Maybe I am Not Ready Yet…!

            This week I came across the following personal confession of a Christian writer: “Maybe I am not ready yet to suffer for the Kingdom of God. My heart is too impure, my soul too divided, my love too fragile.”

            Suffering for the kingdom of God is something we would rather not think about. But recent news events have forced the thoughts upon us. For too long, perhaps, we have tried to separate any form of suffering being related to faithfulness in the kingdom. Especially if we are thinking about undeserved suffering.

            But in the quote above we are made aware that perhaps it is our heart, soul and love that are not ready for this level of acceptance and commitment. It is a topic that is touched on in Scripture. In fact, nearly 150 times it is mentioned by various biblical writers.

            Perhaps the one Scripture passage that hits home on this topic is the following one in the Book of Revelation:

            “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown” (Revelation 2:10).

          The apostle John, while in exile on Patmos, is instructed to write this message to the angel of the church in Smyrna. He begins by counseling his readers from that city to not be afraid of what they are about to suffer. That gets at the heart of it all. We who are Christians must daily ask God, Christ and the Spirit to strengthen our faith and not let any kind of fear to debilitate us.

            Spiritual persecution is pictured by John as the devil putting some of them in prison to test them. They are counseled to be faithful, even to the point of death. As a direct result of that faithfulness, a victor’s crown will be given them in the form of eternal life with God—a present and future presence with Sovereign God.

            Are we ready yet to suffer for the Kingdom of God? Christians in other parts of the world already are suffering at the point of giving their lives. May our hearts be made more pure, our souls more undivided in our commitment, and our love stronger so that when the time comes we will be ready to lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the kingdom of God!

In Christian love, Curtis

Let us Leave the Elementary Teachings About Christ (Hebrews 6:1-12)

Let us leave…and go on to maturity. What is spiritual maturity, and what does it look like? It can be pictured as a journey. As such, there is a beginning point that we must leave, and then travel on a journey toward a goal. The place we begin can be called “the elementary teachings” about Christ. What are those teachings? 

The writer of the book of Hebrews supplies us with some of those: Repentance from dead works (changing from legalism), faith toward God, instructions about washing/baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 

 We might be surprised at this list. In the history of Christianity these topics have been the source of a lot of debate, controversy and charges of heresy. It is amazing that the writer of Hebrews puts them all in the category of “elementary teachings!” Spiritual maturity dictates that we move on from these. 

Now, to be sure, the writer of Hebrews is not saying that they are not important. The author is merely pointing out that the readers (and, by implication, we who are Christians today) cannot camp on these and stay focused here and expect to grow spiritually. According to the writer of Hebrews, there are “better things that belong to salvation” (Hebrews 6:9) -- 

• Work and love in serving the saints 
• Earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end 
• Imitators of those who have gone before as examples of faith and patience who inherit the promises (current and future rest) 

Notice how that for the writer of Hebrews spiritual maturity centers around the Christian journey marked by 4 things: love, serving, holding steadfast the full assurance of hope, and imitating men & women of faith who have gone before. These are all expressions of the converted lifestyle that is following in the steps of Jesus. It is hard to debate and argue about these things. 

When Christ is the foundation and center out of which these four things spring, then the journey of spiritual maturity can be faithfully pursued! Too often, we Christian leaders ourselves, spend so much time focusing on the fundamentals that we do not grow. And, if we do not grow into spiritual maturity, how can we expect other Christians to do so? 

“The better things that belong to salvation” must be modeled by Christian leaders so others can imitate what they see. 

 For example, as a Christian leader, how can I model for others “work and love in serving the saints?” 

As a Christian leader, how can I model “earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end?” 

As a Christian leader, how can I model “imitating those who have gone before as examples of faith?” 

As a Christian leader, how can I model “patience in inheriting the promises?” 

 Content of the Christian faith (orthodoxy) becomes the elemental foundation for the right practice (orthopraxis) of the Christian faith. I wonder what servant-hood looks like in the lives of Christian leaders who seek the right balance between these two? It seems that part of the journey of spiritual maturity is recognizing that the content of faith becomes the foundation for the practice of faith. 

 Yes, there is a place to teach against legalism (repentance from dead works), but railing against it and harping against it constantly does not provide the soil for spiritual growth. What believers need to see is Christian leaders who model in their life what grace looks like. What they need to see is the inherent joy possessed by one who has left a legalistic system of belief!

 It is possible, you know, to be legalistic in one’s opposition to legalism! May all of us who are in Christian leadership roles seek the “better things that belong to salvation!” 

In Christian love, Curtis

THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE AT REST (3)

You may remember last week that we reflected again on the famous opening quote of Augustine’s timeless classic, Confessions. In Book I, chapter 1, paragraph 1 there is the following famous insight about human beings:“The thought of You (O God) stirs man so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you” (Saint Augustine’s Confessions, translated by R.S. Pine-Coffin. 1961; 1983 reprint; New York, NY: Penguin Book Classics; page 21).



The phrase we want to focus on this week is: “because you made us for yourself.” In one short phrase Augustine has encapsulated rather succinctly the purpose for human beings. God made us for Himself. This implies at the following: covenant, calling, partakers of the divine nature, and love.


We are in covenant relationship with God through Christ. God made us for his own glory, and we participate in that glory when we surrender to Jesus Christ. This is why conversion is so powerful. It is relinquishing self to God.


We are called and chosen by God. This gives us our identity. God initiated this calling, and when we respond we are only returning to Him who made us.


We are partakers of the divine nature. Because God made us for himself, we are not surprised that New Testament writers remind us that we participate and partake of the divine nature. Our very soul yearns for the God who made us.


We are loved and beloved. The first reminds us that we are the object of God’s love, and the second reminds us that we stand every moment in the state of being beloved. That is who we are.


“Because you made us for yourself”: This has been the great failing of historic Christianity—religious movements and activities tend be self-centered and not God-centered. If we take Augustine’s statement seriously, then everything changes for the glory of God! In Christian love, Curtis

WHEN NOT TO BE BOLD

In his letter to Philemon, Paul says, “…Though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you…” (vv. 8,9).

This admission by the apostle Paul is amazing! It gives us an insight into Christian leadership that separates it from marketplace leadership. Usually bosses and managers will use any method necessary to get people to do what is required. The church is different. Ministers, teachers, pastors, elders, deacons, ministry leaders, etc.: we all can take a lesson from Paul.

Think of the power of love as an appeal. Brothers and sisters in Christ respond to appeals coming from a heart of love. Several times in Paul’s letters, and other New Testament writers, the notion of “boldness” is held forth as a Christian virtue. We are to be bold when we approach the throne of grace, etc. However, in this case it is different.

Boldness gets interpreted as brashness, crassness, manipulation, coercion, etc. Christian leadership understands the human heart. That heart is sensitive, sinful, broken, wounded, and hurting. No human heart is exempt. Only the blood of Jesus can heal the human heart, but that healing is often incarnational through the human touch of Christian leaders.

We all who claim to be in leadership/serving roles in the life of the church have our work cut out for us! We could command people to do what is required. But the power of love is stronger than any authoritative command!

Whether we like it or not, the health of the body of Christ is dependent upon our appeals based on the power of love. When people do not feel loved, no amount of appeals or commands will work. On the other hand, when brothers and sisters in Christ feel that they “are our very heart,” a loving response is usually forthcoming.

In Christian love, Curtis