Been Wondering . . .(Part One)

In his second book, Acts of the Apostles, New Testament author Luke wrote many interesting statements about the first followers of Jesus. The one I found most intriguing was, "...there was not a needy person among them..."(Acts 4:34a)



So what thoughts and questions came to mind when I first read that? Well, like so many rich phrases nestled in the Scriptures, I simply read right over it. Truthfully, for years and years I continued to read over it, until the day I read a conclusion that Shane Claiborne came to concerning the first Christians in Jerusalem. He said, "they ended poverty"(1).



Really??? WOW!!! Is that even possible?



I do not believe by qualifying his statement to "within the church" diminishes its power at all; for we are speaking of a congregation that included 5000 men(Acts 4:4). And so for a long time now, I have thought that this accomplishment of theirs was worthy of one's deep, deepest consideration.



I would like to split this discussion into two parts. Today, How did the first Christians get to the point of "not having a needy person among them"? And later, Why was this accomplishment so vitally important?



For any church family(congregation) to arrive at this point, where not a single member has any need of life's essentials(and remains that way), it takes ideals greater than human energy and ingenuity, or even self-discipline. This 'lifestyle' within any congregation is built upon an exclusive characteristic and a predominant attitude. Look two verses earlier in thirty-two:

"And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them".

Did you catch the two...the exclusive characteristic and the predominant attitude?

The exclusive characteristic of the Jerusalem church was that their "heart and soul were one"; and the predominant attitude was that "not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own".

I honestly believe, in the depths of my heart, that these two ingredients are essential before any church family/congregation can move in the direction of "ending poverty" within its walls. It was true of the first congregation; it must be true of ours/yours as well. Unless a congregation is characterized by an unprecedented oneness of heart and thought; and unless its indivdual members are absolutely able to voice that anything belonging to him/her is really not his/her own, then there will be someone/some family in that fellowship lacking an essential need. Without the presence of both essential ingredients, even the awareness of another's need is naught!

Really, Lee? Absolutely!

And why is that so important? Does that really matter anyway? Does that count for anything anymore? We will discuss the answers to those questions next time . . .



(1) Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Becoming the Answer to our Prayers(Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2008), p. 37.

On Gandhi's Quote...

"Become the change that you want to see in the world" Mahatma Gandhi


Then Shane Claiborne changed one word in Gandhi's quote When he did, I believe he made it quite personal for followers of Jesus, "Become the change that you want to see in the church".


Personal? Quite personal? Yes, personal! OK, how so?


At times when we have walked in our spiritual immaturity, we have either outwardly, but most likely inwardly thought or said, "If they would just grow up, the church would be so much better off"; or "If we would just show compassion like the first church, then the world would take notice of us"; or even, "If our leaders would simply take hold of this concept, then we would really grow".


Notice what each of us has had a tendency to think or say about "they", "we", or "our". But wait a minute, what about "me"?


Me? Yes, me! But, why me?


Because, on a particular truth, who did God enlighten through the study and meditation of His Word? Was it...they?...them?...we? No, "Me"! Because, on this specific ministry, who did God persuade through a testimony or maybe a story? Was it...they?...them?...we? No, It was "Me"! Because, on this one weakness or sin, who did the Holy Spirit convict to repent and change? Again, was it...they?...them?...we? Once again, Nope, "Me".


In the past, another favorite word of mine in these types of senarios has been, "Let's"(Let us). But there again, was "us" enlightened? Was "us" persuaded? Or was "us" convinced or convicted? No, usually not; but "I" was!


And because I was the one God chose to enlighten or persuade or convict, I must become the change that He has allowed me to first ponder and then eventually see. I must live it out first. I must allow God to 'work' on others' hearts just as He has done on mine. And in the meantime...

"I must become the change that He has allowed me to see!"

Living "For" Who?

"For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." II Corinthians 5:14-15



Tucked away in the middle of Paul's second(or maybe third*) correspondence to the Christians in Corinth is a powerful phrase declaring yet another purpose for the death of Jesus..."...(so) that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him..."



Since discovering this verse, I have meditated on it quite often. Just beginning to 'scratch the surface' of understanding its meaning and implications is inspiring and yet sobering at the same time. I have often wondered why it was 'hidden' from me for so many years. Possibly because there are no outstanding spiritual words in the phrase. Since His agonizing death is the greatest and ultimate act of love EVER, I wonder if we don't think that GREAT words must accompany its defining purpose as well. Words like reconciliation, santification, justification, and propitiation. Now, those words are what we believe to be appropriate in defining the purpose of His death.

But the simple word,"for"? Nah! No way! Forget it!

Yet,we all know that great gifts come in small packages.

And so it is true with this little English word "for". In the original writing(Koine Greek), Paul uses these phrases, for themselves and for Him, in the dative case. So what does that mean? Case has to do with the function of the noun/s as it relates to the verb(or other parts) of the sentence(There are eight of these cases in Koine Greek). The dative case is the case of interest(the key word). Another preposition used at times in the dative case is "to".

Understanding that to some degree, I go back and look at this verse again and understand a little more clearly what Paul is saying..."...Christ died in the interest of all, so that those who live, because of His death, might no longer live for their own selves and self-interests, but live for Him and His interests..."(LWT).

"Wow!" "Really?" "So what does that look like?"

I do not know completely. I do spend alot time pondering the implications of this truth. I do believe it should be a 24/7 thing though. I do find myself at times living in the midst of my own interests. Are all of my interests His? Do I try to justify them by saying they are His too? Whose interests am I walking in at 9:30 am Wednesday morning; 2:00 pm Friday afternoon; or 9:00 pm Saturday night?

I want to grow to the point where I am always aware of and walking in the middle of His interests!







* In I Corinthians 5:11, Paul refers to a previous correspondence.

A Thought....On Baptism

"Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him" Colossians 3:9&10

In an earlier blog I referenced a work titled, The Early Christians: In Their Own Words. In reading that work, I discovered countless thought-provoking, encouraging, and inspiring practices by the Christians of the first three centuries. Maybe the most interesting one surrounded the administering of one's baptism.

The candidate(their term) came to the place of water dressed in their 'everyday' clothes. Those old clothes were removed upon going down into the water. Following their death and burial(funeral) in the waters of baptism, the 'new one' came up out of the water to be literally re-dressed in a clean white robe.

This fascinates me, because I sense that the early church, like us, understood the visual of one's death and burial to sin and self in those waters; but maybe unlike us, they better understood that an 'old one' entered the water; a 'new one' exited the water. And to convey that truth, the old clothes remained "laid aside"; new clothes were "put on".

Rick Atchley has correctly said of Christians, "We are not a fixed up old jalopy...we are a brand new car!"

I have often wondered since becoming aware of this early practice, if we could bring it back?

Prayer Brakes

"Prayer is not asking God to do what we want, but asking Him to do what He wants...Many matters are piled up in heaven, many transactions remain undone, simply because God is unable to find an outlet for His will on earth."
Watchman Nee



Please, allow me to share one of the greatest adjustments God is making in my spiritual walk. It is in the area of what I actually pray for concerning my brothers and sisters in Christ. God has used a portion of a sermon delivered years ago by Buddy Bell to trigger an overhaul of this aspect of my prayer life. In reference to 'open' prayer requests prior to teaching Bible classes, Buddy notes that the majority of requests have to do with one's physical health; either mine or a loved one's. (Note: I do not believe it is wrong to petition God on any of these matters). However, Buddy continued with a penetrating question. He asked, "Is that the only thing on our hearts to pray about?"

What? Isn't that what we are supposed to pray for? It's what we have spent hours upon hours praying for not only just before Sunday school classes, but also in opening prayers, closing prayers, prayers at bedtime, prayers with kids, prayers with spouses, prayers with friends, etc. Pondering Buddy's question over the years has led me to a personal rewording, "Is that the extent to which I care for my family, friends, or church family?"

Initially, I did not really know what to do with that question. I did not know where to go to find the answer, either. Reading through the Pauline epistles and becoming aware of what he actually prayed for began to radically change the priorities of my prayers. Listen to these examples of his prayers for the churches:

• "...while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him."

• "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe."

• "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent,"

• "...we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects..."

• "To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him..."

And finally, Paul's vivid description of Epaphras' prayers for his Colossae brethren, "always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God."

If a loved one is sick, will I mention that in prayer...well, yes! If I am aware of a husband and wife struggling in their relationship, will I bring that before God...of course! If a friend asks for prayers for wisdom and guidance in a particular matter, will I seek God's favor for him/her...yes; yes!

Again, I say, "Yes"!

You must understand though that these are no longer my deepest desires for you. I believe that God has impressed upon me that health, wealth, safety, and happiness are secondary; that spiritual growth and maturity are primary. So, I continue to put the 'brakes' on praying for the temporary, and accelerate prayers for the eternal.

I know you will understand.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

-Benediction of St Francis of Assisi

Influence Of The Son

For several summers, a group of friends and I spent a week to ten days hiking in the beautiful and majestic mountains of Colorado. The trip to our initial layover in Cripple Creek was usually an overnight drive. Throughout the entire trip, at least one person would stay-up with the one driving.

Early one morning, accompanying the driver, I began glancing through the sideview mirror. Eventually, the black of night began to lighten to gray, then to shades of blue, then reds, then orange, and finally the sphere of the yellow sun.

As we travelled through Kansas that morning, I began to reflect on what I had just witnessed in that spectacular sunrise. That morning I realized this; that the influence of the sun preceded the star itself.

God used the sunrise that morning to teach me a valuable truth about the mission of the church. Before Jesus' name is even proclaimed in an outreach or evangelistic effort; before His name is ever mentioned to a neighbor, co-worker, or relative, the observed lives of His followers proclaim the influence that He has on one's life.

Ekklesia... Puzzled?

Ekklesia(ek-klay-see'-ah). This is the Koine(common) Greek word for our translated word 'church'. It is found 114 times in the New Testament.

I would imagine that many, if not all, of us can remember the root meaning of the word. You know, we the church are the 'called out'. I remember having to recall this definition for tests in college and using it as valuable information in sermons and Bible classes. But the most vivid memory, though, is not having a complete grasp on "what are we called out from?"

The reason for my confusion was because of the patented answer given...the world. Really?...We are to be 'called out" of the world? That was so puzzling to me, because did not Jesus proclaim, "Go into all the world..." (Mark 16:15), and Paul announces, "I have become all things to all men, that I by all means save some" (I Corinthians 9:22).

This 'puzzlement' stayed within me until just a couple of years ago. Rummaging through the religious books at Gardner's, I found a couple of small books on New Testament word studies by William Barclay. And yes, you guessed correctly, one of the words in one of the books was ekklesia.

According to Barclay's study, this word also at its root meaning has the idea of 'summoning' or 'calling forth'.

Click . . . BINGO . . .The Puzzle is Finished!!!

For me, it finally all came together. The church is 'summoned forth' to share the Good News of Jesus, to invade the lives of individuals, and to "proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9). God's intent for the church is to be inclusive, not exclusive. A city set on a hill, not hidden away somwhere. No wonder the pieces would not fit together.

And one final thought, what Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 now made sense to me, too. Hell has erected gates to keep the church out, because the church has been summoned, and she is moving forward penetrating those places of darkness that Hell wants to protect.

Ahhh...ekklesia

The Church I Never Knew?

OK, so you are curious about this blog title? It sure sounds alot like a book you heard about years ago by Christian author Phillip Yancey. And that picture in the corner, what's that?



Well, I am so glad you asked.



The book you are thinking of is, The Jesus I Never Knew. It was awarded the Christian Book of the Year in 1996. In it the author examines more closely the New Testament story of Jesus in the Gospels. He sets his newly found evidence against what he had always been taught about Jesus and comes to the conclusion that there is more to Him than he had ever known. Yancey writes, "The more I studied Jesus, the more difficult it became to pigeonhole Him".

Three years ago I read a fascinating work titled, The Early Christians: In Their Own Words. Since reading Eberhard Arnold's compilation of early Christian writings, I have inherited a passion to understanding, not so much the workings of the first church, but the heart and Spirit of the earliest followers . And this passion goes far beyond just head-knowledge. Thankfully, God is developing a deep aching to 'live it out'. As a dear friend often asks, "So what does that look like"?

I am discovering that New Testament Christianity is not formulas, rules, or even steps, but is uncalculatable(new word), Holy Spirit-led, filled with deep compassion, and full of Jesus. This is the church that I never knew for nearly fifty years.

The picture is of what is believed to be the oldest known meeting place of Christians. Archaeologists excavated this cave underneath a third century church in Rihab, Jordan in 2008.

Oh No...Another Blog!

Yes...I know... the last thing you need in your life is another blog to keep up with. Honestly, there have been times I thought and felt that exact same way. Why those thoughts and feelings? Isn't it because we honestly wonder if the blogger is really going to have anything worthwhile to share and not be a waste of my time?

Recently a dear friend of mine 'shut down' his blog, because he felt as though he was just contributing to the religious 'noise' on the Internet. Though I disagreed with his conclusion, I found his reasoning quite interesting.

So Lee, "Why do you believe your blog is going to be any different"? I know that some will conclude that this is not any different...it is just more 'noise'. But God and His Spirit have taught me a priceless lesson over the years of teaching Bible classes. The lesson I finally learned was this: I, myself can not change another person. I have spent countless hours first preparing for, then presenting lessons anticipating drastic changes in men's lives(never as quick or as deep as I would have hoped for). After too many years, finally the spiritual 'two by four' smacked me across the forehead...It is the power of God's Word and the convicting of His Spirit that changes an individual, not you. Wow! For most the obvious; for me revelation.

In other words, this is not going to be a "You/I/We ought to" blog. It will be a blog of sharings and insights into what God humbly allows me to notice in His Word.

I am looking forward to your comments and input; and may we together grow more and more into the likeness of His Son, Jesus!