He exists, but putting actions to those things we believe.
I am not saying that I have actually reached that point yet. But I am ready to begin the journey. And I trust with all my heart that He will lead me there—not to “there” as in New Jersey,” but “there” as in the place where I can truly claim that I have put my faith in Christ.
What about you?
8.28.2010
Genesis 15-21: The Birth of Isaac
Once again, we see each of our aforementioned themes play out. We see God calling Abraham to do something that requires a great deal of faith. In this particular scenario, it involves trusting that God would give him a son from his own wife. We see God blessing Abraham with His covenant, using language such as “I will shield you, and your reward will be great.” We know the story continues beyond Abraham’s life, and that his blessing of a large amount of children did not occur in his lifetime. We also see that Abraham’s faith is not perfect, as he attempts to go about fulfilling the promise in his own way.
In our discussion, we took some time to consider this aspect of God’s people being flawed—more specifically, we discussed the idea of Abraham taking the promise into his own hands. God promised him that he would become the father of a multitude so great, that they would be like the stars in the sky. His first response was to believe God, and therefore have it credited to him as righteousness. This example is given us as one of great faith, and certainly Abraham is upheld by traditions everywhere as one of the premier examples of faith.
However, Abraham displayed a moment of humanity in his understanding of exactly how this promise would be fulfilled. He had already left his homeland to receive God’s promise; we would imagine that he would continue this pattern of believing God when logic would sway otherwise. However, at Sarah’s behest, Abraham chose to go about fulfilling God’s promise in a way that made sense to him. The results are familiar: he enters into a sexual relationship with his wife’s maid, she has a son, his wife becomes jealous, and Hagar and Ishmael are kicked out of the house. Though they eventually came back, Ishmael’s descendents and Abraham’s other descendents were typically at odds (at best) with one another.
Lest we judge Abraham sharply, how many of us have, in moments of uncertainty regarding God’s plans, attempted to go about achieving his promises ourselves, without waiting for Him? Abraham’s issue in this scenario may sound familiar to many of us: control. Abraham thought that, in order for God’s purposes to be achieved in his life, he had to be the one controlling the situation.
For those of us who were present at this discussion, control is certainly an issue in our lives. We see all around us a drive to be in control, to prepare for the unexpected, and to plan for our own futures. In the meantime, we are in complete denial of the fact that, despite what we would choose to believe, we are not actually in control.
God’s promise to Abraham, defying reason, is fulfilled in chapter 21, as Sarah herself gives birth to a son. They name this son Isaac, which means “laughter,” based on their reaction when God insisted that Sarah would bear a child. In that scenario, God’s messengers sum up one major theme in this story: “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?”
So we are left to consider this challenge: Is anything too difficult for the Lord? In the midst of burning ourselves out attempting to find solutions to our dilemmas, we fail to sit still for a moment and hear His voice as He whispers, “Cease striving and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). The first part of that verse could also be translated, “Let go,” “Relax.” Let go of this delusion that we can be in control of our own lives. Relax, and stop worrying about the future; trust that God will deliver what He has promised.
We claim to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. However, if we actually believed that, would we not be more likely to trust that He will bring resolution and fulfillment to our situations? Can we let go, stop striving, and trust that the one who conquered death just might be able to help us? If He already overcame the most impossible situation, what does this mean for us when we feel there is no apparent solution for what we face?
God calls His covenant people to do more than simply believe: trust. He makes such promises as “I am with you always,” and “I have a plan for you,” promises to which we can cling, even—no, especially—when there is no other logical evidence for the promises to be true. If He is able to overcome death, He can certainly overcome anything that stands in our way.
Take some time in this upcoming week to consider what promises God has made in His Word, and ask yourself, “If this promise is true, what does that mean for me?”
In our discussion, we took some time to consider this aspect of God’s people being flawed—more specifically, we discussed the idea of Abraham taking the promise into his own hands. God promised him that he would become the father of a multitude so great, that they would be like the stars in the sky. His first response was to believe God, and therefore have it credited to him as righteousness. This example is given us as one of great faith, and certainly Abraham is upheld by traditions everywhere as one of the premier examples of faith.
However, Abraham displayed a moment of humanity in his understanding of exactly how this promise would be fulfilled. He had already left his homeland to receive God’s promise; we would imagine that he would continue this pattern of believing God when logic would sway otherwise. However, at Sarah’s behest, Abraham chose to go about fulfilling God’s promise in a way that made sense to him. The results are familiar: he enters into a sexual relationship with his wife’s maid, she has a son, his wife becomes jealous, and Hagar and Ishmael are kicked out of the house. Though they eventually came back, Ishmael’s descendents and Abraham’s other descendents were typically at odds (at best) with one another.
Lest we judge Abraham sharply, how many of us have, in moments of uncertainty regarding God’s plans, attempted to go about achieving his promises ourselves, without waiting for Him? Abraham’s issue in this scenario may sound familiar to many of us: control. Abraham thought that, in order for God’s purposes to be achieved in his life, he had to be the one controlling the situation.
For those of us who were present at this discussion, control is certainly an issue in our lives. We see all around us a drive to be in control, to prepare for the unexpected, and to plan for our own futures. In the meantime, we are in complete denial of the fact that, despite what we would choose to believe, we are not actually in control.
God’s promise to Abraham, defying reason, is fulfilled in chapter 21, as Sarah herself gives birth to a son. They name this son Isaac, which means “laughter,” based on their reaction when God insisted that Sarah would bear a child. In that scenario, God’s messengers sum up one major theme in this story: “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?”
So we are left to consider this challenge: Is anything too difficult for the Lord? In the midst of burning ourselves out attempting to find solutions to our dilemmas, we fail to sit still for a moment and hear His voice as He whispers, “Cease striving and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). The first part of that verse could also be translated, “Let go,” “Relax.” Let go of this delusion that we can be in control of our own lives. Relax, and stop worrying about the future; trust that God will deliver what He has promised.
We claim to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. However, if we actually believed that, would we not be more likely to trust that He will bring resolution and fulfillment to our situations? Can we let go, stop striving, and trust that the one who conquered death just might be able to help us? If He already overcame the most impossible situation, what does this mean for us when we feel there is no apparent solution for what we face?
God calls His covenant people to do more than simply believe: trust. He makes such promises as “I am with you always,” and “I have a plan for you,” promises to which we can cling, even—no, especially—when there is no other logical evidence for the promises to be true. If He is able to overcome death, He can certainly overcome anything that stands in our way.
Take some time in this upcoming week to consider what promises God has made in His Word, and ask yourself, “If this promise is true, what does that mean for me?”
Genesis 12-15: The Faith of the Father
This section continues the themes which we have tracked in recent chapters. In a way, it even introduces a broader story in which these themes are played out in a significant way. That story is Abraham’s story, and his story begins with a journey:
¬¬“Now the Lord said to Abram,
‘Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’
So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him…”
One theme which we see immediately is Abraham’s acting faithfully in response to God’s prompting. Just for perspective, take time to consider exactly what Abraham was being asked to do: In a time when travel and interconnectedness were not nearly as prevalent as today, Abraham was being asked to leave people he knew. He was being called to forsake everything that was comfortable, everything that was familiar, in order to go somewhere he never had been and he did not know. He was willing to do it because of his trust in the legitimacy of God’s promise.
Hebrews 11:1-16 commemorates a number of the people with whom we have become familiar in our study, including Abel, Enoch, Noah, and especially Abraham. Abraham gets a fairly special treatment in this chapter, and his trek is commemorated here.
One thing that stands out in this chapter is mentioned in verse 13: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” We are familiar with stories of God’s people who receive a tremendous reward for their faithfulness. However, particularly in this case, the reward does not happen in the person’s lifetime. Abraham took the steps in faith, with increasing awareness that he may never directly see the results of his faithfulness!
Here is where this particular aspect of Abraham’s life speaks to us: the fact that Abraham never saw the results of his faith. We have explored the theme of God’s people being rewarded in some way for their faith. However, Abraham’s reward was never given to him in his years on earth. As Hebrews tells us, “he was looking for the city…whose architect and builder is God” (11:10). He lived so as to achieve a reward that would last beyond his lifetime, an eternal reward.
Abraham was obedient to God, even to the point at which he accepted a promise he would never see in his lifetime! This brings us to a very important point about our own faith: Faith often calls us to remain hopeful despite promises as of yet unfulfilled. It challenges us to trust that God will execute his plan for our lives, especially when it seems that nothing is happening. It motivates us to move on, believing with all our hearts that someday God can bless our efforts…even if we do not even see it in our own years on earth.
¬¬“Now the Lord said to Abram,
‘Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’
So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him…”
One theme which we see immediately is Abraham’s acting faithfully in response to God’s prompting. Just for perspective, take time to consider exactly what Abraham was being asked to do: In a time when travel and interconnectedness were not nearly as prevalent as today, Abraham was being asked to leave people he knew. He was being called to forsake everything that was comfortable, everything that was familiar, in order to go somewhere he never had been and he did not know. He was willing to do it because of his trust in the legitimacy of God’s promise.
Hebrews 11:1-16 commemorates a number of the people with whom we have become familiar in our study, including Abel, Enoch, Noah, and especially Abraham. Abraham gets a fairly special treatment in this chapter, and his trek is commemorated here.
One thing that stands out in this chapter is mentioned in verse 13: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” We are familiar with stories of God’s people who receive a tremendous reward for their faithfulness. However, particularly in this case, the reward does not happen in the person’s lifetime. Abraham took the steps in faith, with increasing awareness that he may never directly see the results of his faithfulness!
Here is where this particular aspect of Abraham’s life speaks to us: the fact that Abraham never saw the results of his faith. We have explored the theme of God’s people being rewarded in some way for their faith. However, Abraham’s reward was never given to him in his years on earth. As Hebrews tells us, “he was looking for the city…whose architect and builder is God” (11:10). He lived so as to achieve a reward that would last beyond his lifetime, an eternal reward.
Abraham was obedient to God, even to the point at which he accepted a promise he would never see in his lifetime! This brings us to a very important point about our own faith: Faith often calls us to remain hopeful despite promises as of yet unfulfilled. It challenges us to trust that God will execute his plan for our lives, especially when it seems that nothing is happening. It motivates us to move on, believing with all our hearts that someday God can bless our efforts…even if we do not even see it in our own years on earth.
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