Having an Elijah Moment

The phrase was used in the middle of a sermon I was watching by John Mark Comer. (Either Feb. 7 or Feb. 14.) I immediately recognized the Biblical context, but in an online search discovered the phrase has been used with several different applications.

The Biblical context in which John Mark used the phrase was about the time after the showdown on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal. Buried in one verse in that account is Elijah’s preoccupation with the numerical challenge. Or what he considers the overwhelming statistics:

^{NCV.1 Kings.18:22} Elijah said, “I am the only prophet of the Lord here, but there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal.

repeated in 19:10b “…I am the only prophet left…”

Not only does Elijah win the fire-on-the-altar contest, but the drought ends and the area receives the rain it badly needed. But Jezebel is not pleased, and next thing, Elijah is fleeing for his life.

God meets him where he is, and there follows a familiar passage where again, Elijah is looking for “big-ness” even though there isn’t a particular quantity mentioned.

^{NCV.1 Kings.19.11} The Lord said to Elijah, “Go, stand in front of me on the mountain, and I will pass by you.” Then a very strong wind blew until it caused the mountains to fall apart and large rocks to break in front of the Lord . But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a quiet, gentle sound. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.

At that moment, God throws out his own statistic:

¹⁸ I have seven thousand people left in Israel who have never bowed down before Baal and whose mouths have never kissed his idol.”

This is the Elijah moment that John Mark referenced. It’s a verse that has stuck with me because I believe that even in the most God-less locations, God has a people — a remnant if you prefer — who are following Him.

I’ve seen this firsthand. I live in a small town. Actually, it’s the convergence of two small towns, and each has about ten Christian churches. If you were to add up the  total attendance, or membership, or some other metric you could easily conclude that this is the total Christian population. But working several hours a week for 25 years in the Christian bookstore has introduced me to hundreds (literally) of people who for various reasons would not be included in such a census.

I also saw it in my extended family. As a child, our family was always “the Christian family.” We went to church. We did church things. Most important, in terms of how I remembered this as a kid, there was no beer in our house. And nobody smoked. But a recent re-connection with a cousin was eye opening as she described her mom’s (my aunt’s) prayer life. All those years, perhaps she has never been that far away.

As Henry Blackaby said in Experiencing God, “God is at work all around you.” …

…So what were the other “Elijah Moment” iterations online?

There was this one: “Rabbi Daniel Cohen of Congregation Agudath Sholom, Stamford, Connecticut and Pastor Greg Doll of Norton Presbyterian Church, Darien, Connecticut created the Elijah Moment Campaign to encourage people to put aside their differences and simply help each other anonymously” Their motto is “Give Back – Pay it Forward Through Small Acts of Anonymous Kindness.”

It was also the title of a book by Veronica Merchant. She derived the phrase from the larger section of 1 Kings quoted above, “…the intercessory prayer warrior’s daily meditation to give you peace in the midst of the storm. The Elijah Moment is your moment with God in devotion. It’s a personal walk with the Lord! It’s journal time between you, God, and other warriors walking and praying with you. The Elijah Moment truly takes a moment in your life to return to God for specific requirements for daily living.”

At the blog, Vision for Living, it was about the contradiction between Elijah’s victory and his subsequent flight:

…Elijah was a man of the same weaknesses as us, and like us, he was prone to forget God’s goodness or remember it while moaning about something else. Not that Elijah’s problems were insignificant. After the victory at Mount Carmel, his life was threatened and he was left to hide in the desert without food and water. He despaired of life and questioned the God he had so faithfully trusted. It was a low point in Elijah’s otherwise faithful life and ministry.

But lest we are too hard on the Prophet, we are all prone to the Elijah moment. We are often “giving thanks for one thing in spite of something else”; or we are giving thanks for one thing while complaining about something else. Truth is, life is not perfect, nor is it supposed to be this side of eternity…

…Elijah’s victory is both short-lived and bittersweet. I’ve always found this to be one of my favorite narratives in scripture, but when I think of it now, I don’t frame it in terms of the faceoff (to use a hockey term) against the prophets of Baal, but rather that tidbit of statistical information God passes on to him.

^{CEB.1 Kings.19:18} But I have preserved those who remain in Israel, totaling seven thousand—all those whose knees haven’t bowed down to Baal and whose mouths haven’t kissed him.”

I’m not saying this is a general principle that applies at all times in all places, but I do believe God is working in the lives of people where you live in ways you cannot begin to imagine.  Blackaby’s next advice to us would be to find those places where God is working through the Holy Spirit, and come alongside those people who are endeavoring to serve Him [see this article, Applying Energy Where God Is Already at Work] rather than worrying about getting them to attend our Church and become part of our programs.

 

Living New Covenant Means Welcoming New People

The transition from Old Covenant to New Covenant involves the story of a man named Cornelius. If you’re unfamiliar with his story, click the link which appears at the beginning of today’s devotional.

A year ago we introduced you to Paul T. Reynolds who lives in the Cayman Islands, where he oversees Children’s Ministry at First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman. You can read more of his writing at his blog, where he’s currently working through the Book of Acts. He is the author of 66 Books, One Story.

Living for God for People

Acts 10:1-23a (AD 42)

Verse two is not a comprehensive statement of what it means to be a good Christian, but neither is it incidental.

The Roman Centurion Cornelius was a “devout and God-fearing” man (not just him, but also his family). Furthermore, “he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly” (v.2).

God repeated the point for emphasis, two verses later: “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God”.

James shared similar thoughts from God when decrying moral hypocrisy, stating that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).

In both instances, a point of emphasis is a dual perspective on what being a Christian looks like: holy living (involving personal relationship with God and behaviour) and caring for those in need.

Cornelius – a righteous Gentile and a man of authority – was then told by God to send for a nobody; a mere fisherman, a poor man with no-one under his command. Cornelius had no problem with what God said, and did as he was told.

Peter, on the other hand, did not immediately do as he was told. In his vision (v.11-16), God told him what Jesus told him – that the old civil and ritual codes were fulfilled and therefore no longer relevant. He needed to change his understand of right and wrong.

Does that mean that other aspects of God’s teaching might have reached their sell-by date and need to be traded in for more enlightened perspectives?

Well, that depends.

Is the teaching in question, part of the system of civil and ritual law that Jesus said was fulfilled and therefore ended? Or is it part of the moral law, the nature of God himself, reaffirmed by Jesus or the apostles?

Cornelius, with his upbringing surrounded by idol-worship and sexual immorality, knew that his culture didn’t change God’s nature. God’s nature must and did change him.

Peter, with his upbringing dominated by hypocritical leaders, was struggling to understand that his nature wasn’t exactly the same as God’s nature. God’s nature must, and would eventually, over time, change him.

Fight the part of you that doesn’t care about the eternal destiny of people you don’t like.

And hold firm to God’s calling on your life; pursuing your relationship with Him in prayer and holy living, and helping the needy.

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What happened next? The continuation of the story in the rest of Acts 10 and Acts 11 is important. Click to read the next blog post in this series: Even to the Gentiles.

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Mission Statement: Christianity 201 is a melting-pot of devotional and Bible study content from the widest range of Christian blogs and websites. Two posts might appear on consecutive days by authors with very different doctrinal perspectives, or from different parts of the world. The Kingdom of God is so much bigger than the small portion of it we can see from our personal vantage point, and one of the purposes of C201 is to allow readers a ‘macro’ view of the many ministries and individual voices available for reading. Your suggestions of articles and websites to consider are always welcome.

Scripture portions from various translations quoted at Christianity 201 are always in green to remind us that the Scriptures have LIFE!

When We Still Can’t Go to Church: There is Good News

by Clarke Dixon

In these days of restrictions due to COVID-19 our lives are far from normal. The expression of our faith is also now far from normal. Those of us who would normally make our way to church on a Sunday morning among other times are stuck at home. Our church building can feel like our spiritual home, not just the building itself, but the church family we expect to meet there.

As Carey Nieuwhof has often said, this is not an interruption, but a disruption. We wonder if we will ever get back to normal.

There was a huge disruption in the early days of Christianity, a disruption which had a huge impact on how God’s people expressed their faith. There was no getting back to normal. Looking at that great disruption will help us navigate ours.

Let us put ourselves back into New Testament times. Imagine that you were a Jew, for whom the Temple was a focal point of the expression of your faith. The sacrifices are held there, you make pilgrimages there, the life of the nation is focused there in so many ways. While the local synagogue also played a big role, the readings of the Scriptures often pointed to the Tabernacle of the days of Moses and the judges, and the Temple which was built in the days of the kings. The synagogue was convenient, but the Temple was central, and crucial.

You come to trust in Jesus as the Messiah, as your Lord and Saviour. Being a Jewish Christian, the temple is still very important to you, the traditions around the temple are still a part of your life. Indeed we see in the Book of Acts how the apostles, with their Jewish background, would often make their way to the temple in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, normally under Roman control until a Jewish rebellion in 67AD, was put under a proper siege in 70AD. After a few months the city fell and the temple was destroyed. Indeed, it has never been rebuilt. Now that was a disruption! This meant, not just the loss of the temple, but the loss of many cherished traditions that centred on the temple. There would be no getting back to normal. As a Jewish Christian how do you handle the disruption? Is there hope?

There is. One verse in the Gospel of John captured how God’s people now had something far better in Christ:

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 (NRSV)

The word translated as “lived” among us, but sometimes translated as “dwelt” among us, is the word for pitching a tent. It was a word that evokes the tabernacle that God’s people were to build for the presence of God’s glory among them as directed to Moses following the exodus from Egypt. This tabernacle, literally a tent, would give way to a temple once Jerusalem was established as the focal city in the days of the kings. You could translate John 1:14 as “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” The tabernacle was the place where God was said to reside among his people. Since the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, we no longer go to the temple in Jerusalem to find God. We go to Jesus.

The tabernacle/temple was also the place where God’s glory rested, often referred to as His shekina glory. Note again John 1:14 and “we have seen his glory.” The glory of God was to be found, not at the temple, but in Jesus. Again, the destruction of the temple could not disrupt the worship of the Christ follower.

The tabernacle/temple was also the place where intimacy with God was shown to be an impossible thing. Only one person, the High Priest, could enter the Most Holy Place in the temple, and then only once a year after much religious rigmarole. The lesson was clear: while God wanted to be among His people, a holy God and an unholy people cannot mix. While the temple symbolized the nearness of God to His people, it also represented distance. John 1:14 continues with “the glory as of a father’s only son.” While even the priests could not speak of intimacy with God such that they could meet with God face to face, Jesus has a unique intimate connection with the Father. Jesus represented intimacy with God. Through his death on the cross, intimacy with God is now possible for us. The destruction of the temple could not change the fact that in Jesus, a much better intimacy with God was on offer.

John 1:14 goes on to say that Jesus is “full of grace and truth.” Before Jesus you would go to the temple to experience and be reminded of God’s grace. It was the place of sacrifice for atonement, a place representing the forgiveness of sin and covenant with God. The temple was the place you would expect to be reminded of the truths of God, the reality of God’s relationship with His people. The destruction of the temple could not destroy the experience of grace, the presence of truth, for these are found in Jesus, even more so.

In summary, before Jesus, if you were wondering where to go to find God, you would be pointed to the temple. But now we look to Jesus. Being with Jesus was far more important and exciting than being at the temple!

Here is a point which is important for us today. Being with and walking with Jesus in all of life is far better than being religious in a sacred space once a week. Having Jesus in our hearts and minds is far better than having ourselves in a church building. Experiencing Jesus in our lives daily is far better than experiencing church ministries from time to time.

There was one major benefit to the destruction of the temple as we will see. Worship at the temple could become temple worship.

The disciples were impressed by the temple:

As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.”

Mark 13:1 (NLT)

Jesus responded:

Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!

Mark 13:2 (NLT)

So don’t be too impressed with the temple. It is temporary. Worship that which is eternal. The destruction of the temple was also the deletion of an idol.

Worship in a church can become worship of the church. We are easily impressed with things that cannot last. In our day, the expression of faith through the ministry of a church is not being destroyed, but perhaps it is being deconstructed. What was once impressive, is not so much anymore. With a lockdown in our province, the most impressive church buildings are now much less impressive. Even those built to hold thousands can currently only hold ten.

We cannot at this time invite people to attend impressive churches, to experience impressive ministries, held together with impressive leadership. But we can connect with, and invite others to connect with, an impressive God.

Very few churches have impressive ministries right now. Our own church “services” are shot using the phone in my pocket, and edited with software that came free with our computer. It is a very Mickey Mouse affair. In fact I refuse to call them church “services,” but instead call them “worship expressions.” It is just not the same! But that’s okay, it is not about impressive churches and ministries, but about becoming people through whom God makes an impression on the world.

Perhaps a positive from all this is that we are being weaned from trying to be impressive in what we do for Jesus, and instead must focus on leaving an impression, from what God is doing in us.

An impression is left, when,

• someone forgives as a result of focusing their worship on Jesus,
• someone expresses generosity as a result of a walk with Jesus,
• someone is a peacemaker as a result of being with Jesus,
• someone becomes a more faithful and loving partner in a marriage relationship because of their relationship with Jesus,
• someone shows a gentleness that was not there before, because of the inner soul work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit,
• Someone makes progress on coming to terms with an addiction, because of the higher power of Jesus . . .

The list can go on. An impression is left when people are growing in the fruit of the Spirit, growing in love, peace, kindness, joy, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Jesus calls us to follow him. The question is not, how impressive are our men’s ministries and women’s ministries, but are there men and women of God who are following Jesus?

Don’t get me wrong. We will regather for in-person worship at some point. This is important. However, the things we do as a church are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. The end is to be walking with Jesus. What can we do as a church family to help people walk with Jesus in faith, hope, and love, to the glory of God? This is a question we can ask whether we are in lockdown or not. In this time of disruption let us put church in its proper place, as a means to an end, and not the end in itself. Let us turn from idolatry if we have let worship at the church become worship of the church.

We live in a bad news world, things are not normal, the expression of our faith in worship is not normal.

There is good news, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Our faith is not dependent on being in impressive buildings or going to impressive churches with impressive ministries and impressive pastors. Believe me, our church has not been dependent on an impressive pastor, at least not since my arrival here nine years ago or so. It is dependent on the presence of Jesus through His Holy Spirit.

When are we getting back to normal? The Lord knows. Walking with Jesus is way more exciting than getting back to normal anyway.

(Clarke Dixon appears here most Thursdays. The full reflection can be seen as part of this “online worship expression”)

They Had a Better Greeting Than ‘Merry Christmas’

Today another new writer for you to meet. Carolyn Kincaid writes at Carolyn Kincaid’s Potpourri for the Soul where her tagline is, “Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance of Christ.” May that be said of all of us. Look for her book online, Praying Prayers God Answers.

Savior—Messiah—Lord

^{NIV.Luke.2.10-11} But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

This exclamatory announcement is so much greater than our simple, “Merry Christmas!” This proclamation was significant; it was a message that stated three consequential declarations.

One, our Savior was born. The One who would be able to reconcile us with God. God is holy and cannot abide wrong-doing, so we have a sin problem. We have a giant chasm between us and God that nothing up to this point could cross. The SAVIOR, born to make a way beyond the chasm, is born today.

The second declaration is that the Messiah was born. The Messiah, the Anointed One was long awaited by the Jewish community. All their hope rested in the coming Messiah Who would come and rescue Israel. What this means to us non-Jews is that the Messiah, who is a liberator has come to liberate us from the bondage we have to sin. It’s not that we will never sin again having accepted Him, but that we no longer are bound to sin. We now can choose through the power of our Liberator to walk, not in defiance to God, but in obedience to God.

The most important declaration the angel made was that the Lord, Immanuel had come to live among men. Immanuel means God with us. This announcement proclaimed Jesus to be God, Lord, Master. And through the Holy Spirit, God continues to live with us.

Today as you celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Savior, Messiah & Lord take a moment to assimilate the totality of Who He is into your worship. Don’t miss the opportunity to have an encounter with your Savior, your Messiah, your Lord.

   For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6

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C201 Archives:

The People Who Walked in Darkness

December, 2014

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
 ~Isaiah 9:2

Light is an image that is often present in the story of the incarnation.  Christmas is reminiscent of the star that pointed to Bethlehem, and in our times, the bright artificial lights reflecting on the snow at night. Even our music is ‘bright’ as brass quartets and bells — not usually part of church worship — are heard.

The coming of Christ follows what we call the intertestamental period, where some would say that the prophets went silent. I believer personally that while there are not recorded prophetic words that are part of our scriptures, God always has a people, and that his man or woman, in the right place at the right time, was ministering to the needs of ones and twos and small clusters of people, using what we would call the prophetic gift. While historically, there was a great silence before the downpour of heaven in the incarnation, that does not mean God was not still involved; still working in hearts.

Some characterize the coming of Christ as God “breaking in” to our story. A Canadian writer, Tim Day, recently released a book titled, God Enters Stage Left. In a way, this is what happens, God breaks in; he becomes part of our story.  These elements — the breaking in, and the light imagery — combine together in a verse toward the end of Luke’s first chapter that is often missed:

⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

This is why Christ has come. To shine on those living in darkness, and guide our feet to a new way, a new hope, and a new peace.

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Read more: Also from December, 2014, Clarke Dixon reminds us that Jesus’ birth certificate allows for our adoption papers. Check out Adopted into the Family.

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C201 is always looking for both submissions and suggestions for sources of material. Use the submissions page in the margin.

What Makes Us God’s People?

A Look at Philippians 3:1-11

by Clarke Dixon

What makes me a Canadian? Is it being born in Canada? I wasn’t. Is it having a Canadian accent, eh? Many don’t. Is it living here in Canada? Many Canadians don’t even do that. So what makes me Canadian?

We can also ask, what makes us God’s people?

In the earliest days of Christianity, before there was something known as the New Testament, the answer to that question for some people was very simple; if you are part God’s people you will act like God’s people as laid out in the only Testament available, the Old Testament. You will therefore be found keeping the covenant, keeping all the customs and traditions including dietary restrictions, festivals, and of course the mark of belonging for the males, circumcision. In other words, to be part of God’s people in Christ you must become a Jew, though a Jesus-believing Jew of course.

After all, some would have said, as God’s old covenant people we are considered to be the righteous ones, the ones in right standing with God, while the rest are the unrighteous ones, the ones not in right standing with God. Through Jesus you can duck under our Jewish umbrella.

But is that it?

This became a very important question among the early Christians. There was a discernment process which we read about in Acts 15. Here is the conclusion of the matter as written in a letter to Christ followers of non-Jewish background:

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Acts 15:28-29 (NIV)

Short, sweet, and to the point! You don’t need to become Jewish to be part of God’s people. But neither can you worship who, what, and how you once worshipped before walking with Jesus. This is why food, blood, and sexual immortality are mentioned, these all being part and parcel of the worship of the gods commonly worshipped in that time and place.

The early Christians realized that in Jesus God was not inviting people to get under the Jewish umbrella, but that there was now a bigger umbrella that now included non-Jewish people, just as they are, but now focusing their lives and their worship on Jesus.

Paul, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before the non-Jewish Christ followers in Philippi would be under pressure by some to become more Jewish, warned them very strongly:

Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us.

Philippians 3:2-3 (NLT)

Paul is reiterating here very strongly what was already recognized: you don’t need to become Jewish in order to become part of the people of God. Whatever makes us God’s people, keeping the customs of God’s old covenant people isn’t it.

If it was it, Paul could boast of the things that marked him out as truly belonging to God’s people:

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Philippians 3:4-6 (NRSV)

If being Jewish is what makes you righteous, if it is what gives you right standing before God, then Paul can boast of his Jewishness. But that’s not it:

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.

Philippians 3:7-9 (NRSV)

Paul knows that God doesn’t relate to him on the basis of his fitting in with Jewish society. God relates to him through Christ. Being God’s people is about “knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord,” and being “found in him.” It is about “faith in Christ.”

There is a challenge in translating “faith in Christ.” Some Bible scholars point to the possible translation of “faith of Christ,” that is, the faithfulness of Christ. So we could paraphrase it like this: “Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through the faithfulness of Christ, the righteousness from God based on God’s faithfulness to us.”

The focus is on the faithfulness and obedience of Jesus

who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:6-8 (NRSV)

We should each ask, am I part of God’s people? Am I included? It is not by taking up religion. It is not by figuring out the right rules and keeping them really well. It is not by picking a Christian sub-culture and trying to fit in with what you wear and how you speak or what kind of music you listen to. It is by being “found in” Christ, “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,” but one that comes through the faithfulness of Christ. It is by responding to the invitation of God and walking with Jesus. What makes us God’s people? God’s love and grace.

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Clarke Dixon is, in case you missed the first paragraph, a Canadian pastor. His church is in a town with a latitude of 43.9667 (or 43.9598 depending on who you’re reading) which places it just a tad south of Eugene, Oregon; and Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The full sermon on which this devotional is based was shared on November 8th)

Works are Nice, Knowledge is Helpful; But God Wants Your Proximity

But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. (Matthew 26: 58)

Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. (Mark 14:54)

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. (Matthew 27:55)

This is one of my oldest son’s favorite worship songs, I Just Want to be Where You Are by Don Moen. Because today (27th) is his birthday, it seemed like a good time.

The opening lines are:

I just want to be where you are
Dwelling daily in your presence
I don’t want to worship from afar
Draw me near to where you are.

The line that got to me was, “I don’t want to worship from afar.”

I realize this is rather superficial, but in my years in church I have attended some churches which fill the back rows first, and other churches in which the front rows fill up right away. I’m not sure what accounts for the difference in church culture. I’ve been to seminars and conferences where people will pay top dollar for airfare, hotel, food and conference admission, only to grab a seat in the very last row. But I’ve also seen people at Christian events who run to grab a seat near the front, with Bibles and notebooks already open before the speaker is even introduced.

Turning to today’s scripture texts, we certainly know why Peter followed Jesus from a distance. Jesus had just been arrested, and for all he knew, he might be next. So he became a ‘distant’ follower. Knowing how the lives of Peter and 10 of the other twelve disciples ended, we know that following Jesus came with great personal risk, and this begins after that scene in Gethsemane where the story takes on a new trajectory which, for persecuted Christians, continues to this day.

The same applies to the women in the third verse cited above. Matthew Henry says that either way, it was either the ‘fury’ of those who arrested Jesus or the ‘fear’ in themselves that kept them from getting too close.

Between these two considerations, where do you find yourself?

In terms of the superficial, do you gravitate to the front rows at Christian gatherings, or are you content to stay near the back? Even if life circumstances currently make you one of the people Ruth Graham calls “broken on the back row;” may I encourage you to try moving up. It’s a way of making a physical declaration of the interior intention of your heart.

In terms of the scripture text and today’s song, can you say, “I just want to be where you are;” or are you “following at a distance?” Perhaps where you live there is a stigma associated with Christianity, or a local church. You may already be paying a price for close association with Jesus.

Whatever it is, it probably doesn’t compare to what Peter and the women felt on that terrible night. What if Peter hadn’t denied his connection with Jesus? I can say from personal experience that life changes when you are willing to identify with the body of Christ no matter what may come; when you determine to a public statement that you’re all in.

There’s something about this simple song that intensifies as you hear it. Take time to listen to it more than once. Enter fully into God’s presence.

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Bonus item:

This song is not as well known. It was part of the “Jesus Music” revolution that took place in the early 1970s. The songwriter was Gary Arthur and the band was simply called The Way. The song is called Closer to God.

Some Followed at a Distance

But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.  (Matthew 26: 58)

Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. (Mark 14:54)

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.  (Matthew 27:55)

I was thinking today that I’ve never included one of my oldest son’s favorite worship songs here, I Just Want to be Where You Are by Don Moen.

The opening lines are:

I just want to be where you are
Dwelling daily in your presence
I don’t want to worship from afar
Draw me near to where you are.

The line that got to me was, “I don’t want to worship from afar.”

I realize this is rather superficial, but in my years in church I have attended some churches which fill the back rows first, and other churches in which the front rows fill up right away. I’m not sure what accounts for the difference in church culture. I’ve been to seminars and conferences where people will pay top dollar for airfare, hotel, food and conference admission, only to grab a seat in the very last row. But I’ve also seen people at Christian events who run to grab a seat near the front, with Bibles and notebooks already open before the speaker is even introduced.

Turning to today’s scripture texts, we certainly know why Peter followed Jesus from a distance. Jesus had just been arrested, and for all he knew, he might be next. So he became a ‘distant’ follower. The same applies to the women. Matthew Henry says that either way, it was either the ‘fury’ of those who arrested Jesus or the ‘fear’ in themselves that kept them from getting too close.

Between these two considerations, where do you find yourself?

In terms of the superficial, do you gravitate to the front rows at Christian gatherings, or are you content to stay near the back? Even if life circumstances currently make you one of the people Ruth Graham calls “broken on the back row;” may I encourage you to try moving up.

In terms of the scripture text and today’s song, can you say, “I just want to be where you are;” or are you “following at a distance?” Perhaps where you live there is a stigma associated with Christianity, or a local church. Whatever it is, it probably doesn’t compare to what Peter and the women felt on that terrible night. What if Peter hadn’t denied his association with Jesus? I can say from personal experience that life changes when you are willing to identify with the body of Christ no matter what may come.

There’s something about this simple song that intensifies as you hear it. Take time to listen to it more than once. Enter fully into God’s presence.

Who We Are In Christ

I’ve previously run the poster version on the characteristics of Christ followers, but had never seen one where someone had taken the time to provide scripture links for all the various attributes we hold to as the people of God.  So, when I found this at the blog DiveInScripture, I knew I had to reblog it here. (You might want to copy the link and send it to friends. Just copy and paste this paragraph and they can read it at source.)

 Loved by God Jhn 3:16
 Forgiven Col 1:14
 Confessing the Lordship of Jesus Over Our Lives Phl 2:11
 Saved by Grace through Faith Eph 2:8
 Loving God with All of our Hearts, Souls & Minds Mat 22:37
 Born Again Children of God Rom 8:16
 Delivered from the Powers of Darkness Col 1:13
 Redeemed from the Hands of the Enemy Psa 107:2
 Called with a Holy Calling 2Ti 1:9
 Created in His Image Rom 8:29
 Not of This World Jhn 17:16
 Of God’s Household of Faith Gal 6:10
 In Love with God 1Jo 4:19
 Seeking First His Kingdom & Righteousness Mat 6:33
 Abiding in His Love 1Jo 4:16
 Healed by His Stripes 1Pe 2:24
 Free from Fear 1Jo 4:18
 Crowned with His Loving Kindness & Tender Mercies Psa 103
 Redeemed from the Curse of the Law Gal 3:13
 Free from the Law of Sin & Death Rom 8:32
 Heirs of Eternal Life 1Jo 5:11-12
 Heirs to the Blessings of Abraham Gal 3:14
 Heirs of God & Joint Heirs with Jesus Rom 8:17
 Blessed with All Spiritual Blessings Eph 1:3
 His Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus Eph 2:10
 Strong in the Grace That Is in Christ Jesus 2Ti 2:1
 In Rightstanding with God 2Co 5:21
 Established in Righteousness Isa 54:14
 Living in His Kingdom Col 1:13
 Humbling Ourselves, Casting All Cares Upon Jesus 1Pe 5:6-7
 Getting Our Needs Met by Jesus Phl 4:19
 Able to Be Partakers of the inheritance, Giving Thanks to the Father Col 1:12
 Studying to Show Ourselves Approved of God 2Ti 2:15
 Awakening to Righteousness & Sinning Not 1Cr 15:34
 Commended to God & the Word of His Grace Which Is Able to Build Us Up Act 20:32
 Believing God’s Word Mar 13:31
 Blessed Because We Hear the Word of God And Keep It Luk 11:28
 Abiding in Jesus & His Words Abide in Us Jhn 15:7
 Always Meditating on God’s Word Jos 1:8
 Living by Every Word That Proceeds from God Mat 4:4
 Rooted & Built Up in Him & Established in the Faith Col 2:6-7
 Building Our House Upon the Rock Mat 7:24-25
 Being Transformed by the Renewing of Our Minds Rom 12:2
 Increasing in the Knowledge of God Col 1:10
 Letting His Truth Set Us Free Jhn 8:32, 36
 Covenanted to God Hbr 8:6, 10
 Filled with All Joy & Peace in Believing Rom 15:13
 Doers of the Word Jam 1:22
 Sons & Daughters of God Gal 3:26
 The Body of Christ Eph 1:22-23
 Laborers together with God 1Cr 3:9
 Servants of the Most High Act 16:17
 Having the Mind of Christ Phl 2:5
 Walking in Newness of Life Rom 6:4
 Led by His Spirit Rom 8:14
 Trusting in the Lord Acknowledging Him in All Our Ways Pro 3:5-6
 Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ Gal 3:27
 Partakers of His Divine Nature 2Pe 1:4
 Walking with Love & Living by Faith 1Cr 13 & Rom 1:17
 Predestined to Be Conformed to His Image Rom 8:29
 Pressing on to His High Calling Phl 3:14
 Allowing the Greater One to Dwell in Us 1Jo 4:4
 Letting Our Request Be Known to God Phl 4:6
 Asking in the Name of Jesus Jhn 15:16
 Receiving the Request We’ve Asked For Mar 11:24
 Receiving All the Promises of God 2Cr 1:20
 Fully Convinced That What God Has Promised He Is Able to Perform Rom 4:21
 Believers Mar 9:23
 Abiding in His Rest Hbr 4:3
 Walking & Acting Like the Word Is True Jam 2:17-18
 Holding Fast Our Confidence Which Has Great Reward Hbr 10:35
 The Elect of God Col 3:12
 Filled with the Holy Spirit Act 2:4, 2:39
 Complete in Him Col 2:10
 Going in His Name Mar 16:15-18
 Strong in the Lord & in the Power of His Might Eph 6:10
 Filled with the Knowledge of His Will in All Wisdom & Spiritual Understanding Col 1:9
 Not Moved by What We See Rom 4:19
 Strong in Faith, Giving Glory to God, Not Wavering with Doubt or Unbelief Rom 4:20
 Imitators of Jesus Eph 5:1
 Walking As He Walked 1Jo 2:6
 Praying without Ceasing 1Th 5:17
 Walking by Faith Not by Sight 2Cr 5:7
 Casting Down Vain Imaginations, Bringing Every Thought into Captivity to God’s Word 2Cr 10:4-5
 Holding Fast Our Confession of Faith Hbr 10:23
 Calling Things That Be Not As Though they Were Rom 4:17
 Fighting the Good Fight of Faith 1Ti 6:17
 Reigning in Life Rom 5:17
 Exercising Our Faith & Patience Hbr 6:12
 Considering Jesus, the Apostle & High Priest of Our Confession Hbr 3:1
 Observing & Doing the Lords Commandments Jhn 14.21
 Putting on Love Col 3:14
 Loving Our Neighbors As Ourselves Mat 22:39
 Walking in the Wisdom of God Jam 1:5
 Kings & Priest Rev 1:6
 Givers Luk 6:38
 Intercessors 1Ti 2:1
 Wearing God’s Armour Eph 6:10-18
 Doing All Things through Christ Who Strengthens Us Phl 4:13
 Daily Overcoming the Devil 1Jo 4:4
 More Than Conquerors Rom 8:37
 Overcoming by the Blood of the Lamb& the Word of Our Testimonies Rev 12:11
 Exercising Our Authority Over the Enemy Luk 10:19
 Destroying the Works of the Devil 1Jo 3:8
 Convinced That Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of God Rom 8:35-39
 In Everything Giving Thanks 1Th 5:18
 Establishing God’s Word Here on the Earth Mat 16:19
 Receiving Abundantly, Above All We Ask or Think Eph 3:20
 Walking Worthy of the Lord Col 1:10
 Telling Everyone about Jesus Rom 16:25
 Thinking on these Things Phl 4:8
 Giving God All the Glory Rom 16:27
 Blessing the Lord at All Times. Continually Praising the Lord with Our Mouths Psa 34:1
 Definitely Looking For His Soon Return 1Th 4:15-18