2
11
May

How He Loves

posted in: Porch Messages

I have rarely been one to really “get into” singing worship songs. For some, it is a very emotional experience; for much of my life, unfortunately, I’ve seen it as a ritual. I went to church every Sunday, and sang along every Sunday, but put very little thought into the words I was singing.

My mistake, as there are some very good words there. Words that can remind us of who God is and who we are; that can stir our affections for Him and help us better express gratitude for what He has done. If people simply read and mindlessly sing along, we can express some really great truths without actually hearing or understanding them ourselves.

So, particularly after this past Tuesday’s message, I wanted to look a bit closer at one of the songs sung at The Porch: “How He Loves.” The song, written by John Mark McMillan and made most famous by David Crowder Band, is one of those that seems to really break through to people and impact their hearts. It does so, I think, not because it is beautiful poetry, but because it actually has a lot of truth from Scripture packed into the lyrics.

Without further ado, an analysis (or even over-analysis) of “How He Loves,” with lyrics written in bold:

He is jealous for me

The reason why I started looking closer at the lyrics to this song is because a friend took issue with it describing God as being jealous. However, this opening line actually has some of the most support in Scripture. The Bible repeatedly describes God as a “jealous God.” But it is a specific kind of jealously. The song is “How He Loves”; it is all about how God loves us. And each time the Bible talks about God being “jealous,” it is in reference to people choosing to love some other “god” more than Him.

Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. – Exodus 34:14

Whatever we love the most becomes our “god,” whether that is money, comfort, prestige, or any other idol. None of those things are worthy of being number one in our lives, and none of them can bring us any lasting happiness. Being jealous about your affections for something other than God is considered “godly jealousy”:

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. – 2 Corinthians 11:2-3

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree

This uses poetic imagery to get across how strong God’s love is: like the power of a hurricane bending a tree. It makes sense for the songwriter to compare God’s love to a storm, because the Bible often uses the power of storms to remind us of the power of God:

When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. – Jeremiah 51:16

Besides that, though, John Mark McMillan wrote the song soon after a storm in his own life, with his best friend dying in a car wreck. That God is still loving even when circumstances seem to suggest otherwise is perhaps the main theme of the song.

Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy

“Mercy” is defined as: “Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.” Basically, if you fully deserve to be punished, and the judge instead lets you go free, the judge has shown you mercy. The greater the punishment you have been excused from, the more mercy you have been given.

That is what God does. All of us have sinned (Romans 3:23), and the punishment for sin is death—eternal death.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23

Instead of what we deserve, God shows great mercy by freely offering us eternal life instead. The reason for describing this mercy so powerfully is because it is the greatest mercy possible: offering eternal paradise instead of eternal punishment, and offering it to everyone, no matter what they might have done.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners —of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. – 1 Timothy 1:15-16

When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. – Romans 8:18

And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me

God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. – Philippians 1:8

The whole song is about God’s affections or love for us, as is emphasized repeatedly:

And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us all

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:6-8

We are His portion

For the LORD’s portion is His people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. – Deuteronomy 32:9

God’s “portion” is the part of something that is set apart for Him. When used in reference to people, it means God’s people. The people of Jacob (Israel) were originally His portion, until Jesus adopted (Ephesians 1:5) all believers into the family.

The “Lord’s portion” was also often used to refer to things set aside as sacrifices to Him.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. – Romans 12:1

and He is our prize

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes

“Redemption” means that we have been bought back; God paid the price of His Son’s life to bring us back to Him. And whereas “mercy” means that we are spared the punishment that we really deserve, “grace” means that we are given a gift that we really don’t deserve.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. – Romans 3:23-25a

If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:17b-19

And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss

So what’s with this “Heaven meets earth” stuff and talk about kissing? That seems to be the least-understood and most controversial line in the whole song, to the point where David Crowder even changed the words. (The original version spoke of a “sloppy wet kiss”; the songwriter explains the change and the meaning behind those words on his blog.)

Even McMillan’s explanation of the “Heaven meets earth” part seems a bit vague. But, in the context of the song talking about God’s love, which is most fully expressed by Jesus’ life and death on the cross, I can’t imagine it referring to anything other than Jesus. God Himself descending from Heaven and becoming an earthly mortal, showing what God is like and demonstrating His love by dying for us—that is the fullest expression of Heaven meeting earth.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death —
even death on a cross! – Philippians 2:5-8

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest

Why do certain stories or songs (like this one) tug at our hearts, in a way that we really can’t understand? Because they reflect God’s eternal story of His love for us, which we are hard-wired to respond to.

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. – Ecclesiastes 3:11

I don’t have time to maintain these regrets

We are not meant to dwell on mistakes or failures. God took on Himself the punishment for our sins; we are not asked to punish ourselves. “He loves us” completely; He doesn’t love us more or less based on our performance.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. – 2 Corinthians 7:10

When I think about the way

OK, let’s think about it. This should help drive the truth home:

Oh, how He loves us, oh

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved. – Ephesians 2:4-5

Oh, how He loves us

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. – Psalm 57:10

How He loves us so

For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. – Psalm 86:13

How He loves

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. – Psalm 89:1

Yeah He loves us

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. – Psalm 103:11

Oh, how He loves us

Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD. – Psalm 107:43

Oh, how He loves us

For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD. – Psalm 117:2

Oh, how He loves

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. – Lamentations 3:22

Oh, what love

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. – John 14:28

Yeah He loves us

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. – Zephaniah 3:17

Yeah He loves us

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! – 1 John 3:1

How He loves us

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

Oh, how He loves us so

Kevin Mc

2
3
May

A page from my journal on Ephesians 1

posted in: Porch Messages

A page from my journal on Ephesians 1

JP

2
23
Apr

Evangelism: Works vs. Words

posted in: Porch Messages

Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.

Most believers are probably familiar with the above quote, which is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. Though it does present a good sentiment about our actions being Christ-like, many of today’s evangelical preachers have had a field day with the quote, shouting that “you have to use words!”

I agree. So does Paul, in Romans 10:14:

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

In fact, if St. Francis were here today, I think that he would agree that words are necessary. There are a couple of things to note about St. Francis that could help explain what he meant.

First off, St. Francis himself used words a lot. He was a friar, but it’s not like he had taken a vow of silence; he gained his following as a traveling street preacher. He was even in the middle of giving a sermon when he died, which means that he literally spent his last breath preaching.

You see, Francis really did “preach the gospel at all times,” which is the part of the quote that people are more likely to overlook. We should be sharing the gospel everywhere we go. There is a quote that I think about when it comes to sharing my faith: 99% is a b*tch, 100% is a breeze. Let me put that in more sanctified terms: doing something all of the time is much simpler than trying to do it part of the time. For example, let’s say I make a commitment to cut down on the number of Cokes I drink. That means I can still drink Coke part of the time, which leaves me constantly facing a decision: is now one of the times I drink a Coke, or not? However, if I say I am going to stop drinking Cokes altogether, then it becomes much simpler. There is no dilemma about whether or not I have a Coke today; the answer to that question is always “no.”

Similarly, if we say we are going to share our faith more, there is always a decision. Should I share my faith with this co-worker, with this barista, with this neighbor? We are always trying to hear some prompting from the Holy Spirit, as if God might be jumping up and down in the corner, waving His arms and shouting, “NO, DON’T TELL THIS GUY ABOUT ME!”

My point is this: if you commit to sharing your faith wherever you go, with whomever you talk to, then there is no decision to be made. It also gets easier, and you will get better at it with practice.

The other thing to remember about St. Francis is that everyone would have known he was a follower of Jesus, whether he said anything or not. In every rendition I have ever seen of him, he is wearing a friar’s habit. So, his actions or good works would have clearly been seen as the works of a Christ-follower. You can imagine how your actions might preach if you were wearing a shirt that says “I follow Jesus.” Suddenly, everything you did would make a difference in what people thought about Christianity: how you speak, how you tip, how you work hard, how you treat others, and how you care for the needy in your path would all be seen as sermons without words.

Are we hiding behind the fact that people don’t know we follow Jesus? For some of us, sadly, it is probably better that most people don’t know. If others observed your life, would they label you a Jesus-follower? Moreover, would that label be a positive reflection of how you loved them, or would it be a label of bigotry, laziness, or hypocrisy?

So, in sharing my faith should I rely on my works or my words? The answer would be “both.” “Both,” and “it depends.” It depends on the relationship. For short-term interactions with people who don’t know us—a server, or barista, or anyone we may meet just once—we need to lean more on words. For others, like our neighbors, they should see it in our deeds; but even then, we have to use words to explain the reason behind our actions, as the Bible says in 1 Peter 3:15.

Preach the gospel without words. And with words. Or with sign language, or iPhone apps, or cave drawings, or interpretive dance. Share the gospel using whatever is necessary. But share the gospel.

JP

0
19
Apr

Chasing Cars

posted in: Our Community

A friend in Dallas is trying to give away her mother’s dog, a Blue Heeler, after a move left her without a place to keep it. In the spirit of full disclosure, she listed all the good and not-so-good traits of the animal, including a tendency to nip at people’s heels and a big problem with chasing cars.

When you own a Blue Heeler, especially in an urban setting, those are the things you come to expect. Blue Heelers are cattle dogs, selectively bred for their herding abilities. In fact, their official breed name is “Australian Cattle Dog;” they are called either “Blue Heelers” or “Red Heelers” based on their color and their tendency to nip at cattle’s heels.

I grew up on a ranch myself, and my nearby grandparents had a Blue Heeler. It was a stray, dumped by the “city folk” who would regularly drive out into the country to abandon unwanted pets. Take pity on one of these abandoned dogs by feeding it, and you instantly had a loyal new pet—whether you really wanted one or not. We called this particular stray “Dog,” simply because nobody bothered to come up with a name for it.

You might think that a cattle dog would be a welcomed help on a working cattle ranch. However, unlike some of our border-collie-toting neighbors, we never bothered to train our dogs to work. Our dogs were simply pets; their main job was simply to be petted, act happy to see us, and not drag too many dead things into the yard.

Dog, the Blue Heeler, seemed pretty happy with this arrangement, and we were happy enough with him—except for the car chasing. He would chase every single car that came down my grandparents’ long, dusty driveway; chase them both coming and going. It wasn’t like he was attacking anyone or trying to guard the house; he just really liked chasing. My grandmother eventually got a remote-controlled shock collar to train him not to do so.

Shock a Blue Heeler a few times, and eventually they will learn not to chase cars. But they won’t stop wanting to chase cars; they are just afraid of the shock. They won’t be happy about it, because chasing things is part of their nature. It’s in their DNA.

Now, with the effort spent training them not to chase cars, you could instead teach a Blue Heeler how to herd cattle. Herding cattle is basically just controlled chasing: chasing the right things in the right direction at the right time. Cattle dogs are at their happiest when herding cattle; it fits their instincts better than chasing cars, and actually accomplishes something productive. Plus, after a long day herding cattle, the dogs are much less likely to chase a car, even if you’ve never done anything to train them about cars or even scolded them for doing so. They might still mess up (chase cars) occasionally, but they will also be fulfilling their purpose—as opposed to the dog who is only trained to not chase cars, and who never accomplishes anything.

OK, so here is the point of all this dog-training stuff: we humans are just like Blue Heelers. We each have a natural tendency to do certain things, and we do not feel happy or fulfilled unless we are doing them. Just like dogs, though, we often try to fulfill those longings by chasing entirely the wrong things.

For example, many guys have a longing to rescue the princess: to honor and protect and sacrifice self for beauty, and to have that beauty love and honor them in return. But many or most find themselves chasing after a mere fantasy of that, which is so much easier to obtain but totally void of fulfillment. Or you may long to battle the forces of evil, to restore what is broken and push back the darkness with light—but instead battle for market share, or find this weird significance in winning against “evil” sports teams from other cities.

We’re chasing the wrong things, and our hearts know it deep down. We try to stop doing what we know is wrong, disciplining ourselves in the art of self-denial—and fail, or are at best left miserable, because we are fighting against what we were made for. We need not restraint, but redirection. The best way to stop chasing cars is to chase after the work of God instead.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of our heart. – Psalm 37:4

The desires of your heart are good things, and are meant to be fulfilled. But let’s be honest: our own way of doing things has not been very fulfilling, and our self-help obedience schools have mostly taught us regret. It’s time to let God teach us some new tricks.

4
4
Apr

How to Identify a Christian

posted in: Our Community

How to Identify a Christian

When driving home recently, I heard a story on the radio about a nonprofit organization called United in Purpose. UIP was created to get more Christians to register to vote. To accomplish this, they have to be able to identify: a) everyone who is not registered to vote, and b) which of those unregistered voters are Christians. The first part is fairly simple, since you can get voter registration lists, and deduce that anyone not on the list is not registered. It is the second part—identifying which people are Christians—that presents an interesting problem.

UIP has tackled that problem through data mining. You cannot buy a mailing list of all Christians in the country, but you can get mailing lists for many other things—lists of people with kids, for instance, or people who have donated money to certain causes, or who subscribe to certain publications. The data miners looked for things that might correlate with being a Christian—supporting a pro-life charity, for instance—and literally came up with a point system to determine who was a Christian. According to the NPR story, you might get awarded points for home-schooling your kids, supporting traditional marriage, or if you enjoy fishing or NASCAR. (Seriously…NASCAR?) They then add up your points, and, “If [your score] totaled over 600 points, then we realized you were very serious about your faith.”

This brings up all sorts of interesting questions, such as: which NASCAR driver should I root for? If I am really serious about my faith, should I be fly fishing or noodling?

It kind of makes me wonder how I would rate on their point system. The story does not go into any more detail about what items are worth points, or how many points each item is worth. But, it is not too difficult to come up with our own point system, based on things that are culturally associated with being a Christian. For example, here are the points you can add to your score if you…

  • Went to a Bible college: +100
  • Went to seminary: +250
  • Went to Baylor: +20
  • Went to A&M: +5
  • Went to Texas: -5
  • Carry a Bible with your name written on it or in it: +10
    • And it looks like this: +15
    • Or have it as an iPhone app: +10
    • And have parts of it memorized: +10
    • Or written on your eye black during football games: +Number 15
  • Know how to correctly spell “Metaxas”: +15
    • And “Lecrae”: +15
    • And “lama sabachthani”: +20
    • And can pronounce them correctly: +25
  • Have Christian radio presets in your car: +5 (per station)
    • And a Christian bumper sticker or fish logo: +10
    • And it’s a Suburban: +10
    • And has more than 200,000 miles: +15
  • Wear a cross necklace: +5
    • And you’re a dude: +5
    • Plus a “purity ring”: +10
    • And a WWJD bracelet: +the 90’s
  • Are in a community group, small group, home group, discipleship group, or accountability group: +50
  • Attend church most Sundays: +25
    • And during the week: +50
    • Because you work there: +150
    • And are the one preaching from the pulpit: +250
  • Have ever been on a mission trip:
    • To Central America or the Caribbean: +25
    • To South America: +40
    • To Africa or Asia: +60
    • And stayed there: +175
    • And are considered a saint there: +500
    • Because you were martyred: +10,000
  • Have ever played this game: +30
  • Are currently reading a Christian blog instead of working: +100

And so on. You can find out your score at FreeChristianReport.com.

OK, so these are intentionally cliché. And no outward appearance or action truly makes you a Christian, any more than dressing up on Halloween makes you Dracula or Satan. But, Christians would hopefully live out their lives in a way that would make them stand out, and make it clear that they are not playing by the world’s rules. But that doesn’t mean wearing a bracelet or sticking an Ichthys on your stock car. The Bible actually states quite clearly, and quite simply, how people should be able to identify a Christian. In John 13:34-35, Jesus Himself spells it out:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

Ouch.

Why do I get the feeling that we are somehow missing this? Is this how non-believers look at Christians when they are deciding not to believe? Do people say, “Well, I would consider this Jesus fellow, but I just can’t stand the way that His followers are so dang loving?”

Yes, love does sometimes mean speaking truth, which can cause problems with people who do not love the truth. But the Bible also talks about “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Which means there is more than one way to speak the truth; we are to do so “in love”.

Hey, I am just as prone to focus on appearances as anybody. But appearances, like a Halloween costume, can be a lie. It is our actions that truly define us; let those actions be defined by love.

4
30
Mar

Should I Date Someone Who is Addicted to Porn?

posted in: Porch Messages

I’ve been asked that question more than once. And though it is clearly an honest, straightforward question, there is another question hiding behind it: is porn really a big deal?

It is a big deal to God, and there are several reasons why it should be a big deal to you. In Matthew 5:28, Jesus states that looking at someone lustfully is considered adultery. Looking and lusting is pretty much what defines pornography, so according to the scriptures porn use is adultery. So, you could rephrase the question as: should I date someone who is currently having sex with multiple other partners? The answer to that question is probably a bit more clear.

But why does Jesus take such a stance on the issue? Remember that when God tells us to do or not do something, He is not being a killjoy; He wants us to have joy. God is opposed to it because He wants what is best for us, and knows the problems that pornography causes.

The act of sex, or more specifically the act of orgasm, is a powerful force. Scientists have found that an orgasm releases chemicals that work to rewire our brains and bond us to our surroundings. This is by God’s design; see Genesis 2:24. With pornography, though, your brain is not bonding to your spouse; it is bonding to a variety of fake, 2D images. It is bonding to pornography itself, which is a big reason why the problem is so addicting. It gives your brain the chemical highs of drug use, without the expense and legal risks.

All of this makes pornography a very powerful teacher. It is like Sesame Street on crack: the use of visual images and repetition that worked so well in teaching us our ABCs is combined with a chemical high that rewires our brains. And what does pornography teach us? Three things:

1. People are objects that exist for your pleasure.

Pornography opens up the “Pandora’s box” of our sexual imagination. A porn addiction makes it more and more difficult to take our thoughts captive. When on an elevator alone with someone of the opposite sex, a porn addict might find themselves wondering intimately about the person sharing that space. Porn does not teach restraint and selflessness. In fact, it trains the opposite: take what you want, when you want, from whoever you want, as often as you want.

2. One sexual partner is not enough.

I’ve never met the porn addict that returns to the same image exclusively. That is the great evil and genius of porn. It offers its partner a variety of sexual pleasures. It teaches you that God’s design of one partner is vanilla and bland, and that you need more: not just variety, but never-ending variety. It is a slippery slope that trains you to be an adulterer of the worst kind.

3. The natural human body is not good enough.

Porn is the breeding ground of a new kind of person. It takes well-endowed (and artificially-endowed) men and women and multiplies their kind on the screen. The acts are often not natural and the people rarely are. Porn consumers are quickly bored with the natural body, and with natural people. Porn is responsible for also multiplying insecurity in the bedroom. For example, a woman might feel like she cannot compete with the women on the computer screen and therefore is less willing to display her body.

You will someday be what you are now becoming. We are people in training. We are training ourselves by consuming God’s word and preparing ourselves for future battles; or, we are training by poisoning our minds and hearts with images that we cannot digest appropriately. Men, even single men, are becoming better husbands and fathers.  Women, even single women, are becoming better wives and mothers. Or, we, even single people, are becoming adulterers, learning from the school of pornography how to have a failed marriage, a low self-worth, and a distant relationship with our Maker.

My name is Jonathan Pokluda. I am a pastor and a healing porn addict. My prayer for you reading this is that you would confess your struggles to someone who loves you and loves God even more. I pray that as you seek to heal from your addiction that you would find a superior joy in Christ that is worth fighting for.

JP

3
23
Mar

Choosing Ramen

posted in: Porch Messages

See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.
– Hebrews 12:16

On a recent trip to Haiti I was overwhelmed with the poverty that surrounded me. I caught myself looking for the source of the problem, and it was clear that there was a leadership void on the island nation. Without leadership, people ended up doing whatever they wanted in the moment. The Haitians pursued immediate gratification, which led to a domino effect of problems. They cut down trees to make charcoal that they sold for pennies. This left the beautiful hills completely barren and dusty. Rain then eroded the uncovered soil, leaving it unsuitable for farming; and the muddy runoff flooded the ocean, killing the reefs and running off the fish. So, the people of Haiti were left hungry and without commerce, all because no one considered the consequences of their actions.

I was reminded of Haiti’s problems when the above verse, Hebrews 12:16, came up recently during our (un)RESTRICTED series on sex. The mention of Esau selling his inheritance rights refers to an event recorded in Genesis 25:19-34. It is the kind of story that sounds both crazy and completely believable, because it is exactly the type of unwise, hasty decision that people make every day—both here and in Haiti.

In the Genesis 25 story, Esau and Jacob are twin brothers. Esau is the oldest son—by about a minute—which in that culture meant he would receive the vast majority of their father Isaac’s property when Isaac passed away. Esau was also very much a “rough and tumble” guy, while Jacob was the sensitive type and pretty much a mama’s boy.

Anyway, Esau comes back from a hunting trip one day to find Jacob cooking some stew. He claims he is “starving to death,” and demands that Jacob give him some food. Jacob says he will give him the stew in exchange for Esau’s birthright—his first-born inheritance. Esau agrees to the trade, wanting to satisfy his immediate want and forsaking what it would really cost him.

I don’t doubt that Esau was extremely hungry, and it’s true that he did not have the option of running down to the local Taco Bell; he would have had to cook something up from scratch, which takes time. But, basically, he cared more about satisfying his immediate appetite than the much larger benefit he could get down the road by not selling his inheritance. His father’s kingdom in exchange for ramen noodles—that was the trade. The Bible says that he “despised his birthright,” which is very strong wording, but gets the point across: he valued an immediate meal more than all the good things his father had for him. To Esau the future payoff was not worth holding out for.

So, what does this story have to do with us today? A whole lot, actually.

Each of us constantly faces decisions between what feels good now (our appetite), and what will feel good later. Eat unhealthy now, or have a healthy body later. Give in to pre-marital sexual urges now, or go into marriage free from the consequences (guilt, relationship baggage, STDs, children, abortions, sexual dysfunction, etc.) later. Chase after short-term material possessions now, or store up eternal treasures in heaven for later.

In every case, the long-term “later” benefits far outweigh the short-term “now” pleasure. Yet, far too often, we make the same laughable choice that Esau did: ramen noodles in exchange for the Father’s blessings.

The problem is that the here and now feels so much more immediate and concrete than some vague future—until the future becomes the here and now, and all we can do is regret. Right now, it feels like we are “starving to death.” Of course, we are not; no one has ever died from not having sex, or not owning an iPad, or from not eating junk. Urges eventually pass, whether they are satisfied or not.

That vague future inheritance, on the other hand, is so much greater than we can imagine. The Bible says (in Romans 8) that when we believe, when we follow Him, we become children of God—and it emphasizes that as children, we are also heirs. Not heirs to whatever our earthly parents might leave us in their wills, but heirs to the one true King of the universe. We are heirs to the throne, and heirs to the One who owns all riches, all good pleasures, and all of time.

And you want to trade that for a cup of ramen noodles?

JP

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29
Nov

Porch Notes 11/29/2011

posted in: Porch Messages
Speaker: Ryan Nixon
Ryan talks about the anticipation children feel for Christmas break.
-No School
-Christmas Morning
-Santa
Ryan then recalls the feeling he had when he found out that there is no Santa.
A lot of time we treat God like Santa.
-We’re just hoping that when we get to the end of our lives we find out that God wasn’t a hoax and we’re not on the “bad list”.
Child-like Faith
-As we get older we tend to forget about the miraculous thing God has done.
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:1-4
Satisfied with the Father… Through faith like a child
-Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
-Why is child-like faith important?
-What does child-like faith look like?
Jesus said that in order to be great and enter the kingdom of heaven we have to be like children.
-They are the greatest among us because they have a right understanding of God.
“Narrow is the path to life.”
Jesus might also add that the door is small.
-We have to be small to enter the kingdom of heaven.
If we don’t have a child-like faith we’ll trade worldliness for self-righteousness. We’ll mature to a point where we don’t need God.
To become child-like…
We need Humility.
We have to depend on him for everything.
We have to trust him.
We need to have child-like faith in God as our…
-Provider
-Protector
-Comforter
-Being in awe of his Power
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:7-11
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
James 1:16-18
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Do we have a small view of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:12
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
James 5:17-18
Sometimes we believe that these miraculous things we Gods acts of the past and he doesn’t do such things now.
-There are lots of examples of miraculous things happening all around us.
A baby depends on its parents for everything. If the was no one to take care of a baby it would die.
A baby trusts it’s parents for protection. It runs to them when confronted with something unfamiliar.
A baby trusts it’s parents as a comforter. i.e. A baby stops crying when it’s parents picks it up.
Are you satisfied with the father (daddy)?
Ryan prays that we would grow to become more like children in our heavenly father.
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22
Nov

Porch Notes 11/22/2011

posted in: Porch Messages
Speaker: Jonathan Pokluda (JP)
JP is in a community group with all engineers. Every year they do something called the “engineering challenge”. They are given a set of materials and they have to build something. Those who wish they had more materials never win. Those who are successful “get after it” with what they have.
Many people complain about what God hasn’t given them and chase after the things and assets of others. When this happens you miss what you have, you miss the reason you were created.
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.
17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.
18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’
21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’
23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,
25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’
26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?
27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25:14-30
A talent is equal to many pounds of precious metals. It is very valuable. God has entrusted us with something very valuable. The modern usage of the word talent is taken from this passage. Talent = Something God has entrusted you with.
What you are is not an accident.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:11-16
You are the only you. You are unique.
What we have to steward
1. Personality
2. Gifting/Talents
3. Experience
4. Story
5. Relationships
6. Resources
7. Passions
What can you “run a 5 minute mile” in? What do you do really well?
What experiences have you had?
What is your story? What is your testimony?
What people have been put in your path?
What resources do you have? What do you do with your time?
-Everything is God’s. Why would you waste any resources, even those that have been entrusted to others?
What do you care about?
-A group of  1500 were split into those who wanted to pursue “money now” (83%) vs those who wanted to pursue their passions (17%). After 20 years there were 100 millionaires. Only one was from the group who pursued “money now”.
-You were created to fill gaps. If there is an area where you see something lacking, you should take care of it and be part of the solution.
If you dislike what you don’t have you may miss what you have.
“Know yourself, love yourself, like yourself.” -Stuart Smalley
Keep asking yourself, what does God want to do through me?
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Many things we ask God for things that will make us more worldly, we ask for things that we are told we shouldn’t want.
Most of the people in the audience can have a home in the suburbs, high income, etc. If you set your sights on that goal it’s not hard to come by. However, the desire for that is really lame.
The servant in the parable was punished because he didn’t do anything with what he was given.
Is God satisfied with your stewardship of the gifts he’s given you?
Sometimes the things you don’t have are an asset.
To whom much is given much is expected. Because we live in America we all have been given much.
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15
Nov

Porch Notes 11/15/2011

posted in: Porch Messages
Speaker: Jonathan Pokluda (JP)
JP believes that the creation story is literal and true. We’ve never seen the world before the fall.
Were Adam and Eve satisfied? It depends.
-They were in paradise and God was there.
-The enemy came and manufactured a desire for something they didn’t have.
People always say that you should be satisfied in Christ, but what if you’re not satisfied, i.e. You want a new job, boy/girlfriend, etc.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalms 23:1-6
Satisfied = Not Wanting
In heaven there is no deceiver.
Why do you want? Because you don’t trust your Shepard.
We need to lean into Jesus. Yes, that sounds trite, however, we think so little of a statement like that we don’t actually do it.
-i.e. All followers of Christ are called to fast. The feeling of hunger is supposed to push us closer to Christ.
Dissatisfaction = Wanting (It isn’t what we have or don’t have.)
*God satisfies us by providing for our needs.
We only see the world through the lens of the fall.
-i.e. Living in the consequences of someone else’s choice.
Why is God good?
-If you don’t believe God is good it’s because you’ve experienced something caused by the fall or God has denied you something you don’t need.
-Everything that we know exists because God provided it.
Jonah had no shade, was given a vine, worms came and ate the vine, then Jonah was frustrated at the lost of something he previously never knew.
Don’t trust your wants over God’s provision.
Needs = What is necessary for survival.
-However, as Christians we don’t need to survive because we have the promise of Christ.
The Lord meets our needs. JP has personally never anyone who has devoted their lives to Christ who have not had their needs met.
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
Psalms 37:25-26
*God satisfies us by guiding us in the right way.
Most of the problems we have we’ve brought upon ourselves by not trusting or listening to God.
*God satisfies us by protecting us from harm.
-The worst thing that can happen is that we die and inherit the kingdom.
+Ultimate satisfaction comes from trusting God.
-Happiness comes from not wanting. Not wanting come from Jesus.
We quit smoking because we believe it will make us happy, we get married or divorced because we think it will make us happy, we change jobs over and over again because we think it will make us happy, etc.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11
-The idea that a shepherd would lay down his life for his sheep is crazy.
If you want to do something crazy, don’t go bungee jumping, go share the gospel.
Life is found in Jesus and that is where we must seek it.
6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,
7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
1 Timothy 6:6-9
Many teachers have done us a disservice by telling us that it’s not wrong to want nice things. For most people our desire to be rich and our want for nice things is wrong because we desire them more than Jesus.
Our desire for pleasure is too small, not too big. We’re like children who want to make mud pies in a slum instead of a holiday at the sea.
JP shows a clip of his daughter who only wants a balloon for her birthday.
We are offered eternal life and happiness yet we keep saying we want a six-figure job or a husband/wife.
JP reads a story about a little girl who loved a dime store necklace, but would not give it up to her father so that he could give her genuine pearls.