Prayer & Fasting, Day 7: God is Everywhere.

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you, the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 
(Psalm 139:7-12). Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24).

“Where is God!?” I remember him crying. He was a young man I’d been working with for a while. His childhood, however, was really troubled. Dad left, mom wasn’t great, and pain was his familiar companion far too early in life. Through his tears, he asked me the question that so many do when faced with suffering. Where is God?

“He’s right here,” I said.

To you, that answer may sound trite. But I wasn’t trying to be pithy, I was trying to speak truth. God is everywhere. There is never a moment, a location, or a space in life where God is not already present waiting for us. No one can hide from him, and no one can evade him. Jonah tried, if you remember. In the story, God called Jonah to preach a message of repentance and grace to Jonah’s sworn enemies. Filled with hatred, Jonah attempted to flee God, but failed. I remember once reading that very story to my daughter when she was younger. Her response was, “Daddy, that’s silly. You can’t run from God. He’s everywhere!” Even the 4-year-old knows that.

But why does this matter? Further, why is it good news that God is this way? Well, let’s return to our suffering young man. The news of God’s everywhere-ness (or, omnipresence), is good news precisely because even in our moments of deepest pain and brokenness, God is there. While God is holy and totally unsullied by sin, he is certainly present and aware of it. And, the God who sees our situation is certainly able to identify with it. This is, after all, part of the good news of the Gospel. Jesus came to be with us—present with us. In one sense, he already was, because God is everywhere. But in another important sense, he came to be with us physically be with us. Why? To identify with us personally, and to show us how much we matter to him.

When you’re going through pain, you can see who really cares about you. There are those who send their sympathies from afar, and then there are those who come to be with you physically and feel your pain. Jesus is in the latter category. Because God is everywhere, we never walk out of his vision. But because God is inexpressibly loving, he decided to walk into ours.

God’s omnipresence means that we can trust him, because as a just and good God, he sees all things, understanding what’s going on. For the victim of injustice who may never know real justice in this life—God is there. He knows. For the suffering, small, and hurt people who may never find a voice on this side of the veil—God is there. “He is not far from each one of us, for in him we live, and move, and have our being,” (Acts 17:27-28).

God I thank you that you've never been far from me. From highest joys to deepest pains, you'll never be from me. Thank you that you are everywhere present, filling each moment.

Today, cause me to walk with a greater awareness of your presence. You are "not far from each one of us." Thank you that "in you [I] live, and move, and have my being." Today, God, help me to keep that reality at the forefront of my thinking. Keep me from fooling myself that I'm independent and alone. In you, I am never alone. 

I love you God. And today I celebrate that I am never far from you!

For Jesus' glory, Amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 6: God is Limitless

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:27). Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31).

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8).

Nothing about infinity makes sense to us. We simply can’t relate to it. All our experience is marked by beginnings and endings. We’re born, we die. Sunrise, sunset. Arrive, depart. So when it comes to meditating on God’s boundless, limitless, timeless nature, we’re dumbstruck. How are we to make sense of infinity, much less celebrate it in God?

All throughout the Scriptures, the limitlessness of God is seen as a catalytic source of hope and comfort. In Deuteronomy, the people of Israel were given the laws of God, being reminded (even after their disobedience) that covenant with God was still possible. Here he reminds them, “I am your eternal dwelling place, and my everlasting arms hold you.” See, God’s infinity is actually wonderful news for us, because unless God is limitless in wonder and strength, then relationship with him isn’t all that great.

What do I mean? The law of diminishing returns. This is that law of human experience that says that the second time you do something, it won’t be as amazing as the first. They say that addicts are always chasing after their first high. Concert goers are constantly seeking that next great musical experience. We know, if only from our life experience, that nothing lasts forever. “All good things must come to an end,” we’re told. We believe it, and move on. If God were limited, then he would be no different. He would end, and we would have no hope.

But God is different. Because God is eternal, infinite, and limitless, we know that we will never run out of God at which to be amazed. We’ll never exhaust his power, wonder, or perfection. That’s why relationship with God is so wonderful. God is the only being who can ceaselessly and eternally satisfy the longings of our heart. Each moment with God leads to greater wonder, on into forever.

His limitless power is source of great encouragement. But sometimes, we need reminding. In Isaiah, we read such an encouragement. Ours is the everlasting God. He does not get tired. He does not need a rest. He does not stop pursuing us. And what’s more, he does not run out of power and passion to pour into our hearts. He is the beginning, and he is the end.

Our limitless God has a name—Jesus. Jesus states repeatedly in the Revelation that he is the alpha and omega. He’s the bookends to existence, and that’s great news of us, if we know him. If Jesus is our treasure and joy, and if we’re his by grace, then we wonderful future. We will see him forever, and every consecutive moment with him will be greater than the moment before—forever!

Jesus, thank you for your limitless worth. You will be praised forever. Today, uphold me. You are the everlasting God. You don't grow faint or weary. You don't run out of strength or wisdom. Please sustain me with your mighty right hand, and your infinite might.

Today, as I consider all I must face, all I'm praying for, and all that we're asking you do as a church, help me to also consider your strength and power. You will never run out of grace or help, and for that I will praise you forever.

Amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 5: God is Powerful.

And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. (Genesis 1:16) Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God! (Psalm 68:35)

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:3)

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen. (Revelation 7:12)

Genesis 1:16 is one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible. It’s the last three words that really get me, “...and the stars.” The power of God is so great that the entire universe of stars gets barely a mention, as though speaking the cosmos into creation were nothing for God. What breathtaking power God must have.

Often, however, the power of God isn't the subject of praise, but worry. Many people are uncomfortable with the sheer power of God. In our world, we’re used to seeing our leaders abuse power. “Power corrupts,” they say, “and absolute power corrupts absolutely!” Why, then, is it good news for us that God is unimaginably powerful?

First, God’s power fuels our worship. I remember watching the olympics as a boy. The event was weightlifting. Watching the power of the athletes on the screen, I was dumbfounded. I simply didn’t know how to process, as a little boy, the power that it must take to move such heavy, seemingly immovable objects. I admired these men for their strength. You and I are wired to be impressed by rare power like this. How much more, then, should we take a moment to consider the power of God and let our hearts loose to wonder at it.

But God’s power isn’t just for God’s sake. He uses his immense power for our behalf. In Psalm 68, David is praising God no only for having all the power, but for empowering his people with it. Are you facing a tough spot? Isn’t it great news to think that God is powerful enough to overcome whatever you are facing? When all we have is the impossible task in our view, we can become discouraged. But step back, and take a look at God’s power. Now we have reason to praise, even though what is ahead looks impossible.

We can also consider the immense humility of God in light of his power. In Jesus, we see the all-powerful God pulling back his might, putting on flesh, and walking among us. Hebrews tells  us that even in this state, the universe was being upheld by God’s power, and yet he was approachable to us. He didn’t explode onto the seen Hollywood-style, making demands for repentance. He withheld his power to become like us, even unto death for us.

It is for this reason that we will praise God’s power for all eternity. In Revelation, we get a preview of the power of God as fuel for praise. We will stand and sing with all the saints of God, “Amen, Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!” This is our heart’s cry, because our powerful creator empowers us, saves us, and rescues us. That’s like gasoline on the fire of our worship.

Today, pause to reflect on God’s power, and ask him to bring that power to bear in your life, your church, and your city. He is well able to accomplish all his gracious will if we ask.

 God you are mighty and powerful. You created the universe, spoke the stars into existence, and keep them all burning for your praise. You are mighty, God.

Thank you for being mindful of me. It's amazing to consider that you made all this, and yet you care about me. Thank you for letting me share in your power to overcome sin, brokenness, and all that stands between me and you. You are strong, God, and able to overcome all obstacles in my life today.

Jesus, I cannot wait to join with the billions of voices from every tribe and nation to praise you for your power. Even though you are limitless in strength, you became nothing so that I could know you, praise you, and be satisfied in you. You are unspeakably wonderful, and I love you.

Amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 4: God is Lord.

God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. (Exodus 3:14-15). I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart. (Jeremiah 24:7)

Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? (Luke 6:46).

[Peter said,] Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2:36)

“Lord” is not a common word these days. When we stop and think about the word, our minds may drift back to old England, when lords and ladies ruled the land. This image—one of pageantry and position—perhaps gets subtly imported into our concept of God. Maybe we imagine him to be some aloof monarch who’s not paying close attention to his lands. Perhaps we might misunderstand God as Lord to mean that he’s overly concerned with his own position and authority. So, what does it mean to say that God is Lord?

Let’s consider the passages of Scripture we just read. When Moses was commanded to go and be God’s instrument of rescue, he was told that God’s name as “Lord” (Yahweh) would be his name “throughout all generations.” So, God’s pretty concerned that we get his name correct—and the primary name he chooses is, Lord. But largely, we’ve forgotten this. Israel forgot too, which is why Jeremiah prophesied as he did, that God would give his people a new heart to know that he, and not anyone or anything else, is the Lord. He prophesied that those who are truly God’s people would return to the Lord with all their heart. So, we must first observe that God’s Lordship means that he is the object of our supreme allegiance and devotion.

Now perhaps you read that and it all sounds a bit stale. “Supreme allegiance?” Sounds like God’s a control freak, right? Not at all. God’s in control whether we recognize the fact or not. I can deny that gravity exists, but I’ll do so with my feet on the ground. Similarly, we may deny implicitly or explicitly that God is truly the object of our allegiance and devotion, but it doesn’t change the fact that he should be.

And, therein lies the problem. In our sinful brokenness, we don’t want God to be Lord. We want to be Lord. We live in a world full of little lords. We wish to rule ourselves, lead ourselves, even live for ourselves. Is this you? Ask yourself this question—what about your life right now do you want God to mess with the least? Is it your career? Kids? The way you spend money? Is it what you do with your body or your view with your eyes? We are the very people to whom Jesus would pose the question which has asked in the Scripture above, “Why do you call me Lord and not do what I say?”

We’re all so quick to run to savior Jesus, aren’t we? We love the idea of total acceptance at no cost. But, there is a cost. Of course Jesus’ rescue and redemption was totally free to us and infinitely costly to him. However, when we come to him, we lose the right to be our own lords any longer. We no longer belong to ourselves. We belong to him. Coming to Jesus is the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s words as we “return to him with our whole heart.” Not part of the heart, the whole.

Jesus has come to rescue and redeem us, and that is glorious truth. But salvation is completely entangled with the Lordship of Jesus. When we come to him, it’s because we’ve left ourselves. Coming to the foot of the cross involves arriving at the end of yourself. That means that from then on, Jesus rules, he reigns, and we follow him.

Sin was a rebellion against the lordship of God. This rebellion was finally overcome, however, in the great news of the Gospel of grace. Because Jesus Christ has come to put to death in his own body the insurgency against God, we can find new life as redeemed citizen of his Father’s kingdom, living happily and passionately under his Lordship. Now, Jesus sits at the right hand of God almighty, and as his redeemed people, we follow him. What exceptional grace this is, that our treasonous rebellion has been quelled not by our punishment, but by God’s gracious gift to us in Christ.

 Jesus, thank you so much for quelling my rebellious heart. Your perfect life was one I could never live. Your death on the cross was a death I deserved. And your resurrection is amazing news to me—that you, my King, have overcome the grave I deserve so I can know you, and follow you. God, thank you for freeing me from sin and freeing me unto obedience. 

Today, take total control of my life. Rule everything—money, sex, career, family, politics—everything about me. I give myself totally and fully to you because, Jesus, you gave yourself totally and fully to me. I love you, my Lord and King. Help me follow you today.

Thank you God, amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 3: God is Trinity.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light...” (Genesis 1:1-3a). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1,3,14).

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20).

I remember leading a Bible study at Harvard University about the Trinity when one law student piped up, “I believe in it, but I don’t know why it’s all that important.” It is my hope that by the end of this brief devotion, you’ll see this reality about God as one of the most foundational and beautiful truths of your faith.

In Genesis 1 we read the account of creation, and it’s here we find the Trinity (God in three Persons) at work in making everything. God creates, the Spirit hovers (or flutters, much in the same way a mother bird does over a nest), and the Word is spoken. One God with three distinct parts (later to be called persons) active in creation. What could this mean? Well, all by itself this passage is interesting, but hardly gives us the fully formed doctrine of the Trinity. It’s not until Jesus Christ shows up that we get a real commentary on Genesis 1. And from whom does it come? The Apostle John.

John connects the “word” spoken at the moment of creation (and then God said, “Let there be light...”) with the person of Jesus in the passage above. Don’t skip over that. Let this sentence leave you jaw-dropped just as it would’ve left John’s original audience. The Word spoken by God the Father at creation—the idea and intention of his heart—has been made flesh, and his name is Jesus Christ. This is a mind-blowing claim to make, for sure. But the fact remains the Bible clearly teaches that God is one God, eternally existent in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We know that the Trinity is the treasure of the people of God because it is in the name of the Triune God that Jesus’ disciples were to go into the world. The whole motivation of the mission of God in Matthew 28 above is the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (“Go into all the world ... in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” Matt. 28:18-20). In short, the mission of the church is to be done in such a way that the name of the Trinitarian God revealed in the Scriptures gets turned up, enjoyed, exalted, and honored. If the mission of the church is trinitarian, then the mission of our lives is too, because we’re part of the church!

Because God is Trinity, we know three important things about him. First, we know that our Creator is our Redeemer. That is, Jesus isn’t some lackey God sent to do the dirty work of dying on the cross. No man, no demi-god, no angel would’ve been a sufficient mediator between God and humanity, because only God could fully satisfy the debt of our sinful brokenness, (Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus is the Word present at creation, the very second person of the Godhead, given to us for our redemption. Secondly, because God is Trinity, we know that he is with us. God the Son sent God the Holy Spirit (John 15:26) to dwell within believers, giving us immediate access to God. Now, can know God in a way deeper than a man knows his best friend. And finally, because God is Trinity, we know we are freely and radically loved. Think about it—if God weren’t Trinity, then who would he have been loving before he created the world? No one! In fact, God would need us in order to be loving, because in order to be loving you must actually love someone! But, because God has always existed within a deep, profound, and infinite love relationship within the Godhead, the love he has for you and me isn’t a co-dependent, needy love. No, this is a full, overflowing love that has come to us by grace.

What does it mean to live with a radical awareness of God as Trinity? It is to think on the free love of God in creation, in redemption, and in restoration. When we come to God, we come to a full being who delights to draw us into a deep, satisfying love relationship, not a needy, lacking one. Your Creator has become your redeemer, and your redeemer has sent the Holy Spirit to live within you; a deposit guaranteeing that you will live forever with him, (Eph. 1:13-14).

God, you are truly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Today I choose to delight in the wonder and mystery of your nature. You are great, God! Father God, thank you for planning my creation and my redemption. Jesus, thank you for causing my existence and for coming to live perfectly for me, to die for me, and rise for my new life. Holy Spirit, I rejoice that you have watched over me, and that you now dwell within me, giving me a new nature and heart to know God has an adopted member of the family of God.

Today, help me to live with a greater awareness and thankfulness of your nature. As you have called me to “go” in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, would you now help me to do just that. Because of my life, cause people to rejoice in your name, and to come to know you as you are—the Triune God.

You are so gracious. Thank you for revealing yourself to me.

In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 2: God is Creator

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. (Genesis 1:1) Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28)

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. (Psalm 19:1-2).

Creation is the glorious effect of the cause of God’s will. This is a subject of considerable wonder, given the kind of creation in which we find ourselves. To say that the universe is vast is a laughable understatement—traveling at light speed, it takes over 150 billion years to travel across the cosmos. To say that it is complex and delicately made is to almost trivialize how complex and delicate it actually is. The universe that you and I inhabit is an enormous, lovingly made home designed to tell us something about the God who made it.

The first thing to note about God’s activity in creation is that it’s something that only God could do. The Bible uses an interesting word to describe God’s activity in creation. When God creates, he bara ’s—a unique Hebrew word which means to create or initiate out of nothing. Only God can do that. We make things out of pre-existent stuff, but God does not. God makes from nothing. In his fullness he approaches the emptiness and void of nothingness and fills it up with everything.

The simple fact is, you and I require a creator. We are contingent beings—contingent on being made. God is not like us. God does not require a creator, because God is eternally existent. He is the source of all life, the giver of the world we inhabit, and for this fact we should be utterly amazed by him. When you go outside and stare up at the starry sky, or when you go inside and stare into a microscope, our breath should be taken away at the intricate wisdom with which God made the world that you and I call home.

So why does this matter? Let’s consider two reasons. First, the world God made was a good world. The Scriptures tell us seven times in Genesis 1 that God’s creation was good. So the world, prior to sin, was good. This means that stuff (money, food, our bodies, etc.) is neither totally evil as the ascetic, religious people tell us, nor is totally good, like the materialists say. Instead, the “stuff” of creation is given for a different purpose, which is the second reason this whole discussion matters: God made you and I and everything to declare his glory, greatness, and power. Like a living painting, like a moving sculpture, the world of worlds spinning in harmony from the greatest celestial body to the smallest subatomic particle is given to us to cause us to say, “Wow, God. You are amazing.” At bottom, the universe isn’t about us. Creation is all about God! This doctrine should drop down into our hearts like a match into a box kindling, causing the fire of our love for God to blaze brighter, just like a star in God’s creation—burning passionately for the glory of God, and our deep joy.

God you are the maker of all things. I exalt your power and infinite intelligence and wisdom with which you made everything! The Bible tells us that in you we live, move, and have our being. Thank you for creating me. Thank you for creating the world in which I live. Since you’re the Creator of all things, you own everything. Help me to live out my day today dependent on you. 

God, you made everything, so you know how it works best. So God, please give me wisdom today how to live rightly. I want to experience your glory, and the comfort of being constantly aware the I know the creator of all things. Thank you for this grace, creator God.

In Jesus name, and for your glory, amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 1: God Is.

Today at Aletheia, we decided that if Jesus is central, then truth is central. Here's the fact, if we're going to grow up in Christ, then we must look at him. We must know him. We must celebrate him and enjoy him. So, for the  next 40 days, I'm going to be posting short devotionals designed to help you put your eyes on God. The hope is that by doing this, we'll know him better, love him better, and be more empowered to love our neighbor.

So, I hope you enjoy these, and that they propel you toward Jesus.

Prayer and fasting, day 1: God is.

In the beginning, God... (Genesis 1:1a)

God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” (Exodus 3:14a)

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. (Revelation 22:13)

I grew up in a place where most people agreed that God existed. Many of those same people, however, never lived their lives any differently because of the fact. Sometimes the biggest gap in the world lies between what the mind acknowledges as true and what the heart lives for. Your mind may agree that God is there. Your mind may even have a few opinions about God. But has this changed you? Your behavior? The way you perceive yourself and the world around you? Is the fact of God’s existence one which presses in on you, frees you, informs you, impassions you?

The first scripture comes from Genesis. “In the beginning, God...” Stop. Before the world exists, God. Before you exist, God. Antecedent to all life, God. Prior to physical, temporal, spatial reality, God. What does this mean? God is supreme—above all that we know and experience, and the great cause of it all. He is foremost in the list of important beings, because he is the first. He is primary. He is the star of the whole story of the Bible, and he is the main character right through the plot.

After God creates, he calls a man named Moses to act as a deliverer to his people who were in bondage. What was the name that God gave Moses to most succinctly and satisfactorily describe himself? “I AM.” That is, of all people and things which exists, God is saying “I exist the most.” Of all realities that have been, God is saying, “I precede them all.” And, of all futures that will comes, God is saying, “I will outlast ever one of them.” Thus he ends the entire story by reminding us one more time, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”

Why does any of this matter to you? Because the story, the Bible, the faith, the whole matter of following God and being a disciple of Jesus is Christ is, at bottom, not about you at all. It’s about him. It’s all about him. Every drop of ink, every atom in the universe, every star which shines, and every mind which wonders at them twinkling in the night sky through the ark of history—all of them are about God.

God is more foundational to you than you are foundational to you, and that is wonderful news for you. What you believe about him, hope about him, and deeply know about him won’t just sit in a statement of faith somewhere in a drawer. No, these beliefs about God are the matters of the soul which shape absolutely everything you and I do. What one believes—really believes—about ultimate reality is the foundation for everything he does. Thus, the journey starts today by making the simple and ineffable reality known—God is, and that is the most important fact in the world.

Sunday Review: What's at the Center?

Fact: Your life will center on something. The only real question is, on what? Or better yet, on whom? This Sunday at Aletheia we kicked off a new series called Centered, which was my direct assault on the temptation we pastors feel to preach try-harder-do-better sermons at the beginning of each year. Each new year brings with it a bunch of unmet resolutions, promises that won't be kept, and visions of grandeur which will never be achieved. Why? Because at our core, we don't want them. Obtaining those goals doesn't live on the inside of us. What lives inside us will always, always, rule what's outside.

As a result of Sunday, a few observations came to mind:

If Jesus Abides at the Center, I Can't Not Grow Abiding isn't a word we use much these days, but it basically means "to live with." It's not a one-time word, it's an ongoing activity. I abide with my wife because we share a home, a life. Similarly, for Jesus to abide at the center of my life means that I'm in constant fellowship and communion with him. How? As my friend Steve Murrell likes to say, same. old. boring. strokes. We pray, we fast, we ask, we obey. And you know what, those little habits of drawing near to Jesus draw him near to us. The result, growth. It just can't not happen.

If Jesus Abides at the Center, We Can't Not Grow Like the first point, but for our church. I'll be honest, I hate church growth books. I've read a bunch of them, and most of the time I feel either condemned or falsely hopeful. But if Jesus is really dwelling at the core of this church, then our biggest problem will be what to do with all the fruit. We abide, he guarantees fruitfulness.

Jesus' Love Language is Obedience My love language is words of affection. My wife's is acts of service. But Jesus is different, because Jesus isn't our peer, he's our Lord. If we truly wish to love Jesus, then we'll obey him.

2013 is Going to be a Great Year I think that this year will be the most fruitful that Aletheia has ever seen. I'm not confident in this because I'm a great pastor (cause I've got plenty of problems). It's not because our "show" is so glamorous (because it's not). I'm confident because God's grace is sufficient to keep Jesus at the center of our affections this year. So, that's what I'm praying for us, church. Jesus, be the center. Everything else will take care of itself.

How to Accomplish Nothing in 2013

"If you shoot for the moon you'll land among the stars!" I remember reading that sign, probably in a high school guidance counselor's office. The idea, have big hairy, totally irrational goals, and you'll probably go somewhere far. I'm convinced that this kind of thinking is precisely the way to accomplish nothing, or right next to it. So, in line with that bad advice, here's some more to make sure that you absolutely never accomplish anything you want to in 2013, and some tips to avoid doing just that.

Only make goals Big goals that are unaccompanied by a plan and an accountability structure are about as useful as a life jacket in the desert. There's even new research to show that big goal making is, by itself, pretty much useless. So, before you get out a fresh, clean sheet of paper and write down a list of crazy dreams, pause. Do you have any kind of plan? Is there an accountability structure in  your life to make sure things like this get done? All goals and no plan make you sure to fail.

Don't compete your list I'm a goal-oriented man. I can't tell you the pleasure I get from scratching something off my to-do list. But here's what I've learned about goals all alone—they'll kill me if I let them. Make a big goal and then don't do it. Don't lose those 5 pounds. Don't read your whole bible. Don't do whatever you said you'd do, and watch what happens. If you have any kind of soul, you'll feel pretty bad, maybe even crushed. Then, all your energy is sapped for accomplishing more of what you should be doing. Don't turn your goals into your gods. God's your God, and he has grace for you to help you get everything done you need to do.

Compare your goals to others This is a great way to accomplish nothing. This one is bad for two reasons. First, if you actually do achieve more than most, then you're looking to others goals to make you feel good. Do this, and you'll get lazy with your own high-capacity ability for achievement, which God gave you for his purposes and glory, not yours. The other reason this is a sure-fire way to goal failure is if you achieve slower than others, then comparing will only discourage you. Comparing your list to another's list is foolish because you're you, not them. To do this is to wish yourself to be other than you are, which is sin. Goals for the future should be God-centered, not man centered.

Don't plead with God for help Go ahead. Try to accomplish something, even something for God, on your own. And even if you do accomplish something, God won't be honored. That doesn't work. Again, goals should be made prayerfully and hopefully, relying on God not only for the wisdom to make them, but also for the power to accomplish them. Instead,pray, asking God to give you help.

Lord, make me a secure, God-centered goal setter and achiever. Tell me what to do, give me grace to do it, and let me satisfied having done it for you, without reference to anyone else. 

Jesus, Thank You for 2012

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. (Ps. 138:2)

Today is the last day of 2012, and for my part, I'm going out on thankfulness. Was 2012 challenging? Yes. Was it hard? Absolutely. But the mercies of God were so apparent in so many ways, that I'd be remiss if I didn't note a few of them.

This year, God grew me. I won't bore you with all the ways, but my Lord loves me, and he's growing me up to be a better man of God. That happened a little bit this year. On the family side, he grew that too, giving us a new son. Also, I've deepened in my love for my wife and my children are growing in grace. On the church front we've made many new disciples, and God has graced our church with phenomenal growth, unheard of in this area.

The point here isn't to list out all my blessings for you read, but to show you just how simple and beautiful the process of doing so can be for you. The simple fact is, without gratefulness for past grace we'll be blind to future grace. I believe 2013 will bring more Jesus-bought, God-given grace than I can imagine. Challenges? Sure. But I want to posture my heart in gratitude to God for all he's going to do in 2013. How do I that? By thankful for some of what he's done in 2012.

Dad, Put your Phone Down

Hey, dad. Yeah you, the guy with the kids. I know its the holidays, and it's that weird week between Christmas and New Years, but while you're spending some extra time around the house, put the phone down.

"But, work..." Yes, I know. "I was only checking the..." Uh huh. I know it's tempting, but listen, they need their dad. In fact, a dad is a top-ten Christmas gift these days. Just put work, distractions, the game, the phone, the whatever, down.

That's it. Put it down. The iPad too. Now walk away.

And, walk toward your kids. Play with them. Wrestle with them. Make up stories. Be silly. Tell your girls that you love them and your boys how they'll grow to be mighty men of God one day. Read them your favorite bible story, play a board game.

Work's just around the corner, padre. It always is. Then, when you get back to the office and you're on the phone again, tweet about all the fun you had with your kids.

The Advent Changes Everything

The Advent Changes everything. Before Jesus stepped into the scene, God coming to help out directly seemed like an anomaly in an otherwise closed universe. Humanity was enslaved to the merciless consistency of cause and effect. Cause: sin. Effect: death. Cause: sin. Effect: pain. Cause: sin. Effect: brokenness. But that was before Advent—before the chain was broken, when the lid to universe was opened from the top and the creator stepped in.

You and I and everyone else who has put their ultimate hope in Jesus will be singing for ten thousand forevers of the mystery and effect of the Advent. So, I'm not going to pretend to unpack it all in one brief blog. But I do think that it's worth a moment, given the season, to consider a few very important ways the Advent changes everything.

The Advent means Nobody is a Nobody ...there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them...  (Lk. 2:8b-9a)

Shepherds were nobodies. Shepherds in the backwoods of Bethlehem, which was in the backwoods of Jerusalem, were the nobodies of nobodies. And yet, God sent legions of angels to sing in their presence of the birth of Jesus—them! If God almighty chooses to reveal the good news of the Gospel of Jesus first and foremost to the nobodies of the world, then everyone—without exception—qualifies to hear it. No one is too low, too unimportant, nor too high and self-important, to miss it. When God's armies show up to nobodies, all of a sudden they become somebodies. Now, nobody is a nobody. That's great news, especially if you've ever been tempted to think yourself too small or unimportant for God to use you or speak to you. If you're small, then you qualify.

The Advent Means God is Incomprehensibly Loving And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Lk. 2:10-11)

Love can be measured by the cost of its givenness. That is, you love someone only in proportion to your willingness to sacrifice for them. The Advent therefore can only mean that God is incomprehensibly loving, because he gave in the most helpless and humble state his own son to a race of beings which deserved him least. If God has done such a thing, then questions of his love for humanity are now answered with an unshakable proof—he gave us his son. He loves us, and the Advent makes this a settled fact.

The Advent means We can be Changed And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Lk. 2:20)

The shepherds came back to their fields changed. That's precisely what the Advent does—when Jesus comes to us, and we come to him, the only right response is exactly what the shepherds did—worship. The delight of the heart into which Jesus has come is worship. This is the feast for the hunger after God. This is the consummation of the love of God. And, this the proof positive that these shepherds where changed, all because of an encounter with Jesus. And if Jesus can change them, then good news: he can change me too.

Tonight was a great night—easily the most successful Christmas event we at Aletheia have ever done. My prayer, though, goes way past numbers or meetings. My prayer is that width would be quickly accompanied by depth. My prayer after a great Sunday night like tonight is that, in my great city, the news of the Advent of the Son of God would change absolutely everything.

It's starting.

We're Part of a Miracle

We're witnessing a miracle, the likes of which hasn't been seen in New England in hundreds of years. To the thousands of you who've been a part of planting this church, I've got some amazing news for you. In the last 12 months, our church has over doubled in size, we've baptized over 30 new believers, we've got open doors for the Gospel at Harvard, MIT, Tufts, BU, Wellesley, Emerson, and Northeastern. Our small groups have tripled in number, with a majority of our church growing. Life and Doctrine—our biblical foundations class—has graduated over 70 people this year.

Not only that, but in the last year, God used our church to do mighty acts of justice and love. We've been able to give away almost $90k in charitable gifts, church planting funds, and acts of mercy. God allowed us, through our Renew Project, to remodel our local community center from top to bottom, so that the kids of our city would have a place to play, learn, and grow. Through us, new churches were planted, hurting kids helped, and many changed by the truth, grace, and changing power of the gospel.

In short, God has given us not only a remarkably fast-growing church, but one where discipleship is really happening. This is a grace from God we don't deserve, and without all of you, it wouldn't have been possible. Thank you all so much. Here's a little video we shot to send our big love to you!

Aletheia Update Fall 2012 from Aletheia Church Boston on Vimeo.

5 Ideas to Celebrate Advent

"How do you celebrate Christmas?" This question is thrown at me quite a bit. Sometimes it comes from another parent in our church looking for a way to escape the ubiquitous commercialism and underwhelming cultural mythology around the so-called "winter holidays." Other times, I get it from an outraged fellow parent, totally baffled that my kids don't get all that excited about santa, cookies, or red-nosed reindeer. Around the Mabry house, we've got a few traditions that we've cobbled together to try and make the Advent season joyfully centered on Jesus, and full of great memories together. Here are five of them that we love...

1. The Advent Jesse Tree I must admit... I REALLY love this tradition. A few years back, my lovely wife got an old, dead tree branch. She stuck in a pot, held in place by gravel. In the process of creating this Tim Burton-inspired shrub, I thought she was nuts. But when I asked her what she was doing, she politely informed me that she was making a Jesse Tree—a tree upon which our family hangs one ornament for each day of December leading up to Christmas Day. These ornaments go with different stories in the Scriptures that lead up the coming of Jesus. Each night of December, we read from a great devotional book for each story, and then one of our children hangs the ornament of the day. It requires a little bit of preparation, but it's a favorite in the Mabry home.
2. Tell the Story of Santa Claus "Wait, aren't you a Pastor?" Yes I am, so let me explain. There are two mistakes that can be made regarding Santa Claus and the excessive cultural accouterments that go along with him. One is to freak out about them, call them all evil, and shun them. Best way to make your kids want santa and forget Jesus is to give the fat man the mystique of the forbidden. Calm down, he's not that big of a deal. The other mistake is just as bad, which is the wholesale embrace of Santa and his crew, to the neglect of Jesus. Nope, the answer is neither and better than both of these. Tell them the story of Santa as a story. And, tell them something about the real St. Nicholas. Then, when you've done that, tell them how glad you are the Christmas isn't about a man in the sky who judges me for all the naughty things I've done by withholding certain gifts, but a God who came from Heaven despite my evil to give me the greatest gift of all. Do that, and Jesus will just look a whole lot cooler than Santa.
3. Happy Birthday Jesus! On Christmas Day, we make a sweet breakfast treat, like cinnamon roles, stick a candle in them and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. This is an easy way for our littlest ones to see that these gifts and this day aren't about us, but Jesus. Once we're done singing, we take a moment to pray and thank God for sending us the best gift—Jesus.
4. Gift Giving On Christmas Day, we try to let our children enjoy giving the gifts. This one is subtle, but it's important. Instead of ripping into their gifts to hunt for their hoped-for-goodie, we take Christmas morning slowly, allowing our kids to take from the pile of gifts, and give them to each other. Then, we open them one at a time, and celebrate with the person getting the gift. Why? Because God is a big giver, who gave us his biggest gift—Jesus. Jesus said it's better to give, then to get. If God delights to give us his Son Jesus, then we should delight to be good gift-givers too. Neither stingy nor materialistic, just good givers.
5. Have Fun! Hey, God's is fun... really fun. He invented fun. Invent your own traditions with your family that make your heart delight in Jesus and in one another. Have fun with one another! Play games, enjoy the lights, sing some songs... these are all good things that, with good motives, can be great for you and yours.

So there you go. Now you know how we celebrate the Advent season. How do you?

Sunday

Today was a powerful day at Aletheia, and for that I'm grateful. Grateful to God, our awesome pastors, staff, and leaders. The last few weeks I've stepped back just a touch, since we just had a baby. Graciously and helpfully, my team has stepped up to the plate to enable me to take some time off with my growing family. So, I showed up today much later than usual, and unsurprisingly, my team did an outstanding job. In light of this, a few thoughts occur...

1. It's not about me. Of course, I knew that before today, but walking into the church that God called me to plant and lead and watching it hum along quite nicely without me I knew it.
2. Jesus loves those far from him more than I do. Today, people were born again at Aletheia. I didn't do that. Of course, I never do that. But I'm usually involved at some stage. Not today, and it was beautiful.
3. Worship is beautiful when we want it. If there's anything beautiful that rises from tragic weeks like this one, it's that we are all a bit more aware of our need for God. Today, hearts were hungry for Jesus. When we come hungry, God never disappoints.
4. We can do this. With Jesus we can do everything that he's called us to do. We cannot do it alone. But empowered by the Holy Spirit, committed to the gospel of Jesus, I'm more convinced than ever that we really can bring the truth, grace, and changing power of the Gospel, for the glory of God and the good of all people.

Watch out Boston. God is alive and well among his people, and as surely as the sun lights the day he is coming to our great city.

Where is God in the Murder of Kids?

As I write this, I sit here with my infant son, sleeping soundly in my arms. My living, healthy children are all asleep in their beds, and for that grace I am grateful... especially today, given the tragic and terrible news of the murder of my fellow New Englanders. Tragedies like this cause many of us to pose the question, "Where is God?" One commentator opined, "If God can part the Red Sea, why can't he stop a bullet?" Powerful, emotional question, isn't it? And, before we get to some observations about God, we shouldn't glide past that raw, pain-filled inquiry. At some point, all of us have asked it, or something like it. In the face of horrible, seemingly senseless evil, where is God? Let me suggest an answer to such a question by saying where God is not.

God is not Absent. The timing of this tragedy is no coincidence. If the Advent tells us anything, it's that God is not some useless deity in far-off realms, but that He is very much with us. The Scriptures tell us that Jesus was and is Emmanuel, God with us. God the Son took upon himself humanity, entered into our world, and walked among tragedy. He then left, but not without sending God the Holy Spirit—the omnipresent, comforting, powerful, and precious third Person of the Godhead. We may struggle to see him in these moments, yes. But we may not say He is not there. When the Son left Heaven and the Spirit filled men and women, God's absence ceased to be a possibility.

God is not Weak. Maybe God would like to stop evil, but it's just a bit too much for Him. How do we know this isn't true? Well, the scriptures are pretty clear about God's power. He spoke the entire universe into being, (Gen. 1). Moment by moment he holds all things in existence, (Heb. 1:3). And, most importantly, he actually defeated death itself in the resurrection of his Son, (2 Cor. 15:50-58). It cannot be that God is unable. For if he were, then he wouldn't be God.

God is not Unaware. Perhaps God isn't weak, then. He's just absent minded—a bit far off, distant—or too busy to be concerned with us. But the Advent doesn't allow us to think this, either. The Advent is the very divine stamp upon the human story. God in flesh becomes a man like us, with temptations like us, problems like us, subject to abuse like us, pain like us, and even death for us. Only the Christian God has stepped down from Heaven to identify with the murderous, senseless evil we've wrought upon the Earth. God the Father is very aware of what these weeping parents feel like today because he knows what it's like to lose a Son at the hands of violence and evil. God the Son is very aware of what it's like to be the victim of injustice, because he willingly and freely gave up the precious blood of life which pulsed through his veins so that we, in turn, may be washed free from our violence and brokenness by means of this crimson flow. He is not unaware, my friends. He knows deeply the pain of loss.

God is not Unloving. So why hasn't he stopped it? In what way may we conceive of God as loving in the light of such news? In this way: God has decisively defeated evil at the highest possible cost to himself and the free-est possible cost to us. For God so loved the world—the child-murdering, marriage destroying, war-fighting, injustice-perpetuating world—that he gave his only son. He gave his son to love, save, redeem, restore, rescue, and renew a world like that... a world like this... a world like ours. Perhaps in the face of seemingly senseless evil we have a harder time seeing God as loving. This only makes sense to us, because evil, at it's core, does not make sense—it is complete disorder, the unraveling of what is good, sensible, even rational. But remember this, evil is only senseless without God, not with him. Only God can make evil make sense because only God is powerful enough to rend good from it—even when to us it seems senseless. If in a moment of deep pain we jettison God, we jettison along with him any hope for good rising from the ashes of pain. But God is good at raising things up again, even from death. In fact, it's his speciality.

A Humble Prayer God is not absent. He is not weak. He is not unaware. He is not unloving. So what is He? He is here, and he hears. So I submit to you this prayer that I'm praying, and I invite you to pray it with me.

Father in Heaven, our hearts are broken and heavy with the loss of our children, our friends, our neighbors.Our sadness affects everything we see.

Please, God, bring comfort and peace to the moms and dads who've lost kids, to the kids who've lost parents, and the friends who've lost neighbors.

We pray with the saints for the last two millennia, that you would come quickly. You are our only hope. Only you can raise the dead. Only you can finally destroy injustice. Only you can deal with brokenness rightly, and finally. So please God, come quickly and do so. God, for those who are tempted to reject you, bring soft humility under your mighty inscrutable sovereign power and wisdom. Thank you that you saved me through the seemingly senseless tragedy of the murder of your Son, whom you raised for my salvation. I'm sure that act of violence didn't make sense to anyone at the time, and yet in your wisdom you wrought unceasing good from unimaginable evil.

So, God, I'm casting all my hope in you today. You're the only one I know who can do anything good with  horrible violence. So, please God, do it. Do it in such a way that at the end of days, when all the dust settles, your greatness and beauty are magnified above and beyond all question, and in seeing you we find unstoppable joy.

In the name of your son, whom you lost, to save a murderous wretch like me. Amen.

Thoughts on Joy

Christmastime brings with it a ubiquity of gospel opportunity—that is, it is much cooler to explain the joyful news of Christmas at Christmastime... go figure. It's not every month that we in the west are afforded the cultural opportunity to be more outspoken about the good news of the Advent. So when this time of year comes around, I want to take full advantage of it! For our church, that means doing things like The Big Give. But for me personally, it must also mean reflecting on the reason that the joyful news is so, well, joyful.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Potential Joy We all live in the state of potential joy in Jesus. That's great news—that anyone, at anytime, is a prime candidate for the joyous news of Jesus' coming for their rescue... even shepherds who occupied the bottom of the social ladder in a backwater, nowhere town. Of course, the irony of the Gospel is that it's precisely our lowliness which qualifies us. The more familiar we are with our own unworthiness, the nearer we find ourselves to the outbreak of gospel joy.

Realized Joy What's exciting about this passage, though, isn't just the potential for joy, but it's realization. Five minutes prior to the angels' arrival, none of them would've expected that they'd be running toward a tumbledown barn to view God's boy in utter and total joy and awe. But it happened anyway. That's good news, too—that at any moment, even one of mundane, job-oriented boredom, God can bust open a tear in Heaven and change everything by the proclamation of good news... of the gospel.

Shared Joy Immediately after this experience, these shepherds moved to the highest state of joy in Christ: shared joy. Lewis and Piper both like to tell us that joy isn't really, fully experienced until it's shared. If that's true, then these men experienced a very full joy. As they ran to see their hopes in the face of an infant, they not only experienced the gospel joy of Jesus himself, but of seeing that joy in one another. This is the taste of Heaven itself; the multifaceted, prismatic wonder of Jesus-fueled joy in the face of others. This motivates mission, this inspires passion, and this consummates gospel proclamation.

Speaking of gospel-fired joy, Jonathan Edwards said,

This light, and this only, will bring the soul to a saving close with Christ. It conforms the heart to the gospel, mortifies its enmity and opposition against the scheme of salvation therein revealed: it causes the heart to embrace the joyful tidings, and entirely to adhere to, and acquiesce in the revelation of Christ as our Savior.

So Lord, move me from potential joy in Jesus to a fuller place. For this joy is my goal and my hope.