Romans & Hebrews

So for the past few weeks I have been going through Hebrews and Romans. Before that I was cruising along in the Old Testament doing a “read through the bible in a year,” but took a bit of a New Testament detour that took me right back to Abraham, David and Solomon.

Side Note: Is it just me or does anyone start going a bit nutty after spending too much time in the Old Testament? I got to 2nd Kings and just had to take a breather.

Ok back to Hebrews and Romans. The books, with their strong focus on the faith of those in early Christianity, have been incredibly insightful and encouraging, especially in light of our big move coming up. Hebrews 11, which leads up to the popular “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance…” is a must read. It reminded me that none of the bigwig faith guys and gals ever received what was promised and yet they still continued to follow fervently.

God was right beside them during all of the wild adventures of shutting the mouths of lions, receiving back their dead by resurrection, going from weaknesses to strength, and being tortured, mocked and imprisoned. Then moving along to Romans 4 where Paul brings us back to Abraham and how “in hope against hope he believed…being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able to also to perform.”

These reminders just do something good to my soul. At times I can become too confident in my own abilities and at other times I’m wondering how in the world is God going to pull this off. A bit of doubt. But hoping against hope and being fully assured that God is not going to leave us high and dry, that is such a beautiful hope to have.

Keitt Update - April 2011

Resurrection: Live Like You Believe It

Sometimes I just feel bad for Moses. For whatever reason God decided to hold off on burning bushes in today’s society, it’s almost like we hold that against him. I know Christians look at people in the Bible and think “man, if I knew what God wanted as clearly as if I had a burning bush talking to me, I would totally be able to do it.” It’s just the uncertainty of the call that stops most of us from movement. Or is it?

Because we look at Moses and think “How can a person that experiences God in a way in which he literally talks to Him in the flesh and hears such a specific call to action, admit his fear and doubt verbally back to Him that created him and his purpose. We are envious of his supernatural clarity and therefore think him an idiot for still acting like a human.

Well, on Moses’ behalf, I get it.

Sometimes when I stop and think logically about the events and decisions of my life, it doesn’t make sense and sometimes doesn’t even sound like a good idea. (Actually, this is the best way I’ve learned to discern that it is God’s idea, and not my own. I’ve learned that what makes sense to me always ends up to be a hot mess once I’m through with it.)

This whole moving to Chile thing might as well come through a burning bush, so why would I feel so inadequate and fearful that God wouldn’t give me whatever I need to accomplish His plan for the rest of it? It’s because, as many Easters as I’ve lived through, I don’t always live like I understand the Resurrection.

If you live like you understand the resurrection, you know that the worst thing that could ever happen in this world has already happened – the death of Christ. He has already made a spectacle of death, yet we still fear it! And hundreds of other far less threatening things…

If you live like you understand the resurrection, you do not live reactionary. The rules have already changed, the battle has already been won, and therefore we don’t surrender to circumstance.

If you live like you understand the resurrection, you know that the cross is the ONLY real display of power that the world has ever seen.

We live in world that doesn’t understand the resurrection, one plagued with fear. I hate to say that I fall prey to it on occasion, but I know that it is the truth of His resurrection that will set me free to live the life and calling God designed specifically for me.

So step off Moses, because he didn’t have the Resurrection to free himself yet. But if you see me (Christine) starting to doubt or fear, you have my full permission to kick me (hard) in the butt and redirect me to this simple truth.

(Also, for the best Easter sermon I have heard in 27 years, go here, probably after Tuesday or Wednesday!)

Past few weeks

Have you ever had the feeling that you’re one of the Israelites in the Old Testament and the angel of God’s wrath is setting up camp right outside your measly tent? I kind of feel that way right now, and for the world of me I can’t figure out what Christine or I have done. Maybe he wants our attention to tell us something, or maybe he’s just preparing us for the road ahead.

There has been an eclectic assortment of disappointments/poopy things that have happened to both Christine and I over the past few weeks or so. No, I’m not talking about getting a bad parking spot or stubbing my toe. Yes, I realize that in the big picture that I did wake up in a warm bed, had options for what I’d like to wear, and drank clean water this morning.

Having said that, I must acknowledge that it still hurts to feel disappointed, rejected, and letdown. More than anything I’m seeing the pristine goodness of Christ so much more clearly, mixed with the inevitable sorrow of the world we live in.

I want so desperately to be satisfied in Christ all of the time.

Jabez

You know how some parts of the bible are tremendously riveting with a rollercoaster of action and inspirational thoughts; well I was beginning 1 Chronicles this morning, which is about the exact opposite. It’s an extremely precise genealogy of Adam all the way through the kings of Israel and Judah. It’s dry, bland and even though I realize the importance of genealogy to the Jewish tradition and to how beautiful it ties together Christ as the messiah, I still wonder, why Lord. Why am I reading this?

Well, as I was dragging through chapter 4 I ran across this section on Jebez.

“Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.”

I actually read this prayer every time I walked into the main office of the church that I grew up in. It hung on an engraved chunk of wood that would always catch my eye as I entered. I never understood it. It felt strangely foreign from what I had understood prayer and the desires of a Christ follower to be. I always thought of Manifest Destiny…give me more stuff, more power, more comfort, in the name of God, and yet “God granted him what he requested.”

With all of this in mind, what made this prayer stand out even more was something my pastor, Jonathan Martin, said during the sermon yesterday. “People typically don’t pray specifically for outlandish miracles to occur because they fear having to wrestle with the thought of receiving a response of no from God and looking like a fool.”

He said yes to Jabez. He says yes to families praying over their baby stricken with cancer, to couple trying to keep their marriage together and then other times the response is no. “No’s” are messy, hard to swallow and may even leave a taste of resentment and anger on the pallet towards God.

I honestly don’t know where I’m going with this, but it has weighed heavily on me ever since I read it this morning. God has definitely provided for my wife and I through outlandish miracles and he continues to baffle us that much more with our new venture into Chile.

How do you pray for God to wreck your life and mold you into a humble, gracious and loving person and yet pray for more; more stuff, more power, more comfort, more outlandish miracles of financial blessing…

I guess all of these thoughts just push me to reevaluate how I pray and how much faith I have in Him.

Two Communities

            Renovatus (our church) had an event out at Birchcroft Apartments where we were serving the large refuge population that lives there.  The whole time I had this urge to really dive in and get connected with the families & people I was meeting and yet I knew that Christine and I would be gone by the summer. 

            Stephen, one of the missionaries who lives in the Birchcroft community made it crystal clear that committed relationships are what this community needs, in place of “quick Christian handouts” from people who haven’t dedicated the time to have a relationship with those they are serving. 

            I couldn’t agree more with this mentality. Without true relationships I fear that we’re doing the community and ourselves a big disservice, and reducing the greatness of what I believe Christ has in mind when he tells us to love our neighbor, the widow, the orphan and the poor.

            I say all of this because today was one of those days when I strongly felt the weight of being divided between “two communities”.  

            I wake up in the morning and I read La Tercera (a chilean newspaper) to keep up to date on what’s going on, I head off to my school that will be shut down next year to serve and love on those students for a few more months.  I skype with our community in Santiago about future plans we’ll be involved in and then I head off to our small group to plan our next service event which I may not be around to participate in.

            Christ is teaching me to be mindful and aware of the ever so quickly approaching changes and yet to not forget to still show his love where ever I find myself at a particular moment…

Keitt Update - March 2011