In Week 8 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks to God for the questions.
My pastor, mentor, and spiritual father, Dr. Gregory Wilson Jones, did not just tell us what Scripture said; he constantly asked us what Scripture said.
First, he made sure we were reading, and second, he ensured we were engaged with Scripture by asking questions that made us wrestle with and explain its meaning in our own words.
Dr. Jones did not just lead Bible class, he taught Bible courses! There was literally a syllabus for each series and everyone received a printed outline for each class. He taught hefty theological concepts but in a way anyone could relate to. I remember many nights where children were sincerely engaged, asking wonderful questions during our discussions.
Dr. Jones understood that growth comes from challenges that are indicated by questions rather than from comfort that results from being spoon-fed.
In Week 7 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks to God for “my person”.
It’s conference season and this week my wife and I had a happy happenstance where we had conferences in the same city on the same day. So, we got to travel and room together.
We also have an upcoming conference where the other gets to tag along. We had a little tiff because there was yet another conference for the very next week but I couldn’t attend. I was like, “Babe, I want to, but I can’t be away from the office that long!” 🤣
I thought about this as we were traveling recently. We weren’t doing anything special this go round, no flights, no fancy restaurants, just a basic road trip. We simply wanted to be around each other. That’s not a small thing and I’m extremely thankful for it.
To have someone I want to be with who wants to be with me (today 🤣) makes me very happy.
Originally posted on Facebook on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
Faith is not a feeling. In fact, faith is the very thing that keeps me going when my feelings suggest that I should give it up.
And what is "it" that feelings (which often result from influences of the world) suggest I give up?
Life and its functions.
I'm not talking about giving up on empty ambitions: cars, houses, money, titles… Satan specializes in and preoccupies us with beautiful dead things.
I'm talking about a place for me in God with the family of God—the sweet communion of God, through Christ with His children facilitated by the Holy Spirit.
To be in Him is to be alive. It is life. (John 1:4, 15:4)
“He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.”
— Mark 12:27
Faith is life's force, the outworking and evidence of life in us. As life begets life, life is faith's pursuit.
It’s a struggle to get out of bed many mornings, to push past the darkness.
So, why do it?
Hope.
I have good reason to expect the day when the darkness will cease because the Son has come.
So, with eager expectation I move; walking by faith that allows me to maintain the fight even though my feelings suggest that I’m failing.
I’m fueled by the pleasure of seeing God’s kingdom order come to everything—both the process and the product—to this day and the day it will be fully consummated.
I do it because I believe the love He has for us (1 John 4:16), because I love Him, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience that when He’s King of all.
So, I make Him king of everything I can today.
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:13
Originally posted on Facebook on Monday, February 10, 2025.
I have received notes about how I disappointed people with my post about Elon Musk last week. Rather than addressing each one individually—since they share a common theme, and because I believe open, honest discourse is valuable—I have decided to respond here in a single public post.
Most of those who wrote to me, as far as I can tell, did so with sincerity and genuine concern for me and the church. So firstly, thank you. I am deeply appreciative that you cared enough to engage and challenge me. I love you for that. I've prayerfully considered your admonishments and want to respond in earnest.
I've chosen an excerpt from one of these notes that I believe best represents the central theme of the rebuke,
"[Your post] does nothing but stir up division on a matter that is not a cut and dry scenario. […] Does taking such a strong public stance on how you as an individual interpret [Musk's] intentions do anything to edify the body of Christ as a whole?"
It is not my heart to be political. It is not my heart to put my finger on the scale and tilt it in one direction or another. It is my aim to be only concerned with Christ's kingdom. I believe if you remove the lens of political fealty, see me as someone who loves you rather than as an enemy who is opposing your desire, and then examine not only what I've said but how I've lived among you, you'll see that—concerning myself with the business of Christ's kingdom—is what I've done.
Christ's kingdom springs from the heart of men, so I think it fitting to concern ourselves with what hardens hearts to His kingship. And were it not for the church idolatrously deifying politics and political personalities, there would be no occasion to protest. But in that we've been caught bearing these idols in the church—bringing the outside inside—so that they, rather than GOD: The Father, The Word and The Holy Spirit, are made an authority that informs how we relate to each other and the world (when it should be the other way around), it is necessary to make war against this would-be invader.
You say I, "stir up division," and in a way you're right—because in some cases, division is necessary.
"For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you."
– 1 Corinthians 11:18-19
Jesus Himself said,
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."
– Matthew 10:34
So what's the line [along which division is necessary]?
Christ.
In Christ + something else, the "+ something else" should be vigorously attacked—like T cells against foreign agents in the body—because that "+ something else" obstructs Christ (and consequently His life in us).
"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
– 2 Corinthians 4:6
Light.
I get the sense from many Christians that any contention, any deviation (not from Christ but) from earthly and cultural power structures that attempt to entrench themselves (often as Christ), is "divisive" and destructive. These conflate conformity for unity. Christ is our unifier—the heavenly Bread without any leaven of earthly consideration that is broken over the table of Holy Communion. Communion with God through Christ is what unity looks like, not conformity to cultural or political ideals.
Not all contention is bad. Not all division is destructive. We are soldiers. We are fighting toward communion. And the fight is good (2 Timothy 4:7).
When Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men" in Matthew 5:16, what do you think He meant by "light"? To say benign, pleasant "spiritual" things that make people feel good but isn't confrontational?
No. Light generally occurs by some form of violence: collision, combustion, chemistry—one thing giving way to another—or, reflection. Even in reflection there is violence. We reflect God. His reflection in our lives results in contrast to the darkness around us. There is a reaction on contact causing a release of power and something submits— darkness yields, thus light.
We are called to violence, the violence of us warring against what hinders communion, the violence of combustion as we burn the things in our lives that don't belong so we can come together, the violence of chemistry as our lives react to the word of God causing agreement and coming together, the violence of reflection that makes us distinct from the world, beckoning others who are drawn by its light so they too can participate in this violence and increase its glow—His glory.
"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
– Matthew 11:12
But, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood" (Ephesians 6:12). And, I think you will find upon truthful examination that I never took aim at a person, or at a political party. I took aim at a stronghold, an argument, something that exalted itself against (and obstructed) the knowledge of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).
I was rightfully warring against an idea that was suggested by a gesture done by a person that Christians are praising. Such an endorsement by Christians implies that God approves, and in many cases I've seen people assert that God ordained it. Were it not for that idolatrous obstruction to the knowledge of Christ and that demonic misrepresentation of God's heart, I would not have been compelled to denounce it.
You say, the matter is not "cut and dry". Does it need to be? If my wife saw some woman whispering in my ear, and was offended at the interaction because she felt it was romantic, is the appropriate response defensiveness and to argue from a position of her wrongness and my rightness? No. That would be disastrous. But what would be even worse, is to say nothing at all. The only appropriate response is to immediately and wholeheartedly declare, "That is not my heart!" And proceed to establish the truth of my love for her, then and only then, explaining the facts of the interaction. This is the spirit of "speaking the truth in love" as we're commanded in Ephesians 4:15.
So, insofar as the gesture suggested hatred, division and oppression, I denounce it and wholeheartedly declare, "That is not God's heart!" And, I now proclaim the love, oneness, and liberty that is in Jesus Christ.
The other front on which I fight is purging the leaven from our love feasts. And this is the division I gladly promote: not dividing the family of God, but dividing my beloved brothers and sisters from the idols that hinder our love. I am not fighting against them, but against the idols they bear in their hands. And I am going to continue to war against them until they're abandoned or destroyed. Communion with God through Christ is our sole pursuit.
"[…] contend earnestly for the faith […] keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh."
– Jude 1:3,21-23
To your question, "does taking such a strong public stance on how you as an individual interpret one's intentions do anything to edify the body of Christ as a whole?", what it does ultimately remains to be seen but I can tell you that it is my heart to edify the body. I'm fighting toward communion with you in Christ. While it may seem divisive initially, it's actually a call to the body of Christ and an effort to remove the barriers that obstruct our unity in Him. I believe our loving, honest, and respectful dialogue—flowing from a heart given to us by Christ—is deeply edifying to us and glorifying to God.
The fiasco in question is but one scintilla of the countless things the church has allowed to impede our unity. And the answer is not ignoring the issues but making war against every single one—sparks flying with such a fury as we fight toward each other, that the whole world is aglow with our beautiful warfare. We need more of these difficult "divisive" conversations, not less—so we can demonstrate the wonderous power of the Holy Spirit to simultaneously wage war against hell and give us peace with one another (Ephesians 4).
Even if I am wrong, my desire is to please Him and give Him a fervor that can never be accused of being lukewarm.
Originally posted on Facebook on Saturday, February 8, 2025.
We too often take a prescriptive approach to the Word. By that I mean we want to use scripture like a prescription for some pain rather than what it is: life for the person.
"Prescription" is the way of the world—like going to a bad doctor who prescribes pills that medicate you (things that make you feel better temporarily and in the process create all kinds of other issues), but doesn't heal you.
And we try to use scripture that way. It's like going to a good doctor who wants to heal you, who correctly diagnoses the issue and tells you the remedy is more leafy greens, and then we go get some kale and rub it where it hurts. 🤣
No. That's not how the remedy works. We must consume it consistently over time and its healing properties aren't isolated to just one area.
True healing comes through health, and health isn't isolationist—it's integrative.
We try to take scripture and rub it where it hurts. We're looking for specific passages, devotions, or Bible studies to alleviate specific pain and to solve specific problems, when the real problem is we're unhealthy—we're dead, or struggle with deadness.
Jesus came to give us life (John 10:10). His Word is the true food that gives life. He is life.
We don't apply it; we consume it. When we understand that, we stop picking through it looking to scratch an itch, looking for application. We consume the word because it's good, whether we understand it or not, or whether it seems relevant at the moment or not.
The health that food produces in us is rarely immediately perceptible. It produces its benefits over time. That's why our consumption can't just be something that we do in a moment, but a whole other way of living.
And it makes no sense to eat what's good and eat other things that counteract its effect. We have to choose one and abandon the other.
As we mature, we understand more about what it means to live a healthy lifestyle and how to choose life. We don't need a degree in organic chemistry, but we do develop a general understanding of what sources are good.
"Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
— James 1:16-17
Jesus is the source.
We consume Him that He may be formed in us and that we may become a picture of health.
That is the solution to every problem and the healing for every hurt. Healing isn’t compartmentalized; health is whole—it is One.
So our aim should be to consume for health rather than seeking a pill for symptoms. Life and health is having Him.
In Week 6 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks to God for a new generation.
My nephew and I were out one Saturday and happened upon a car broken down in the middle of traffic. There’s a young man driving with several other young men in the car.
You could see in their faces they weren’t sure what to do. So, my nephew and I stopped to see if we could at least help to push them out of traffic. As it turns out, their car, a 2013 Ford Escort, has a shift lock mechanism that prevents the car from being put into neutral if it doesn’t crank (darn new-fangled doohickeys).
As we’re figuring out how to disengage the shift lock and get the car in neutral, the driver, a young man by the name of Jeremiah (who is no more than 16) introduces himself to my nephew. He engages in conversation, sharing that he and the young men that were with him were on the way to a baby shower. He asks my nephew, “Are you a new student at State? What are you studying?”
Then Jeremiah says (as we’re all standing closely around a car in the middle of traffic), “Man, it’s great to meet you. I really appreciate your help today. If you don’t have a church home, I invite you to come hang with me at Peter’s Rock.”
I could have swallowed my head I was grinning so wide at this young black man’s poise, confidence, boldness and willingness in his witness.
Though this young man didn’t know what to do about the car, he fully understood the ultimate assignment.
In the words of KB,
“They say [young people] are leaving God.
I just smiled, like, ‘You really need to see the squad.'”
-From the song, “We right here”
God is doing something
in every generation.
(1 John 2:13-14)
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and He will establish your plans.”
What a curious turn of phrase.
I find it interesting that the verse does not say “give your plans to Lord that He may establish them”.
Because that’s typically how we approach things, right? We plan; we set priorities and goals, then we do the work to establish those plans.
But, I find the Word of God to be true and observe something amazing.
When I do what I do for God —even when I don’t know where I’m going, He establishes my plans —He gives me what I didn’t know I wanted or needed. He gives me the truest, deepest desires of my heart —which is always some expression of Himself in various forms.
I didn’t put having a warrior of a wife, loving sons, in-laws that are blood to me, a host of delightfully different people made dear family to me through Jesus Christ, fullness, wholeness, satisfaction, joy, peace or many of the indescribably wonderful things I currently enjoy on my vision board.
But, God.
God gave them to me in the course of my trying, and often failing to follow Him, even when I didn’t know what I was really doing or where I was going.
Jesus said don’t seek after what everyone else in the world seeks after, because your Father knows what you have need of even before you ask (Matthew 6:8). And, He also knows what you want most deeply even before you do.
What I see, is that to obey with a heart committed to the Lord is to experience the kingdom. And, His Kingdom is what I want most deeply. This is my plan, though largely unknown to me, that He establishes.
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
— 1 Corinthians 2:9
It’s true.
So, my strategy is simple: love God, do what I do for Him and I cannot fail.
