Recipe

What is your faith made of? Does it seem like an odd question? Maybe so. I guess we may need to take a few steps back and ask a more basic question: What is faith. The Bible says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

If you boil down that definition, you’ll see that faith is basically your assurance. Your belief. That strong pull in your heart that gives you a foundation or sense of sensibility. It’s not some sort of blind, wishful thinking. Well, it’s not supposed to be. It has more substance than wishing. Some people don’t do well with faith, because of how they define it. People who lean toward a wishful faith don’t realize it, but they actually are leaning more toward the thing in them that has the most substance.
Notice the connection between your heart and your belief. Your heart is key. It's where you hold your convictions. If your heart is aligned to science, luck, old wives tales, or the wisdom of others, that's what will dictate/influence what you do (Romans 10:9)

The word faith usually conjures up religious thought, and rightfully so, but its bigger than that. Just like the Bible talks about 2 types of wisdom; wisdom from above and earthly wisdom, there is more than one kind of faith - weak faith, little faith. Hebrews 11 starts off talking about faith in its lowest common denomination.

Here’s some of the unbiblical ways we lean toward sensibility and belief or just our method of navigation in the world. Feel free to add your method to the list.

   -- that's what always happens.
   -- I know how it works, I can make my way based on that.
   -- I'm cynical and I expect bad things to happen
   -- I'm an optimist and I expect things to work out well.
   -- I'm fearful and although I know that I don’t know what will be, I tend to worry.
   -- I hope I'm lucky.
   -- I'm usually unlucky.


Here’s The Word:

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

2 Timothy 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

2 Thessalonians 3:2And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

Notice this last verse, "not all men have faith". We all navigate this life based on some sort of sensibility and some go as far as calling that a kind faith. I often say "I don't have the faith it takes to be an atheist". We know what's being implied in that statement.
However, Biblically, we know that real faith, true faith, comes from God. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17).
The matter then becomes - what will you do about faith? Will you continue to try and navigate life with a hybrid faith? One made of wishful thinking and half-hearted expectancy just in case God does something different than what you want? Or will you build up your faith and learn from God, to operate in strong faith that trusts Him according to His word in all things. The true mark of strong faith is obedience. You see in Hebrews 4 that although some had the word preached, for them it didn't lead to obedience because they had no faith concerning what they heard. That's a real possibility for us today and half-hearing will contribute to a feeble faith and a feeble dedication to obedience in Christ. The father of the demon-possessed boy in Mark 9 had it absolutely right. He asked Jesus to have mercy. Jesus replied, "If you can believe, anything is possible", the father's reply is the heart we should all have regarding our search for obedient faith - "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

- So again, you search and examine yourself and answer the question - what is your faith made of?

In Him,
Cros

RIP

Imagine you and I are having a conversation. At the end of our little chat, just as we’re about to part ways, you say “Goodbye!”, and I say “Rest in peace!” What would your response be? Awkward silence? Head cocked to the side? Or would you go full court press and ask “What do you mean?”

There are so many idioms. So many words and phrases common to how we communicate that come with their own rules. We’ve all accepted the idea that “Rest in Peace” is only appropriate as a condolence to be used in situations of someone’s death. I wish it weren’t so exclusive. Its narrow usage has forfeited its ability to illuminate a glorious truth: When you think about that string of words and our walk in The Spirit, it would be such an apropos statement for us to use much more freely as a blessing toward one another.

Here’s The Word:

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee

When we learn about the Messiah and receive His gift of salvation, that’s our first introduction to a new kind of rest. Rest from the idea that we need to work to earn Heaven. Sadly, this is the ultimate futility of the human experience, and there is no rest in that because there is no assurance.
Our trust in the finished work of Christ IS the basis for our assurance, and therefore, peace with Him. The second peace comes with maturity. We learn how to ‘put on’ Christ and begin to realize the reality of the struggle between Spirit and flesh. The Spirit teaches us patience and endurance, still well connected to the assurance that Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Through sanctification, we learn to rest in that peace.

Here’s The Word:

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Now we need to be careful that we don’t confuse this.

Here’s The Word:

Hebrews 4:8-9 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Using the phrase “Rest in Peace” is specifically intended to speak to a constant consistency of casting our cares, and fully walking in the understanding that God is working all things together for our good, to the point that we should realize that us being unsettled or worrisome in our spirit, serves no good purpose. This is not to say that we are to consider ourselves “at rest” from the good works prepared for us, to walk in them (Eph 2:10), but to actively pursue their progression and completion. There are right parameters to how we understand our current expectation of work, and our current embrace of Spirit-given rest.

As you go on your way, don't just understand, but embody the connection between rest and peace. In closing, don’t be surprised and don’t think it awkward if you ever hear me proclaim “Rest in Peace” outside of its usual consideration. It’s not that I’m confused about what it usually means, it just means that I’m more persuaded about what it could and should mean for us who are dead. Dead to sin, but alive in Christ, quickened and sealed by His Spirit and assured in His triumph over the penalty and power of sin….in which we rest.

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:with you.

Rest in Peace,
Cros

Translation: Holy

I’m finally getting resettled back into “life as usual”, after having been on vacation in Europe for about a week and a half.
It’s always interesting traveling abroad and learning how to deal with severe language barriers.
Of course, for the most part, people are kind, and trying to convey meaning quickly turns into a fun interaction much like charades. However, there are other times when it’s less pleasant and you wish to God that somehow He’d intervene and simply “bless” the situation with communicative clarity. What really ends up happening is, you think about the least you have to say, and figure out how well to say it.

Which got me to thinking. As basic tourist in another country, the scope of things you need to talk about are relatively small. Things like, “Hello. Thanks! Where is this? What is that? How much does this cost?”, end up being a larger percentage of your conversational repertoire, than if you were say, trying to schedule a doctor’s appointment or something more involved.

It makes me wonder about conversation in Heaven.

I remember in my much younger years, hearing the ideas of people who wanted to ask Jesus certain questions, or talk to the saints of ages gone by to hear what it was like to be faithful in desperate situations. I don’t hear it as much nowadays, but I also don’t think that I imagine it the same way either.

Here’s The Word:

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Being unable to clearly communicate feels like seeing through a glass darkly. You don’t know what or how to say or convey clarity. Yet, according to Scripture, there’s coming a day, where all of that darkness will give way to light. Isn’t it funny? We will know clearly when we’re “translated”.
So then, what will we HAVE to say when we know as much as we’ll know then?
I don’t suppose that we’ll be required to say much, which is where my thoughts for this post came from:
What will you say, when you don’t have to say anything?

Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Worship!

Isn’t that awesome! When you don’t have to clear up misunderstandings, or clarify meaning….when you don’t have to speak from need, you GET to speak from want. What will you want to say? It is then that we will be freely unhindered to simply and continually proclaim the holiness of God. Singing new songs about our great and mighty, triumphant and victorious, conquering and compassionate Father and His Christ.

Oh! How my heart anticipates that eternity. I consider it a valuable blessing and encourage us to begin fostering a heart of worship in the midst of this shaded life. In darker days as well as times of contentment. Choose to fan the flame of wanting to proclaim God’s goodness evidenced in His creation, redemption and ultimate and eternal restoration.
Don’t wait for translation. Come let us worship the LORD in the beauty of Holiness, today.

1 Chronicles 16:29 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

2 Chronicles 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Psalm 96:9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

In Him,
Cros

Back to the Future

I recently went back to my past. Places I hadn’t been in years. People I hadn’t seen in years. It was surreal as somehow my mind kept jumping back to the last time I’d been in that “space”.
While most of it was comfortable and familiar, other parts made it perfectly clear that a paradoxical "split" between time and space occurred at the moment I’d left there so many years ago. I felt myself wanting to reacquaint with what I liked most about those past experiences, only to come to the realization that the best thing about the whole thing - isn’t what it is now, but what was, then.

As I muddled through the ins and outs of this mental struggle, it made me think: It reminded me of a story in the Bible. It’s the story typically known as “The woman at the well” found in John 4. It’s a lengthy exchange, so I’ll just pull some highlights to help explain where I'm coming from.

Here’s The Word:

John 4: 5 -6(a) Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there.

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

12 (The woman speaking speaking to Christ) Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

20 (The woman speaking again) Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

There’s so much richness in this biblical account, and it’s not uncommon for focus to be placed on living water in reference to Who Christ is, or His unlikely interaction with a Samaritan (being a Jew), or Him telling her about her past as evidence of His Godly omniscience. However, in light of my recent experience, here’s what I saw:

Jesus shows up to the well and starts having a conversation. Her point of view is based in the past. His was based in the future. Her’s was based in the significance of the location because of its history. His was in the significance of the life He was bringing, the hour that was coming (and now is). In His conversation, He was trying to make it clear to her that there’s a future that you can choose to walk in right now, if you can be ready to get out of your past.

So, in that moment, in that mind, in my past, I realized something. With all of the significance of my history in the places I was once so fond of, I’ve now tasted of The Living Water and my past, while good for nostalgia purposes, is no longer my mountain. I’m now familiar with having His Spirit and truth in me wherever I go and the warm comfortable feelings of belonging are never far from me. I now know that as much fun as it can be to visit my past, I don’t fit in there like I used to and I’m always looking at my watch, anxious about getting back to the future.


In Him,
Cros