tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204885650915111382024-03-05T00:49:16.157-08:00Random Thoughts from AndrewAndrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-49468460828156894042022-04-16T10:51:00.000-07:002022-04-16T10:52:03.205-07:00Principle 8: Jesus wants to share the Joy of suffering<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDqmKtUWtOd28klL0iaY5epmd9g5UFn-y6WI5WL0ZoGWJPi8s-g-ZUJ-ORxpChO-RGyb-N66WjOGVmAjSGaCA5_4r3tNOMDuBZZ8if8GmzAZjmH407ZeRV2BSF205JmWv7Uzc-4LYMqLZmZZ-PRxEts-VHvl7qpByLPxVWKw-Av7svckaUP02OuR2xg/s800/The%20Suffering%20of%20Christ%20was%20not%20Enough.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDqmKtUWtOd28klL0iaY5epmd9g5UFn-y6WI5WL0ZoGWJPi8s-g-ZUJ-ORxpChO-RGyb-N66WjOGVmAjSGaCA5_4r3tNOMDuBZZ8if8GmzAZjmH407ZeRV2BSF205JmWv7Uzc-4LYMqLZmZZ-PRxEts-VHvl7qpByLPxVWKw-Av7svckaUP02OuR2xg/s320/The%20Suffering%20of%20Christ%20was%20not%20Enough.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The suffering of Christ was not enough by itself. He wanted me to have the joy of suffering too.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Before you freak out about the doctrine of the sufficiency of Christ, let me clarify. The work of Christ on the cross was completely sufficient to accomplish the work of atonement, the forgiveness of our sins. However, Paul says in Colossians 1:24,</span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is <u>still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,</u> for the sake of his body, which is the church."</span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(Gee, how nice of you, Jesus, to save some suffering for us.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span>What exactly did he mean by this, " Lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions?" I believe he intentionally chose to include us in the work by asking us to go out and experience the necessary process of suffering to invite as many as possible to Kingdom citizenship and to build up the Church. For Paul this meant many days and nights of extremely hazardous travel which resulted in multiple shipwrecks and being left adrift at sea. It meant fearing for his life every time he got up in front of the Jews to speak the gospel. The list goes on, but the point is that Paul was happy to take all these risks and consequences because that was the suffering that Jesus was asking him to fill. Jesus came to save people but he has left it to us to spread the word. Should we expect that although our Lord and Savior had to suffer to accomplish the work that we would somehow get off the hook? We are off the hook for punishment, but we get to join him in suffering to bring about his Kingdom work here on earth. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So this all got me thinking; what is it that inspires people to willingly follow someone into a situation that they know will bring suffering? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>A:</b> The quality of the leader they are following. Have you ever had a boss that you just enjoyed working for? Not just the fun kind of enjoy, but you go to work every day with security knowing that your boss has your back and they will go to bat for you in a moment. You know they are looking for opportunities to be generous and they will truly appreciate, not just your work but you. These are the kind of bosses we follow into the fire. </span></p><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div dir="ltr"><span class="im"><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p></span></div></blockquote><span class="im" style="font-family: helvetica;"><div> <span><b>B:</b> The importance of the mission they are on. I think this is well illustrated by the current conflict in Ukraine. There is no way that the little, relatively young country of Ukraine should have lasted as long as it has against a behemoth like Russia. But if you think about it. The Ukrainians are fighting for their homes and their families as well as their country. Everything important to them is at stake. I would imagine many of the Russians don't even want to be involved in this war and don't believe in it but they are just doing what they are told. </span></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div dir="ltr"><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span></span></p></div></blockquote><div> </div><div><span>As believers, we have both the best leader that has ever existed and the most important cause to suffer for. </span></div><div><span>I think that means that we ought to be willing to suffer more than anyone. </span> </div><div><span>But what it also means is that we can find the most joy in our suffering because there is no greater reason to suffer than bringing people into the Kingdom of God and eternal life. There is also no one greater to suffer for than Jesus, who has already suffered the ultimate penalty on our behalf. </span></div><div><span>So, when he asks us, as Paul did to Timothy in his call to leadership, </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><i><span>"but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God." (I Timothy 1:8)</span></i></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>We have no reason to shrink back from that but we can dive in will the full assurance that there is joy set before us just as there was for Jesus on the cross. </span></div><div><span>For me, this time, that meant taking a relatively small risk of flying across a remote part of Alaska to serve our neighbors in whatever way was needed to show them what Jesus is like and that they are worth loving. It just happened to catch up with me. </span></div><div><span>But many times this means choosing to work with difficult people. Perhaps moving to a location that is inherently dangerous. For some it means traveling into conflict zones to help the helpless. For others it might be facing hate or rejection for standing on biblical principles or sharing their faith. We don't have to be some "frontlines" missionary to fill up the sufferings of Christ, we just have to be willing to do what he asks. The suffering will find us soon enough and with it, we find the joy of participating in the suffering of Christ. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span><i>Dear friends, do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad.</i></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span><i>(1 Pe 4:12–13).</i></span></p></div></span>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-50250511186695487002022-04-05T22:12:00.000-07:002022-04-05T22:13:37.148-07:00Principle 7: Weak is the New Strong<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYVGKBTTF-djtB6aQuDuiR7VGjSVEnU-U8X8u7zogPECw56DzlXSa-f6FVJxlVss2lw4P7iF51ER_9X2Co2VC6gYqNzgFm5ceC1q6eD4eMCLoRWKS_9qHZGDbSdQzU8l-rRHIA4SjceOhEuvO1zhDNNJG5ltR_rt4VBHrqIj-KJoO581THq6eTk9WZA/s800/Weak%20is%20the%20new%20Strong.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYVGKBTTF-djtB6aQuDuiR7VGjSVEnU-U8X8u7zogPECw56DzlXSa-f6FVJxlVss2lw4P7iF51ER_9X2Co2VC6gYqNzgFm5ceC1q6eD4eMCLoRWKS_9qHZGDbSdQzU8l-rRHIA4SjceOhEuvO1zhDNNJG5ltR_rt4VBHrqIj-KJoO581THq6eTk9WZA/w400-h300/Weak%20is%20the%20new%20Strong.png" width="400" /></a></div>So there I was, laying on the ice, not daring to move any more than wiggling my toes. That partly to keep the circulation going and partly to reassure myself that they still worked. I knew from the pain in my lower back that any unnecessary movement could have catastrophic consequences. Meanwhile my friends are on the ice next to me needing medical attention. One complains of trouble breathing, another is confused and disoriented. Ashley's not a complainer so she doesn't say much, but when I lift the blankets to see her face, I see a lot of blood and pain written all over it and I can tell she's worse off than me. As Eric hobbles around, he manages to keep us all warm, but he soon realizes that if he gets down to help someone, he's not getting up again. <p></p><p>How am I feeling in this moment? Grateful to be alive? Yes, but also totally helpless, weak, useless. I have first aid training but I couldn't use any of it. I was totally dependent on someone coming to help with zero ability to help anyone else. </p><p>The next three days brought lots of laying flat on my back unable to even sit up or roll onto my side. Pro-tip: if you're going to break your back, don't do it on a Friday because you have to wait for all the doctors to be "in the office" on Monday to decide what to do with you. Thankfully, they had a good plan and surgery went well. But then I got what sounded a little like a sentence to imprisonment. No lifting, bending, or twisting for 3 months, 1 year of recovery, lift no more than a gallon of milk. What does all that spell? Weakness... I'm going to be useless for a long time. </p><p>But then there's Paul...</p><p><i>"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."</i> (II Cor 11:30)</p><p>Gee, thanks a lot Paul, now I have to re-think everything...</p><p>When Paul says this, he's in the middle of a battle to re-claim credibility with the Corinthian church as their founding apostle. It seems that some "super apostles" had come in with fancy speeches, leaning on the conventional wisdom that "you get what you pay for" mocked Paul for his free teaching. While they claimed to be important people, Paul makes his defense by saying he could foolishly match all their worldly claims to fame, but instead he chooses to boast in his weaknesses. </p><p>In II Cor 11:23-29 Paul goes on to "boast" about how he has been a manual laborer, a convict and nearly died multiple times. He appears to be extremely accident prone and it seems like nearly everyone wants to kill him. Then, to top off his resume, he has extensive experience being cold, naked, and anxious. </p><p>He goes on to explain that he could boast in his incredible revelations from God, but no; God put a <i>"thorn in his flesh"</i> to teach him that, <i>"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." "Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christs's sake, I delight in weaknesses , in insults in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong."</i> (II Cor 12:9-10)</p><p>So I guess that means, not only do I have to re-think the meaning of my weakness, but also my feelings about it. How dare Paul delight in his hardships!</p><p>So how exactly is God's power made perfect in <u>my</u> weakness? I don't know. But what I do know is that although Paul's resume may have been a little sketchy, he was one of the most successful church planter / evangelists of all time. As an apostle of Christ, He is a foundation stone of the Church as it exists today. Why? Because of his weakness. </p><p>So I choose to look forward to seeing what God can do through my current state of helplessness. It aught to be a good show. </p><p><br /></p>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-72057180324233290182022-03-31T21:29:00.002-07:002022-04-04T22:44:03.324-07:00Principle 6: Prayer is a Gift<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHYW8wZbt-2H2Y--3jJgh34oznx6MSzyOaYb9DaG9S24lq52SCZH-CStSJ3pegUVh6U8zIVsTxrMcBIDVJ55Xho2mdXt83FtF2aHAQbLJcy53Fgllj_Fs9UetBlx6VpWz94w0xVpO1hbTn7HVKw4aWBVO6CjtFaExKdIeSTo48L9NEFQGSRiioaaxUg/s800/Gift%20of%20Prayer.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHYW8wZbt-2H2Y--3jJgh34oznx6MSzyOaYb9DaG9S24lq52SCZH-CStSJ3pegUVh6U8zIVsTxrMcBIDVJ55Xho2mdXt83FtF2aHAQbLJcy53Fgllj_Fs9UetBlx6VpWz94w0xVpO1hbTn7HVKw4aWBVO6CjtFaExKdIeSTo48L9NEFQGSRiioaaxUg/s320/Gift%20of%20Prayer.png" width="320" /></a></div>As we prepared and planned for our trip to Levelock, Pastor Luke presented it to the church saying, "This is an 'all church' missions trip." That is to say, there are ways for everyone to be involved even though only a few will be going. One of the main ways that he suggested people be involved was through prayer. Now, I don't know about you but I'm guilty of hearing that kind of thing in many situations over the years and thinking, "Ah, I see how it is, I've been relegated to the bottom rung of the ladder where, 'All we can do is pray.'" <p></p><p>However, this is clearly not how Paul viewed the gift of prayer in his second letter to the Corinthian Church. In 1:8 Paul reflects on his time in Asia when he was under such intense affliction that he gave up hope of living through it. But then he goes on to recognize the purpose of all of it in vs. 9. </p><p><i>Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, <u>so that we would not trust in ourselves but in the God who raises the dead</u>. He delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him that he will deliver us yet again, </i></p><p>So, through this near death experience, Paul and his companions got to learn what it meant to depend on the God who is capable of resurrection in a situation in which he absolutely could not control the outcome. He learned to put his hope in the deliverance of God both then and in the future. What does Paul attribute this miraculous rescue and spiritual lesson to? The prayers of the Corinthians and many others. </p><p><i><u>As you also join in helping us by prayer, </u>so that many people may give thanks to God on our behalf for<u> the gracious gift given to us through the help of many.</u></i></p><p>I never really had chance to despair of life itself, but had I been able to see the ice coming at me in the few seconds of our rapid decent, I probably would have. But meanwhile, my church is praying and I know from experience, one of the most popular prayers out here in the bush is for safe travels. So thanks to that gift, miraculously, we survived impact. </p><p>As I lay there on the ice for hours waiting for rescue, I could take comfort in knowing, there were shockwaves of prayer requests reverberating across the globe. </p><p>As the story unfolded in the next few days, we learned that there was a divinely placed Alaska State Trooper who was responsible for making very difficult decision about how our rescue would go down. He asked for prayer and in minutes before the deadline the best case scenario plays out on the scene as rescue squadrons arrive. </p><p>Another memory that sticks in my mind is being wheeled out of my hospital room on the way to surgery and there is one of my fellow passengers, Eric, he had hobbled over from his room on a broken ankle and camped outside waiting for me since he wasn't allowed in. The one thing he was able to say as I passed by, "People all over the world are praying for you."</p><p>I don't take the gift of prayer for granted anymore. I used to see prayer teams as support personnel and the pastors, and missionaries and such were the real "combatants" in our battle against the spiritual forces. But after a few years of being involved in spiritual warfare, I've come to see it differently. The prayer warriors are the Navy, the artillery, and the Air-force bringing the spiritual bombardment on the enemy and when the "infantry" shows up, it's to clean up the mess.</p><p>So thank you to the thousands who offered your gifts of prayer. The Lord heard you and spared our lives and our legs. Because of you, we are walking / hobbling and talking today. But please bear in mind that while we are grateful for our physical salvation, the reason we were out there in the first place remains. It's the reason I gladly took the risk of the trip and plan to do it again. The thousands of Alaskans who are stuck in despair and spiritual darkness, and need the hope that we already have in Jesus Christ. Would you join me in launching a spiritual bombardment against the forces evil that would like to destroy our villages? This weekend over a hundred people are coming to our camp here in Port Alsworth for Spring Family Conference. Would you pray that Jesus would rescue those who are lost and whose faith has been shipwrecked, like you prayed for me? </p><p><br /></p>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-78629867988740425872022-03-26T15:10:00.001-07:002022-03-26T15:12:05.614-07:00Principle 5: Gratitude is the Door to Joy in the House of Suffering<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9R6C6lTVNCecFqhkNEHgJ7bOaIE23Ss_0RaMxD68dQd0pJy1PYu90DBif85grPy4j9jcIcPeWrvNFx3NL_vCwXBUIWhlOObWhzzfCruyK5-rghFrDV8wArYbwxAE1si3Kd76GxOq2dPXuACdGHLQHvC5NPzz7cHYZN7-GlY_mC5TAhlu-5TE0KiYzBQ/s800/State%20of%20Gratitude.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9R6C6lTVNCecFqhkNEHgJ7bOaIE23Ss_0RaMxD68dQd0pJy1PYu90DBif85grPy4j9jcIcPeWrvNFx3NL_vCwXBUIWhlOObWhzzfCruyK5-rghFrDV8wArYbwxAE1si3Kd76GxOq2dPXuACdGHLQHvC5NPzz7cHYZN7-GlY_mC5TAhlu-5TE0KiYzBQ/s320/State%20of%20Gratitude.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />I come to and instinctively put my finger on the broken fuel line that is pouring avgas onto my lap. As I hold it there I look around and slowly begin to realize the scene I'm in is real. I'm not dreaming that I'm in a plane crash, I am in one. My back is screaming at me that something is terribly wrong. I don't move but I listen to each of my friends in the plane respond to each other and realize we're all alive. <p></p><p>Thank you, Lord. </p><p>As Eric hobbles around like a half broken Energizer Bunny, he extricates each of us from the plane. We're finally all out of the fuel-soaked fuselage, laying on something and covered with every warm item he can find. </p><p>Thank you, Lord.</p><p>I struggle with the phones Eric handed me -- call 911, text Megan, text Jeremy, text Annie, 1 bar, zero bars, message send failure over and over... nothing. finally one message says "sent." "Crashed outside ILI 59.64795, -154.98317."</p><p>Thank you, Lord.</p><p>A Pilatus aircraft is overhead, we've been located.</p><p>Thank you, Lord.</p><p>Supercub lands and radios the news that we're all alive, bringing some relief to those anxiously waiting at home. </p><p>Thank you, Lord.</p><p>People start arriving in droves, more warmth, helping hands and caring faces.</p><p>Thank you, Lord. </p><p>Hours later, the welcome sound of he<span style="font-family: inherit;">licopt</span>er blades cuts the air. The Coastguard and the Rescue Squadrons have arrived. </p><p>Thank you, Lord. </p><p>I could go on, but I think you get the idea.</p><p>I have to admit, the last post on Lament Vs. Grumbling felt a little surreal to write. I think because I haven't fully experienced those feelings yet, but I wanted to be prepared. Don't get me wrong, there have been tears, but generally they have been when I think about how grateful I am. </p><p>I think we often assume that joy and pain are opposites, but that's simply not biblical or my experience. </p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: ... and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;<b><sup> </sup></b>as <u>sorrowful, yet always rejoicing</u>; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything."</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">(2 Co 6:4–10).</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> </p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A little later as Paul is dealing with church conflict (which we all love doing) he writes. </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am overflowing with <u>joy in the midst of all our suffering.</u></span></p><p class="p2" style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="color: black;">(2 Co 7:4). </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also think of Paul and Silas in Philippi in Acts 16. They've just been beaten with rods, thrown in prison and put in stocks. So what's their natural response? Sing hymns of course! Wouldn't you? </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How can we find joy in the midst of sorrow? By remembering God's gracious act of salvation for us and that we only have to suffer the pain of this world for a short time before we have a better and lasting </span>possessions<span style="font-family: inherit;">. In that, we maintain an attitude of gratitude. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(I Peter 1:6), (Heb 10:34) </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I feel like I got a physical preview of this </span>spiritual<span style="font-family: inherit;"> / physical reality. I got to be saved from physical harm and death and got to experience the gratitude of that during and after. But with the salvation of our Lord coming we can experience the gratitude in having been saved, in being saved now, and the sure and certain hope of our coming salvation. That kind of gratitude truly changes a person's outlook on life. </span></p><p>So here's my observation about gratitude.</p><div style="text-align: left;">In a state of gratitude:<br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sorrow is tempered</div><div style="text-align: left;">Despair is banished</div><div style="text-align: left;">Loss is acceptable</div><div style="text-align: left;">Joy is persistent</div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG23pod5_a7eCr-IbcUI8XuGtDim7G8LGRcnMyLDYwSMVu21rZO6MP6YUHH1g7CUAH5_sB37Qaa3W68CFQK_0aNtx5UGIDXLo5Mko218EgZEnzm0uPA8-rJfqlbhuakM_gBevjiPUI7634wyHx7y29EIyfpuF97DwyTSSWpgODTwQERMoaF5-03v8b3w/s4032/IMG_6663.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG23pod5_a7eCr-IbcUI8XuGtDim7G8LGRcnMyLDYwSMVu21rZO6MP6YUHH1g7CUAH5_sB37Qaa3W68CFQK_0aNtx5UGIDXLo5Mko218EgZEnzm0uPA8-rJfqlbhuakM_gBevjiPUI7634wyHx7y29EIyfpuF97DwyTSSWpgODTwQERMoaF5-03v8b3w/s320/IMG_6663.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: start;">We got to meet and thank members of the 210th (Helicopters), 211th (HC-130), and 212th (Prarescuemen) Rescue squadrons in person a couple weeks after the rescue. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X_Xv1ObLhg-Wbp7MkpxCZdLp7rB_ET7kVXAX-dL6adpP6XHgaVqUaFpiwtchvwsQFhhcomFLxaYGBk7dRiKY3jkNcWYe4nu7DiUnBNMW5pBUA7rzuwO91RAh_PPO8MrplpDPIc2fhMjP-VD9Q4KJOdHbnCGm5mQiURvzlSxah7cpVy4Vn6fdepL9oA/s4032/IMG_3817.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X_Xv1ObLhg-Wbp7MkpxCZdLp7rB_ET7kVXAX-dL6adpP6XHgaVqUaFpiwtchvwsQFhhcomFLxaYGBk7dRiKY3jkNcWYe4nu7DiUnBNMW5pBUA7rzuwO91RAh_PPO8MrplpDPIc2fhMjP-VD9Q4KJOdHbnCGm5mQiURvzlSxah7cpVy4Vn6fdepL9oA/s320/IMG_3817.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3mCr09R9jt7q2GpYy-SyaOfHNTXeccbFF-WPaXPhfKlHI_LL29x7M7p7wR6lftDbA_4Yze4trovtFh1x9uFQxdNRdcdabv0Ml9_K3aY6uzpIKpsqFTnHsH169z2fmbaYgby_bxUxS57nBi2XGu9yAJs-1jUDtJSyksEv0ybT86OYledCFoua5pQDEA/s4032/IMG_3825.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3mCr09R9jt7q2GpYy-SyaOfHNTXeccbFF-WPaXPhfKlHI_LL29x7M7p7wR6lftDbA_4Yze4trovtFh1x9uFQxdNRdcdabv0Ml9_K3aY6uzpIKpsqFTnHsH169z2fmbaYgby_bxUxS57nBi2XGu9yAJs-1jUDtJSyksEv0ybT86OYledCFoua5pQDEA/s320/IMG_3825.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Motto inside the hanger door</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKmXvKg_L1r3uR3xId5kp2WkG6OslY3v-FDvwqKPL15UXcrOOaVIBx1RqV8VZM5buPkWq76xa0tEQDJdQi4yMlckJLCr9WgnqP53SwoMnbwYhmXFAkoChyfwAYhWn2RlC15Xh92ADFkp3I-oj4x78r5Kzc4FSCfGRqWV6FdvtUTwTsF9Zmk7dA7mGUQ/s4032/IMG_3827.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKmXvKg_L1r3uR3xId5kp2WkG6OslY3v-FDvwqKPL15UXcrOOaVIBx1RqV8VZM5buPkWq76xa0tEQDJdQi4yMlckJLCr9WgnqP53SwoMnbwYhmXFAkoChyfwAYhWn2RlC15Xh92ADFkp3I-oj4x78r5Kzc4FSCfGRqWV6FdvtUTwTsF9Zmk7dA7mGUQ/s320/IMG_3827.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Meeting the pilot who flew through terrible weather to reach us just before we would have been towed out. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAeS61CIMmj_zYHGI-3sZY2n7qcWDvM_i2lSrU0PY2Q539YLl0RFKnD47H_bW-azo8SCOGnDL7o6v7yimSjSaw_DXKsMXBEK1sGwRL9Vv9xTfiCgHDOl3WAopk5iKi4CQkN8dilzdRq5beuVz-fC3o4uGskGP2ZOrre80-c73cwlK_urP3kEBwMTBsQ/s4032/IMG_6672.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAeS61CIMmj_zYHGI-3sZY2n7qcWDvM_i2lSrU0PY2Q539YLl0RFKnD47H_bW-azo8SCOGnDL7o6v7yimSjSaw_DXKsMXBEK1sGwRL9Vv9xTfiCgHDOl3WAopk5iKi4CQkN8dilzdRq5beuVz-fC3o4uGskGP2ZOrre80-c73cwlK_urP3kEBwMTBsQ/s320/IMG_6672.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the helicopters used by the 210th </div><br /><p> </p>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-72252372710297119092022-03-24T21:06:00.002-07:002022-03-24T21:20:23.696-07:00Principle 4: Lament and Grumbling are not the same thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9srJ_LfjVaa5Rp_kuiTTdRJDqMI5pC-_u389uXbtGUZ-SsiwSWG9ts7bV1LUnW-vxa1_oRGv6YZk3rWgWD9tTYVo5r585TOHIOSssioB8WPvRG1xsIyd3tfCIrJ4_JQNQQz3ltqAgOeiOrMlv6Cneyr7wuHp5xLOVX2HILqMCr1HLxxiZ476bkrZaaA/s800/Lament%20vs%20Grumbling.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9srJ_LfjVaa5Rp_kuiTTdRJDqMI5pC-_u389uXbtGUZ-SsiwSWG9ts7bV1LUnW-vxa1_oRGv6YZk3rWgWD9tTYVo5r585TOHIOSssioB8WPvRG1xsIyd3tfCIrJ4_JQNQQz3ltqAgOeiOrMlv6Cneyr7wuHp5xLOVX2HILqMCr1HLxxiZ476bkrZaaA/s320/Lament%20vs%20Grumbling.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Has reading the Psalms ever made you uncomfortable? For me sometimes it’s the complaints about God’s abandonment.
Things like, “My God, I cry out to you by day but you do not answer me, by night, but I find no rest.” (Ps 22:2)<br />
Sometimes they just sound like whiners. “All day long they twist my words; all their schemes are for my ruin. They conspire, they lurk they watch my steps hoping to take my life.” (Ps 56:5-6)<br /><br /><div>
All of this begs the question in my mind -- What exactly is the difference between the psalmist’s bitter complaints and the grumblings of the bad actors from the book of Numbers like Korah and the 10 spies? The one is held up as an example of praise and prayer to follow and the other is condemned as a sin alongside sexual immorality and idolatry. (I Cor 10:6-10)<br /><br /></div><div>
In many ways I feel like the hardest part of my experience with having a broken back is still ahead. Up until now, I have been focused on recovery and doctor’s appointments; and I have been able to convalesce with my needs taken care of. I have spent a lot of time just thinking about how thankful I am to be alive and not permanently maimed. I am thankful for the 176th Wing Rescue Squadrons that showed up in the nick of time to carry us to safety and treatment. But at some point I would do well to count up my losses and grieve them well.</div><div> <br />Things like: the time lost with my students that I will never be able to get back, not getting to finish my house with my own hands, and losing the ability to physically help my wife through her third trimester and delivery. I’m sure the list will grow, especially as I return home next week and try to figure out the new normal.</div><div> <br />So how can I, as I grapple with these things, keep it in the realm of lament and praise while avoiding the pitfall of grumbling? Here are some observations I’ve made that I will need to learn to apply:
<p><b>Grumbling </b><br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Has blatant overtones of a lack of faith. When the Israelites were about to go into the promise land, they struggled because some of the spies brought a bad report and caused doubt that God could give them the land. “If only we had died in Egypt or in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?” (Num 14:2) </li><li>Accuses God of wrongdoing and chooses to hold on to bitterness. “It is against the LORD that you and all you followers have banded together. (Num 16:11) </li><li>Goes hand in hand with rebellion against authority. “The next day, the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron, ‘you have killed the lord’s People,’ they said.” (Num 16:14)
</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Lament</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Is unashamed to express emotion / grief. “I am worn out from my groaning, all night long I flood my bed with weeping…” (Ps 6:6) </li><li>Is not afraid to ask questions but doesn’t demand answers. “Why, Lord do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Ps 10:1)</li><li>Circles around to praise and trust. There are many examples of this throughout the Psalms and usually if people are disturbed by what they read, it’s because they are reading a verse or section alone and don’t finish the Psalm. I like to go to Psalm 13 for a clear example of this because in 6 short verses, it goes from questioning God’s apparent absence, to asking for His response to expressing trust and faith in Him.</li></ul><b><br /> Psalm 13</b><br />"For the director of music. A psalm of David.<p style="text-align: left;">
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?<br />
How long will you hide your face from me?<br />
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts<br />
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?<br />
How long will my enemy triumph over me?</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />
3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.<br />
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,<br />
4 and my enemy will say, 'I have overcome him,'<br />
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;<br />
my heart rejoices in your salvation.<br />
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,<br />
for he has been good to me."<br />
</p><p>Lord, help me to maintain a faith in your unfailing love even when I am sad and don’t understand.
</p><p></p><p></p></div>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-52615054042679021052022-03-21T21:44:00.002-07:002022-03-24T21:27:14.370-07:00Principle 3: What happens IN you is more important than what happens TO you. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfHbccNV95GMHcDjoCuzNf6-xCH720oNJnWM6Cd5y0M7s-su2xwryiEG1vN88VU3triM4lFV1ivSySn86iXtp3BJN24qGwIyklRILXpmr4GXvVBfb_ZNPn9-1oBDDDxGJEn9OsXdO_MJ4O4zuzw9ctlk6SiTWVWjGXbA5lfJBD5vJF0g4SPREHPn6PQ/s800/In%20you.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfHbccNV95GMHcDjoCuzNf6-xCH720oNJnWM6Cd5y0M7s-su2xwryiEG1vN88VU3triM4lFV1ivSySn86iXtp3BJN24qGwIyklRILXpmr4GXvVBfb_ZNPn9-1oBDDDxGJEn9OsXdO_MJ4O4zuzw9ctlk6SiTWVWjGXbA5lfJBD5vJF0g4SPREHPn6PQ/s320/In%20you.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dr. Larry Severson</div> <p>
They say suffering builds character, but I’ve noticed that it can either build character or foster bitterness. </p><p>
It was discharge day! It had been a full week in the hospital and I finally got a change of scenery. Two more weeks before I get to go home though. The phone rings, it’s my friend who was flying the plane when we went down. He’s calling to offer his sincere apologies for what happened and what we are all going through…</p><p>
It would have been easy to find someone to blame, there is always someone to blame whether they are actually at fault or not. If all else fails, we can always blame God (who is supposed to be in control of everything) for not controlling it the way we wanted Him to.
You see, the reality is, when we suffer a wound, whether it’s physical, emotional, or otherwise, it’s a lot like running a plow through a field. It tears up the soil and makes it ready for planting. The problem is, that seeds of truth are not the only thing being planted. The enemy is prowling around waiting for his opportunity to plant lies at the same vulnerable moment.</p><p>
We have a choice in that moment what we nurture and grow. One of the most profound things I have heard on trauma from Marcus Werner is, something along the lines of, “It’s not the size of the wound that produces the effects of trauma, but the size of the lie that we believe as a result of the wound.”</p><p>
We could sit around and compare wounds all day. But suddenly my measly broken back would look pretty small compared with my friend, Elishaba’s, 29 years of every kind of abuse imaginable that she just chronicled in her book <i>Out of the Wilderness</i>. Yet, she is one of the most soft-hearted, forgiving, and loving people I know. How does this happen? She let Christ work in her and He is pulling up the destructive lies and planting a beautiful garden of truth and forgiveness.</p><p>
The reality is, there is not much point in comparison, but there is great value in keeping a close watch on our hearts in these moments.
“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;” (Heb 12:15)</p><p>
“Forgive one another, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done.” (Eph 4:32) </p><p>
So, yes, in that moment talking to the pilot, I had a choice to make. Thankfully it had already been made when I chose a life of forgiveness. To follow Jesus is to forgive. How could I choose bitterness when he chose grace toward me?</p><p>
So do I know who or what caused the crash? No, not really. Do I need to? I don’t think so, because I don’t need someone to blame. That’s not the Jesus way. </p><p>
And yes, there are a lot of other things that can happen in a person’s heart as a result of trauma, many of them ugly and some quite beautiful.</p><p>
“Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Rom 8:3-5)</p><p>
The important part is to remember that, while we can’t always control what happens to us, but thanks to the Holy Spirit and the Word, we can control how we respond to it. That will determine whose likeness we represent to the world.
</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-49954043685756753412022-03-20T18:00:00.013-07:002022-03-22T12:31:26.546-07:00Principle 2: Risk and suffering for the sake of the Kingdom are completely worthwhile:<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8Op1EC8IzUMA49cE_oQHlUog-0SdeVs0EF4JowcHqu1TB5LYYscBgZcbBkG8hqqXRx_Kn8IpscAz05z5zrc-foCwip1oJpukl1xsCr1UzngU3uSvzGT0qG8OK5Hl4UGKSZ1ZGhL7e5fR1XI9_X7Q8JQL_kSAiJBmxricw7y-UfbItYuLztRn_FTvuw/s800/Acceptable%20Outcome.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8Op1EC8IzUMA49cE_oQHlUog-0SdeVs0EF4JowcHqu1TB5LYYscBgZcbBkG8hqqXRx_Kn8IpscAz05z5zrc-foCwip1oJpukl1xsCr1UzngU3uSvzGT0qG8OK5Hl4UGKSZ1ZGhL7e5fR1XI9_X7Q8JQL_kSAiJBmxricw7y-UfbItYuLztRn_FTvuw/s320/Acceptable%20Outcome.png"/></a></div>Americans are obsessed with safety. Jesus was not. At least not by the same definition. I found I had some time to reflect as I was laying on the ice with a broken back outside of a fuel soaked plane, having somehow just dragged my co-worker away from the wreckage. I would have 6 hours or so before medical transport would begin and I remember thinking, “This is an acceptable outcome for doing what God called us to do.” Why? Because I have seen that God has a different definition of safety. <br>
Take a look at what Paul says in his last days as he gives his charge to Timothy, his companion in Missions and “spiritual son.”
II Tim 3:10-11<br>
“You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.”<br>
Then later II Tim 4:18<br>
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”<br>
Wait a minute. How can you endure something and be rescued from it at the same time? If I remember right, Timothy was living in Lystra when Paul first picked him up as a travel companion. That very same city where, on a previous visit, people pursued Paul from two other cities and stoned him to the point where they thought he was dead and drug him away. But then Paul got up and walked back into the city. Timothy knew these stories because he was there. <br>
My American understanding of safety is all about mitigating all the risks we possibly can. What is more important than the health and wellbeing of our bodies anyway? <br>
Paul’s understanding of “Kingdom Safety” is “God will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.” I may come skidding in sideways, in a ball of flame and carrying a lifetime of scars, but I’ll arrive home safely. <br>
The difference between the American Ideal of safety and the Kingdom version seems to have a lot to do with where “home” is for you. There clearly is something more important than physical safety.<br>
Now, am I saying that we shouldn’t mitigate risks at all? No, that’s not the point. There are many senseless accidents that don’t need to happen. Generally speaking, loving people well means protecting them from harm. The point here is that there is an acceptable level of risk for kingdom work and it’s up to us to know what level God is calling us to and having the courage / trust to follow him into that. I personally, don’t regret one bit taking the risks we did on that trip because I know I was doing what the Lord was asking me to do. There are a lot of things I could have been afraid of but I choose to bear this in mind.<br>
“Fear God and keep his commands, for this is the duty of all mankind,” Ecclesiastes 12:13<br>
And “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the Glory that will be revealed in us.”<br>
Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-78631986355945607672022-03-19T16:00:00.007-07:002022-03-22T12:23:40.236-07:00Principle 1: It's OK to not Understand<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0UcTHccx7TTriqSw7DMUtRRKHb8j2zUEhGdbLnUn-cUhF0M2NuK_RQzV8Hjow4OW2RuGT67VWrKKxiQwoF3z9R28xYGLjZS-_qa9U37iUCWU43_hDXK6phiTuBldc5ii0V-MpKOZreQeaLk3Ax0qE9nsO3p7akd0lzhEoVM7OhyioN38K_ItrxqS2w/s800/It%27s%20ok%20to%20not%20understand.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0UcTHccx7TTriqSw7DMUtRRKHb8j2zUEhGdbLnUn-cUhF0M2NuK_RQzV8Hjow4OW2RuGT67VWrKKxiQwoF3z9R28xYGLjZS-_qa9U37iUCWU43_hDXK6phiTuBldc5ii0V-MpKOZreQeaLk3Ax0qE9nsO3p7akd0lzhEoVM7OhyioN38K_ItrxqS2w/s320/It%27s%20ok%20to%20not%20understand.png"/></a></div><p> </p>Many people have been asking how I am doing lately. I can’t imagine why, except that perhaps it has something to do with having broken my back in an aircraft accident while returning from a service trip recently. My physical healing is progressing well. There have been a number of answers to prayer in that area and that make me very grateful for the thousands who are interceding on my behalf. That is truly a ministry of Christ - asking the Father to heal and retore the physically broken.<p>
However, there is another side to suffering that I wanted to give you all an update on and that is the spiritual / emotional side. It would be easy to be devastated in my situation as I am anticipating my first child in a couple months, I am trying to finish my house to be ready for her and, generally speaking, I thrive on extensive outdoor activity and physical work. Now, I won’t even be able to pick up my child out of a crib until she’s several months old. But instead of devastation, I feel your prayers holding me up and constantly reminding me of some important biblical principles for suffering. Principles I have the privilege of revisiting and teaching year after year with my students, but principles which mean nothing until they are applied in the context of real-world suffering.<p>
Principle 1: It’s OK to not understand:<p>
We go over this in Job every year. He is devastated physically and emotionally by the loss of everything he has and his response in 1:21 is<p><p>
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, <p>
And naked I will depart.<p>
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;<p>
May the name of the Lord be praised.”<p>
It sure seems like he weathered that well, but then you realize it doesn’t stop there. The enemy doubles down and through Job’s “friends” brings 35 chapters worth of continued torment in trying to convince him that it’s his fault. This pushes Job to a pretty dark place where in 18:6 he even says, “…then I know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me.” But finally, God, not being content to leave his friend languishing in despair, meets him and gives him a virtual tour of the universe. One which, oddly enough, doesn’t explain any of his suffering but rather showcases the incredible sovereignty and wisdom of God. At the end of it, Job’s response is, <p>
“Surely I spoke of a thing I did not understand, <p>
Things too wonderful for me to know… <p>
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.<p>
Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”<p>
(42:3,5)<p>
Job is humbled by the knowledge that God knows more than he could ever possibly hope to about what’s going on in the background of his suffering (which suddenly seems quite small in the grand scheme).<p>
I think what he finds and what I find through this experience, is that because God is both good and wise, I can trust him unreservedly without having to understand the meaning of it all. He is truly worthy of the kind of trust that says, “shall we accept good from God and not trouble?”
Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-53748788444025520442015-01-08T19:11:00.000-08:002015-01-08T19:15:41.240-08:00I Used To Think That I Loved God...<br />
<i>I used to think that I loved God, but now I know that I can’t. </i><br />
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<br />
All my adult life, I’ve been telling my story – how I came to a point where I realized God’s love for me and I was permanently changed. I would love Him forever in return. Or so I thought…<br />
Then I began to understand the flesh vs. the Spirit battle better. The truth is that I am nothing but a broken, empty vessel. I can try to love God, but pour as I might, nothing comes out because any love I may have within me seeped out the cracks long ago. <br />
My only hope for any effectiveness in God’s kingdom is in my restful dependence on <br />
Him. The moment I cease trying to love and simply let His Spirit breathe life into me and fill me, is the moment those around me feel His presence. <br />
I have been completely empty a lot lately. Something about 16 hour days with several intense conversations a day ranging from spiritual warfare, to disciplinary confrontations and personal development; then teaching a Bible class for 2 hours and sitting down to study for the next day, just seems to drain me. I find myself struggling just to read the passage for the following day. I make it through that with zero energy to spare and can do nothing but collapse on the floor facedown, begging God to make this lesson into something because I can’t. I don’t experience a sudden jolt of supernatural energy or inspiration, just a longing for God to show up. I go through the rest of my day tottering on the brink between despair at the prospect of failure, and resting in dependence on the LORD. Finally, I go to bed and sleep only because I know God keeps His promises, not because the cause of anxiety is gone. <br />
I wake up with an unexplained conviction that I need to emphasize a certain point in that day’s passage and the race is on for the day. It passes in a similar fashion to the last one but this time, some of the conversations are spurred by the topics covered in Bible. People are growing as they soak in the Word. The end of the day comes and several students share that their highlights of the day were what God taught them in Bible class. <br />
I may not be able to love God, but it sure doesn’t seem to slow Him down when He wants to do something in me or through me. <br />
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To wrap up, I’ll share a few quotes from Wm. R. Newell that have influenced my thinking as I was reading through Miles Stanford’s <i>The Complete Green Letters.</i><br />
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"To 'hope to be better' (hence acceptable) is to fail to see yourself in Christ only."<br />
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"To be disappointed with yourself is to have believed in yourself." Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0Port Alsworth, AK, USA60.202499999999993 -154.312777860.076135999999991 -154.6355013 60.328863999999996 -153.9900543tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-53922844074170352592015-01-01T13:09:00.000-08:002015-01-01T13:09:45.225-08:00The Questionless Conversation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever found yourself in a conversation trying to get to know someone and end up feeling like you’re giving them the third degree? Or you keep getting one word answers like, “yup, nope, good, nah” etc. Honestly, I can understand the frustration on both sides. The question asker is frustrated by not really getting anything of value and the questioned is annoyed by the persistent assaults on the castle of his private life. <br />
I would like to propose that the questionless conversation could be a liberating alternative to its mutually frustrating counterpart, which I affectionately call the interrogation. First of all, it is important to know the theology and heart behind the questionless conversation. If the foundation of it is well understood and put into practice then there will be much more freedom in your methodology as long as your heart is in the right place. <br />
The basis of a good conversation is connection with the heart as opposed to a collection of information. If we think about the way that God draws us into relationship with Him, we realize that He does not demand much from us. Rather, He invites us into relationship with Him. He shows us His love through His Son and gives us the option to choose to respond with love or rejection. This is a risky approach, which is why I believe I tend to avoid it quite often in my relationship with others. It’s not fun being denied relationship when you extend an invitation. Yet, that’s exactly how God puts Himself out there. He has relinquished His total control of our response so that we can freely choose to connect with Him. <br />
One reason I think specific questions are used in attempts to connect with people, is that the one asking the question has some control over what kind of response he or she gets. The questionless conversation relinquishes that control. Instead it seeks to express an interest in the other’s heart and allows them the freedom to respond at whatever level of depth they choose. <br />
Imagine the person’s life is like a pantry with lots of shelves. On the top shelves they have small facts about themselves and their experiences. “I’ve been to France,” “I have three brothers,” and the like. As you go down to the middle shelves, you get the heavier items such as experiences themselves. This is where things begin to take the shape of stories. They might even have emotions attached to them and they could act as a window to the heart, but they are not the heart. Finally, at the bottom are the stories, the pains and the joys. These are the heavy items. When someone hands you one of these, it should always be treated as sacred, valuable, and private. Treating these with respect will affirm the person’s dignity and help you both connect with the heart God gave them.<br />
If I were to barge into someone’s house and start asking for things from their pantry, what do you suppose they are likely to give me? As an intruder, I expect they would hand me the least valuable items, the facts. But what if I extended an invitation. Would you like to come over for a Barbeque? Bring something to share if you would like. Then, when they are free to share whatever they desire, one is far more apt to pick something from a lower shelf. Once they see how I treat that, they may bring something even more valuable the next time, or even invite me over. Then we have a true relationship beginning. <br />
So how does this questionless conversation work practically? The first time I was asked to try this, I was frustrated because I didn’t have any other way of starting conversation. But I have since come up with a few alternatives that have more of a feel of an invitation than an interrogation. So here they are. <br />
<b>• The expression of interest:</b> “I would love to hear about…” <br />
This one is key; it’s the foundation of the others and makes people feel welcome to share freely. It can also be used to go deeper if you say something like “I would love to hear more about…”<br />
<b>• The invitation to depth:</b> “Tell me more about…”<br />
This one should be used cautiously with both tone and placement so that it’s not a demand. Use it to show that you heard what them and are interested. <br />
<b>• Curiosity:</b> “I’m curious about…” <br />
This shows that you have an interest in some aspect of the person’s life and invites them to share more without restrictions on what or how much they share. <br />
<b>• Wondering:</b> “I wonder if _____ is connected with _______.” <br />
This one is good for searching out connections between things without assuming that you know or have the answer. Invites the other to consider connections with you. <br />
<b>• Reframing:</b> “It seems like you’re saying …” <br />
This shows the person that you’ve been listening. It’s amazing how often this leads to deeper conversation simply because they know they are heard. <br />
<b>• Observation:</b> “I noticed when you were talking, you said…” or, “I noticed you looked down when you started talking about…”<br />
These ones can be particularly hard not to draw conclusions from. We may know or think we know what is happening, but it is still more inviting to allow them the option to explain from their perspective. <br />
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My hope is that you’ll take the challenge and try out this approach with some conversations with friends or strangers. When getting used to it, it can be fun to challenge yourself to see how long you can go in a conversation without asking a question. If you get stuck and can’t think of a non-question, don’t fret or freeze, just ask a question to keep things flowing and remember the principle of expressing an interest and inviting the other to share. As you have opportunity keep using the ideas above or improvise your own. See what works for you and enjoy. I trust it will give a new richness and life to your relationships. Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-2619082817278194092013-12-25T07:48:00.000-08:002013-12-25T07:48:48.871-08:00The Christmas PresenceIn the beginning, God was here, happy to just be with us. His creation was so good and he seemed to enjoy spending time with the piece of it that was specifically made in his image. But then man decided that he thought he could find a better god in himself, then when that failed in thousands of other “deities” throughout the millennia. Since God is a righteous and jealous God, he couldn’t just live here with people who were pushing him away. So he withdrew his presence from us but still kept a close watch over his prize creation.<br />
Yet he was not content for it to stay that way. Being jealous for his people, He was determined to draw them back to himself so he could once again live among them. So He called out a people to be his own from among the nations and set them apart. He delivered them from incredible bondage by the mighty power of his hand and he made a covenant with them. He appeared in a huge storm cloud over the mountain with thunder and lightening and He gave them the law so they became the first people on earth to know exactly what God expected. Thus his people grew to know him like no other people since the beginning. Then, when they had agreed to abide by the covenant and make themselves a holy people, he told them to make him a special tent so he could come and live among them, almost like in the beginning. This tent was beautiful. It was constructed generous portions of fine gold, precious metals and fabric, every piece of which was a gift from the people who wanted to contribute to the construction of this new dwelling place of God. And so, through a system of blood shed for sin, separation by a veil and special intermediaries called priests, God was once again able to come and live among his people. His cloud came and filled the tent and his fire was seen burning in it every night. Yet it was not like the beginning because of the degrees of separation between him and his people. Especially when the people forgot the covenant and began sinning once again. Then God’s presence would lift from among them because they clearly did not want to live with Him. Along with it, would go his protection and provision, and the people would suffer. <br />
Eventually, through many ups and downs, God brought his people into the land that he had promised them and established them in it largely by the hand of the mighty and obedient hand of King David, the “man after God’s own heart.” He wanted to build God a house so he wouldn’t have to live in a tent anymore, but God said, “No, But I will build you a house and your dynasty will last forever” So instead, his son built God a house which was one of the most beautiful buildings ever seen and God came and lived in the house which they called the temple and his presence was with his people there in Jerusalem. Yet there was a problem, the people still had rebellious hearts and they soon turned away from God once again. It was not long before it got so bad, that God had to remove both his people and his presence from the land in hopes of drawing them back to himself a few decades later. <br />
It was around that time that the prophets wrote about a day when God would mend the core problem and give men new hearts to replace their rebellious ones. Only then could He hope to live among them forever. So although he brought his people back into their land and they rebuilt the temple there, that was not his final plan. Rather, they were to wait for one who was to come and change them from the inside. <br />
So finally, on the chosen day, God came to earth; but this time, He’s not in a storm cloud with thunder and lightning, He’s not in a mysterious cloud living in a tent separated from his people, but rather in the form of a baby like one of our own. He so desired to just be with us, that he was willing to come right down to our level and be one of us. From there he went on to show us what kind of an abundant life we could be living with him as our master. He did the work that it took to give us new hearts, to the point of shedding his own blood. He walked with us stride for stride and being himself the cornerstone, he set the standard for the foundation stones of the apostles and prophets, and thus, the basis for a new building in which his presence could dwell among us. This would be the house he promised to David, but this house was not made from mere cloth, and skins; or even stones and cedar like the temple building. This time, his house is known as the church, its structure is the people of God who, together form the new dwelling place of the almighty right here on earth. It is not made from gifts of Gold or precious metals, but rather people who offer themselves willingly because they want to be a part of the house where they can invite people in to come and get to know the God who not only made them, but loves them more deeply than they can imagine.Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-85873992207769750242013-09-29T23:02:00.000-07:002013-09-29T23:02:33.015-07:00Isolation vs. Solitude<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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<i>I used to think that isolation makes for good solitude, </i></div>
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<i>Now I know that it just breaks relationships.</i></div>
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I love my students. That's the whole reason I moved here, I've left my old home and begun forging a new one. I've given of my time and resources. Pretty much everything the last few years has been dedicated to being able to serve my students better here at Tanalian Leadership Center. </div>
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So then I have to ask myself, why is it that when they actually lived here with me, I kept finding myself pushing them away? Well, after a good summer of time to ponder, some bold people who are willing to speak truth into my life and more than a few encounters with the Word of God, I feel like I'm beginning to understand. The one phrase that kept playing through my mind since last spring was "<i>Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3)</i> Those words haunted me and they began to make all the times I said "no", "not now", "I need my sleep" or generally avoided connecting with people taste bitter in my memories. </div>
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Something was wrong and had to change. </div>
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I didn't get what it was yet because I always had a reason when I did those things. It was well thought out rational for every time. Usually it had something to do with taking care of myself and not letting people walk all over me and my boundaries. Boundaries are a good thing right? I had endless reasons for all of these choices but it wasn't till I listened to a book called "<i>Crucial Conversations</i>" that I had a lightbulb moment. That's when I realized that most of those reasons were made up after the fact as a justification or what they call a "clever story." My story sure sounded great but I made the choice because I was selfish then came up with the story about how it was unselfish afterward. </div>
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So what was driving these choices besides just raw, fleshy selfishness. Well, I think it came from having a very introverted personality and feeling like I need lots of space to function well. My attitude was</div>
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<i>"If I just keep people far enough away, perhaps I can have the solitude I need."</i></div>
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And while, yes, I need my solitude, it turns out that isolation is not the way to get it. I end up like Jonah. I wonder if he thought, </div>
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"<i>What I need is a nice vacation on the other side of the Medeterainian. Perhaps I'll hear God more clearly from over there perhaps he's not really telling me to do the last think in the world I would want to do.</i>" </div>
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I don't want to be like that. </div>
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I think what I need to learn to do is find true solitude at the proper times so I can connect with my Lord. I could take a lesson from Jesus on that. He had no problem dissapearing in the mornings to go to the garden and pray. I'm pretty sure he even turned his cell phone off (Gasp! It has that setting?) </div>
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But then when I come back I need to remember the reason I'm here, to connect with the people I love, then do that. </div>
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Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-64556440998602515752013-02-26T12:59:00.000-08:002013-04-06T11:26:00.041-07:00Guiding principles for Teaching at TLC<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJorTteBKkRIodDbzXU0CCyVWcORzOGtDCkczyqfS9Xlzw67xi9qByjS00jksWSOknIPoDXNDF2VQOq6zYKQSNCEEnVLzXHu7IJyZD8BYBka3PdXMOarSRY-izD6C6ogSgARCYf_hl-Yh/s1600/MVI_0633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJorTteBKkRIodDbzXU0CCyVWcORzOGtDCkczyqfS9Xlzw67xi9qByjS00jksWSOknIPoDXNDF2VQOq6zYKQSNCEEnVLzXHu7IJyZD8BYBka3PdXMOarSRY-izD6C6ogSgARCYf_hl-Yh/s1600/MVI_0633.jpg" width="400" /></a>The following I wrote just recently as a way to concisely state my convictions about teaching in the context of Tanalian Leadership Center (TLC). The these principles have evolved from many conversations with native leaders, native students, fellow missionaries and many years of observations. Since all those things are ongoing, I expect that these principles will continue to evolve over the years. For the time being, these are the basic principles under which I attempt to operate.<br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>1. Teach like you are the first Bible teacher they have ever had.</b><br />
<b>2. Good teaching has the students in mind; great teaching has the their students in mind. </b><br />
<b>3. Information is a slave to transformation. </b><br />
<b>4.To teach from the heart is to listen with the heart. </b><br />
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<b>1. Teach like you are the first Bible teacher they have ever had. </b><br />
This is a principle to remind the teacher not to put unrealistic expectations on the students that they should have a prior understanding of Biblical terminology and concepts. Until the overall culture of Southwest Alaska is one that gives a biblical foundation and worldview to all of its children, TLC will seek to serve those who have not had such an opportunity by offering it to them in a way that each individual student can understand. <br />
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<b>2. Good teaching has the students in mind; great teaching has their students in mind. </b><br />
The TLC teacher must remember that we only seek to be the snowball that starts the avalanche of spiritual multiplication and discipleship in Southwest Alaska. As such, it is equally important that we build both the students’ competency and confidence. Any school can give a student information, but at TLC we seek to empower the student to become not only a student, but one who makes disciples of the next generation. Thus it is critical that the teachers in this program avoid a model that relies on “the expert” from an outside source but instead focuses on the Word as the source of truth and each person’s ability to read and understand it as the skill of utmost importance. <br />
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<b>3. Information is a slave to transformation.</b><br />
According to this principle, the transfer of information serves only as an agent for transformation. Thus the teacher should not be overly focused on helping the student learn the information but should target the heart. In a biblical understanding, the heart of a person is the core of their being in which their true beliefs reside and from which all actions and attitudes flow. We do not seek behavioral modification or memorization and regurgitation, but rather heart transformation relying on the power of the Word of God and his Spirit to work in the hearts of people. The TLC Teacher’s job is to allow exposure to the Word and interaction with it in such a way that it encourages students to take it to heart and helps them process what that means. This principle also implies that the teacher’s Job is not only exposing people to the word, but equally as important, praying for the hearts of the students and their receptiveness to the Word. <br />
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<b>4.To teach from the heart is to listen with the heart. </b><br />
A teacher’s job is first to listen then to teach. When teaching the Holy Scriptures, that involves listening on multiple levels. On one level, the teacher must listen carefully to the writer of the scriptures to hear the message they were intending to communicate. On the next level, the teacher must also pray for an open mind and heart to hear from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the one who teaches the believer and if the believer wishes to teach others, they must first be open to hearing and responding to what God wishes to teach them. Once there has been true heart change, then passing that same message on to the students will be natural and effective. A teacher who has been changed by what they have learned will be easy for students to trust and therefore should have an open door to speak from the heart to the heart. <br />
Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0Port Alsworth, AK, USA60.202499999999993 -154.312777860.076134999999994 -154.6355013 60.328864999999993 -153.9900543tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-27393210525199517822013-02-08T12:40:00.000-08:002013-02-08T12:40:44.717-08:00Omnipresence?The other day in Bible class, as we were looking at the story of Job, one of my students asked, "How could Satan stand in the presence of God? I thought that God could not have evil in his presence?" We discussed that a little and it got me thinking. I eventually came to the other difficulty that God seems to be present everywhere and given the undeniable existence of evil, not only is evil allowed in the presence of God, but God's presence necessarily penetrates the territory of evil. And if God wanted to avoid evil, why in the world would he come to earth in the form of a human?<br />
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Thus was launched into pondering the true nature of the doctrine we call omnipresence which simply put, says God is everywhere. Well, that's nice and it's fitting for an all powerful God, but if we stop at simply everywhere, that kind of steals the thunder right out of the voice of God when he says that he will dwell in us and among us. Of course He does, He is everywhere, which means that he also dwells in and among Satan, his followers and the heathens right? Well, I'm hoping that his presence means something different among the wicked vs. his people. But what exactly is that difference?<br />
Here's what my investigation turned up.<br />
<ul>
<li>At the burning bush, his presence made even the dirt holy.</li>
<li>At the Exodus, he personally lead his people out in a pillar of cloud and fire (Ex 13:21)</li>
<li>Later he had them build a special tent so that he could dwell in that as they wandered the desert (Num 9:15) </li>
</ul>
So it appears that He is present in specific places in a special way.<br /><ul>
</ul>
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Once Israel enters the Promise Land, There are some rather comical stories about his presence in the Ark of the Covenant. I Sam 4 tells the story where Israel attempts to win a battle by bringing the Ark into the camp so that "their God would be with them," yet they were still defeated and the Ark was captured.<br />
Apparently God wasn't in the box. </div>
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But then the Philistines bring the Ark into the Temple of Dagon their pegan god and the idol ends up falling on it's face before the Ark.<br />
So apparently God was in the box.<br />
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(O.K. brief pause for a cheesy joke. What do you call a guy with no arms and no legs and no head lying on the floor? A Da-gone Idol. Lol.)<br />
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Moving on.</div>
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Finally, when Israel settles down in the promise land and David brings enough stability to build Jerusalem as the capital, the Ark is moved there. David builds himself a nice house and then realizes that the Ark is still living in a tent. That's just not right. So he says I'm going to build God a house. At first he prophet Nathan says,<br />
"sure, go for it."<br />
But then after actually talking with God, he comes back and says something to the effect of,<br />
"just kidding, basically here's what God says,<br />
'<b>I'm going to build you a house</b> in which you will have a ruler forever.'"<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Andrew's Paraphrased Version of II Sam 7)</span><br /><br />
and along with that he says that David's son will build God's house, the temple. </div>
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So the Temple is built and God shows up in his cloud again and makes himself at home in the temple, among his people in a special way. Yet YHWH doesn't seem to be contained by those beautifully decorated walls very well and still seems to have pervasive and perhaps even invasive presence in other places. </div>
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<ul>
<li>Jonah tries to run from his call to Nineveh and is thwarted by "YHWH, the God who made the land and the sea." The concept of which scared the pegan sailors right out of their canvas pants. </li>
<li>Clear over in Susa, Esther "just so happens" to be queen to a king who is tricked into ordering a genocide of the Jews, but it "just so happens" that the tables are turned and the provoker is poked / skewered on the gallows. </li>
</ul>
So although God is aware of all things in all places at all times, and in some sense perhaps he is present, it appears that he likes to be present in a special way in certain places at certain times. Especially when it comes to being in and among his people. </div>
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So what does this look like today?</div>
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<br />
<b><i>Eph 2:19-22</i></b><br />
<i>"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the<b> household of God</b>, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Chist Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, <b>grows into a holy temple in the Lord</b>. In him you also are being <b>built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit</b>."</i><br />
(ESV, Emphasis mine)<br />
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In the context, Paul is talking about the meaning of being one in Christ as the church. As we unite together in love as members of the church, we actually become the New Testament version of the temple. And just as God dwelt with his people and was present in a special way on in the temple he is present in a special way in united believers today.<br />
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Now as we unite, we are the house that was promised to David and Jesus is the king in the house.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">And that's not even to mention the concept that we are also the body of Christ. (See the last sentence in Eph 1)</span><br />
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Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com1Port Alsworth, AK, USA60.202499999999993 -154.312777860.076134999999994 -154.6355013 60.328864999999993 -153.9900543tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-58455276374699444692012-12-05T09:49:00.001-08:002012-12-05T09:52:57.207-08:00Don't Drink the Blood<br />
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“<i>Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.” </i>” (Leviticus 7:27, ESV)</div>
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Ok, that's a simple command, "Don't eat blood"... got it.</div>
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<i>““You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes. ” </i>(Leviticus 19:26, ESV)<br />
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Ok, so apparently drinking blood is right up there with witch doctor stuff. I'll try to stay away from that. But why? What's the big deal about drinking blood? We eat the rest of the animal.<br />
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<i>“But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. ”</i> (Genesis 9:4, ESV)<br />
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<i>“For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off. ”</i> (Leviticus 17:14, ESV)<br />
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Oh, got it, apparently the life is in the blood so there's something sacred about it. We don't want the life of an animal in us. That's no good. Ok, I'm tracking now.<br />
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But what about the blood of the sacrifices? Could they eat that blood? It was poured out for their lives right?<br />
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“<i>For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. </i>” (Leviticus 17:11–12, ESV)</div>
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Oh, I guess that would be a big NO on that. </div>
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDQIQ5FyA-O_yuqw0VMQphldPLdRTCjXo09WjViOhp5MbqqTs17M6NGrJ78KF1hD3a5AXfxjvjo3NuBZERJV99yJ6auu7O7iwFqu55FP-Qyf1iuI0AKvPDl-YIXsxmzWiCA6q1Zwe9sf8/s1600/IMG_7063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDQIQ5FyA-O_yuqw0VMQphldPLdRTCjXo09WjViOhp5MbqqTs17M6NGrJ78KF1hD3a5AXfxjvjo3NuBZERJV99yJ6auu7O7iwFqu55FP-Qyf1iuI0AKvPDl-YIXsxmzWiCA6q1Zwe9sf8/s320/IMG_7063.JPG" width="211" /></a><i>“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “<u>Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant,</u> which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ”</i> (Matthew 26:26–28, ESV emphasis mine)<br />
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Say WHAT!? I thought eating the blood was forbidden? Why is Jesus asking his church to drink it all the sudden. Especially his blood, if ever there was sacred blood, that would be it. </div>
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<i>“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ”</i> (John 6:53–54, ESV)<br />
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Oh, the life is still in the blood, but this life is different. We couldn't drink the blood of the other sacrifices because they didn't have eternal life, but this blood does. It is from a resurrected sacrifice. This blood is sacred indeed...<br />
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<br />Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com1Port Alsworth, AK, USA60.2025 -154.312777860.1393745 -154.4707063 60.2656255 -154.1548493tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-69535327899320353822012-10-22T20:10:00.001-07:002012-10-22T20:12:21.833-07:00Mentor GraphsI have been pondering the nature of discipleship in an effort to do it well. Here are some of my thoughts of late. <br />
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When we talk about discipleship most of the time, we seem to communicate this basic idea of how it works. An older / more mature person meets with a younger / less mature person and calls them upward in their maturity. (See image below)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5q7XtGGOyd31COytnFJcZEpnH0zip9B1GCuWpP66qaZz1iChVDIcDoCvGJKSnSJewdzY5ZXNnM4WmthbzQfBTvZZ7o2_WE4mqD7JbQpDroSzFbzyYL3GBivvJM4gVf_71zo2Am2MjbOZi/s1600/Disciple+Maturity+Model.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5q7XtGGOyd31COytnFJcZEpnH0zip9B1GCuWpP66qaZz1iChVDIcDoCvGJKSnSJewdzY5ZXNnM4WmthbzQfBTvZZ7o2_WE4mqD7JbQpDroSzFbzyYL3GBivvJM4gVf_71zo2Am2MjbOZi/s400/Disciple+Maturity+Model.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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However, when I get in the nitty gritty every day life of this task I feel an uneasiness with this model and have heard it expressed by countless others. <i>“what if I’m not really far enough ahead of the disciple to help them out?,” “What if I am too old and can’t reach far enough back to relate with the disciple?”</i><br />
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Then, when I look at Jesus and how he went about this task, something still feels wrong about the way we look at it. I can’t picture him standing above his disciples trying to reach down with his supernaturally long arms to pull them up to his level of maturity (perfection). Rather, I see him standing with them at every phase of their growth, looking ahead to see how they might grow from every experience. (See image below)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmV1i_hJboos-a6-ORKJzXEMF6DwmTElpuIk_yNGGkPmZjI4bFA4sTdE7aMxNOgVRxcIZpUFqr1WbKIpHv5ettxE60k15wWcP3zW-io30jL2NkEErWFiJTfTMRHkJE7s35MkeFvG46xVg/s1600/Growth+model+of+mentoring.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmV1i_hJboos-a6-ORKJzXEMF6DwmTElpuIk_yNGGkPmZjI4bFA4sTdE7aMxNOgVRxcIZpUFqr1WbKIpHv5ettxE60k15wWcP3zW-io30jL2NkEErWFiJTfTMRHkJE7s35MkeFvG46xVg/s400/Growth+model+of+mentoring.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was not the level of maturity that he was concerned about, but their potential for growth. Think about Jesus’ interaction with Peter at their last Passover meal. (Luke 22:31-34) Jesus knew Peter was about to fall and that both his growth and maturity would plummet in the next few hours, but he also could see past that to his bitter weeping (22:54-62) (an incredible growth point) and on to Pentecost where, having learned from the experience, Peter did not hesitate to risk his life for the cause of Christ (Acts 2:36).<br />
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I believe this was because Jesus was more concerned with Peter’s overall direction of growth than his level of maturity and it appears that he was certainly willing to stand with him in every phase for the sake of the next even if it meant losing ground for a while. <br />
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It also helps to look at this process as one in which we walk through life’s events together rather than the disciple maker seeing themselves as further ahead in time than the disciple. <br />
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The big advantage to this model in my mind is that it is transferable to us as humans. Each of us is walking in our own roller coaster of growth rates. One day it might be going well and the next we seem to plummet, but if we are in the same sort of roller coaster as those we are mentoring, then we aught to be able to relate with them well. And if we have been in it for a while, we can see how each experience can be an opportunity for growth, both for ourselves those with whom we are walking. <br />
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<i>“So father, I pray that each experience in my life and the life of those I walk with would be seen as an opportunity to grow closer to you. Not because we are that much closer to the infinitely distant goal of perfection, but because we walked through it with you. Grant me the wisdom and insight to see the potential in every circumstance and the courage to see it through to the point of growth. Thank you for walking with us. </i><br />
<i>Amen” </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Fine print:</b> For those of you who are critiquing the mathematical accuracy of my graphs, I apologize for their roughness. They are based on the visual estimation of someone who has not taken a math class in 7 years. For those of you who are just confused by the graphs, I’m afraid I can’t apologize because this really is how my brain works. I hope the explanation is sufficient for you to get the idea. I also lay no claim to having “the perfect model” for discipleship. I just find it more helpful than before. </span>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com1Port Alsworth, AK, USA60.2025 -154.312777860.1393745 -154.4707063 60.2656255 -154.1548493tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-14337392861794078732012-10-07T11:05:00.001-07:002012-10-09T10:17:01.508-07:00When a surveyor teaches Bible survey<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWb743DJ6xiU1HoUe0eBI0EDHhN5e927piSp1Rw3E7e6XLf0acup7udSYpUiLR4AhwJ7ev8fmxFGXJXmkr18dzQuxbIJAQY6bv5MGBT8S6qZTe4LPE30DCk65mjSlRpJa9T3CF4fBmugLD/s1600/CIMG1991.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWb743DJ6xiU1HoUe0eBI0EDHhN5e927piSp1Rw3E7e6XLf0acup7udSYpUiLR4AhwJ7ev8fmxFGXJXmkr18dzQuxbIJAQY6bv5MGBT8S6qZTe4LPE30DCk65mjSlRpJa9T3CF4fBmugLD/s320/CIMG1991.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna, Melissa, Megan, Del, Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After listening to Dell Tackett (from the Truth Project) speak here at Ministry Family Retreat last week, I was inspired on multiple levels. Dell spoke of how the Christian life and hope itself aught not to be defined by our story and what we might gain at the end, but by the Larger Story written in perfection by God himself. The extent that we have real hope is the extent that we consider ourselves a part of His story rather than our own. When I realized what he was saying, I immediately knew I had to communicate this idea to my students so they also could find true hope.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The second challenge that Dell issued was concerning the glorious yet treacherous task of teaching. He suggested that the teacher’s highest calling is not merely to help information enter the minds of students, but to find some way to work with the Holy Spirit in helping the truth penetrate to the inner recesses of the mind known as the heart in which beliefs are held and therefore actions are born. It was then that I realized I had to find a way to communicate this idea of our story vs. God’s story to the heart. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I needed something really big to compare to something really small. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Well, it just so happens that I live next to a 3000 ft runway. So after hatching a plan, I took the students out there for our “intro to Bible” day. We walked up the runway a ways and I had them stand side by side in a line facing the far end. I told them that where they stand now represents the present, behind them is the past and in front is the future. Then using 1 inch = 1 year. We marked out on the ground their estimated lifespan, none of which exceeded 9 feet. Then I had them mark out the beginning of time, assuming it was approximately 6,000 years ago, by walking 178 paces (~500’) back toward the beginning of the runway. Then I had them guess at how long the world might last before Christ comes back and several guessed that it would be before their life was over while the longest was a mere 25’ in the future.
Then we stepped back to consider which story they really wanted to be a part of, the little one that represented their lives, or the gigantic one we could barely see the marker for the beginning of and the end of which was alarmingly close. We then talked about how those aren’t really the beginning and the end, but God knew us before the foundation of the world (which in this case was somewhere out in the middle of the lake) and his story continued with us as a part of it far beyond the far end of the runway into eternity. From there it was an easy jump to show how the Word of God is his invitation to not only learn his story, but to join Him in it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> So next time you’re out on a walk and hit a straight stretch of road, count off a 178 paces, then look back and consider how your life is less than 9 feet of that. Whose story do you want to be a part of?</span>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com3Port Alsworth, AK, USA60.2025 -154.312777860.1393745 -154.4707063 60.2656255 -154.1548493tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-53772556638084652552012-07-24T22:00:00.000-07:002012-07-29T22:02:03.600-07:00Dreams<br />
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I don’t like having too many things, they weigh me down. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t like having too much money with no purpose. It makes
me feel like I’ve fallen for an ideal that’s not worth the paper it’s printed
on. Like I’m chasing a dream that never actually invaded my sleep. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So what is my dream? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I want to be free to serve.</b> My God has given his all for me,
how can I not give my all for him. What purpose do things serve in that?
Especially for someone who is not primarily a gift giver. I love to give time,
I love to teach, I love to walk through life with people and help them Grow
closer to God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So why does God keep blessing me financially? 4 years ago, I
realized that it was so that I could go to school and learn to teach the Word
and lead. So for 4 years that’s where the money God gave me went. Now, here I
am with a degree, debt free and God is still blessing me. I don’t suppose I
really make that much compared to most. I have an incredible team of supporters
who give faithfully allowing me to live the dream that God gave me. I have a
great summer job for a few months, but the biggest thing is that I have
remained mostly free of financial burdens. So the question is, what do I do
with what I have to serve my God most faithfully?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZXENr-DpMCCuHqZiq3LN2xlcAzY4Aftkx340TeWrAnuaq-4qzaODoC8bH1ykMs6SndbIfbwOzTHZWHoVYPtR8tVw1ZIH8GsjcSsPYe_eMmJ5-pqotboVvhw6Ftj-V3kNNKcWoZ_t1pU_/s1600/IMG_1773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZXENr-DpMCCuHqZiq3LN2xlcAzY4Aftkx340TeWrAnuaq-4qzaODoC8bH1ykMs6SndbIfbwOzTHZWHoVYPtR8tVw1ZIH8GsjcSsPYe_eMmJ5-pqotboVvhw6Ftj-V3kNNKcWoZ_t1pU_/s200/IMG_1773.JPG" width="200" /></a>Well, remember that whole thing about wanting to be <b>free to
serve</b>? What does that look like in Alaska, in the bush. According to our Guest
Mentor Paul Boskoffsky of Naknek who is a well respected leader in the church
and who has first hand experience with the good and the bad of Alaska missions
over the years, we need to observe. A good servant of the people of Alaska will
take the time to listen, to be involved in people’s lives in multiple settings,
to be present. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have not lived in Port Alsworth for very long, but I can
tell you it is a very hard thing to do when you are stuck in “the Port Alsworth
bubble.” It is a great place to live, but it’s also a great place to get out of
touch with what’s going on around you and with the reality of the lives of the
very people that we want to serve. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So how do we break free of the bubble? How do we get out to
be available to those that don’t live here? It’s simple…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Fly</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eei54ucPPejWznpe93HZ65-Jz9ORYdHLBwIHvyWjqebw2x7weSK5NgbXMa9HjLDcQJ1mjYEwDBFONvzYnYHmDMiLBRT5Qus3zB-7b5widOx1LJaVnc8koCp3wR-gxJH1dAdFXR9MQfTr/s1600/IMG_0933.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eei54ucPPejWznpe93HZ65-Jz9ORYdHLBwIHvyWjqebw2x7weSK5NgbXMa9HjLDcQJ1mjYEwDBFONvzYnYHmDMiLBRT5Qus3zB-7b5widOx1LJaVnc8koCp3wR-gxJH1dAdFXR9MQfTr/s1600/IMG_0933.jpeg" /></a>So that’s exactly what I intend to do. After putting it to
prayer, it appears that the time is right, the resources are there and there is
no better way for me to invest my time and money at this point in life. I have a new scene in my dream and I’m
beginning to get excited about it. Learning to fly is something that I’ve never
even allowed myself to dream about before, but now it seems that I get to. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have no idea how this is going to work out in the long
run, only that I can take the first steps into a new adventure so I could use
many prayers to carry me along the way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And who knows, I might even enjoy it. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-22900600853481487922012-05-06T19:32:00.000-07:002012-05-06T20:51:22.613-07:00The Bible in 1200 words<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-qeR_VrQ_5p1UmbemBpW0ndX6qm9ktKYiTNrjPpF7AS5UrZJeZsHQcA-5uDL2DCVUTN6QjkF1T5T-eqVJdmHxPJ5c6WsvCDFCle24CeA-jx2rKHn_u0WscfoZiD1hRHjP7OGjxy9LzKc/s320/IMG_0525.JPG" width="320" /></span><span style="color: orange;">I just finished teaching the first of what looks
to be many bible survey classes here at Tanalian Leadership Center and I can
tell you it is one of the most life changing experiences piecing the story of
the Bible together and stepping back to admire the complete picture. Because
the process impacted me so deeply, I thought I would share my attempt at
painting the picture for you in a few paragraphs. Of course it won’t come
anywhere near the picture we have painted here over the last three months on
several hundred feet of butcher paper, but it is the same story after all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
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There were two trees that had names in the garden, The Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil and The Tree of Life. Man, being the brilliant creature
that he is, chose the Tree of Knowledge and was off from the Tree of Life and
found himself face to face with death. Yet even as God is dealing out the
consequences, he is also hinting at a plan for restoration. The offspring of
Eve will crush Satan’s head.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[1]</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the reader walks down the rest of the Old Testament road, he
finds that this is only the first of many road signs all pointing to something
ahead; something that brings hope.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[2]</span></span></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Noah and Babel, we see God’s forbearance and mercy toward people
who seem to be hopelessly sinful<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[3]</span></span></span> and a
promise not to wipe them out again.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[4]</span></span></span> In Abraham
we see a man who was considered righteous because of his faith<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[5]</span></span></span> and a
promise to make him a blessing to all nations.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[6]</span></span></span> In Joseph
we see forgiveness<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[7]</span></span></span>, in the
Passover we see redemption by the blood of a lamb<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[8]</span></span></span>, in Moses
we see communion with God,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[9]</span></span></span> in the Law
we see the holiness of God<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[10]</span></span></span> and a
promise of blessing for obedience, cursing for disobedience,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[11]</span></span></span> and restoration
for repentance.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[12]</span></span></span> In David
we see glimpses of a godly king,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[13]</span></span></span> yet he too
is taken by sin and dies,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[14]</span></span></span> but not before
the promise of a king to rule in his house forever<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[15]</span></span></span>. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><o:p></o:p></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then the prophets paint for us ugly pictures of sin and judgment
contrasted with beautiful pictures of restoration and a promise that the coming
king from David’s house will be the deliverer. Through suffering,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[16]</span></span></span> he will
give us new hearts, hearts of flesh in place of stone<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[17]</span></span></span>, hearts with
the law written on them.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[18]</span></span></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet at the end of the Old Testament, we see persistent sin,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[19]</span></span></span> Chaos, partial
restoration, but a devastated people still looking and waiting for this
promised messiah.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[20]</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then silence for 400 years…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the story picks up again with some very strange circumstances.
In Luke, it’s the announcement of the birth of a herald. A specially anointed
man who would prepare the way for the Messiah. Then the Messiah himself is
announced.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[21]</span></span></span> Yet instead
of a mighty warrior riding in and taking over, he comes in the least expected
way, a child born in a stable to common folk. Raised in a humble town in a
simple family.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[22]</span></span></span> Then we
begin to see why when he quotes Isaiah and claims the words as his own.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"The spirit of the Lord
is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the year of the
Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18, Is 61:1-2)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Consistent with this, he lives a life of humility and compassion and
when he does finally ride into Jerusalem to set her free, it’s on a donkey and
it’s with tears over the impending rejection of her king.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[23]</span></span></span> Sure
enough, it wasn’t long before the words of the prophets were fulfilled.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[24]</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"Surely he
has borne our grief’s and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him
stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our
transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the
chastisement that brought us peace and with his stripes we are healed."<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>(Is 53:4-5)<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><o:p></o:p></a></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this we see that his death was not in vain, but it was actually
in our place. Looking back at the history into which his life and death speaks,
we see that <b>he was</b> the substitute
ram,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[25]</span></span></span> <b>he was</b> the lamb who’s blood was shed,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[26]</span></span></span> <b>he was</b> the forgiver of sins,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[27]</span></span></span> <b>he was</b> the righteousness of God,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[28]</span></span></span> <b>he was</b> the coming king.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[29]</span></span></span> History
begins to make sense at the foot of the cross. And suddenly we have a choice to
make. We are all thieves nailed to our doom by the blood on our hands,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[30]</span></span></span> yet the
promise from Deuteronomy still stands, whispering in our ear, <i>restoration for repentance</i>.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[31]</span></span></span> Yet some
still scoff.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<b>he was</b>” is a depressing
term though. What is a dead king to a hurting nation? That’s why he didn’t stay
dead. The women come to the tomb only to be met with a pile of empty grave
clothes and a question, <i>“why do you look
for the living among the dead?</i><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[32]</span></span></span><i> <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few days later two disciples are walking lonely road to Emmaus,
trying to make sense of everything that has happened, not sure what to believe.
A man appears and in a seven-mile long conversation he hands them the keys to
unlock history and prophesy.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[33]</span></span></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was not long before the disciples found themselves hearing Jesus
say,<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><o:p></o:p></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the
ends of the earth."</i><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[34]</span></span></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And they watched him ascend to heaven leaving the promise to send a
helper.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[35]</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then at the harvest feast, the helper comes and the Church is born
with Spirit and fire. Thus God has returned to dwell among us, but these hands
and feet aren’t pierced by nails, rather they bear a striking resemblance to
our own.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[36]</span></span></span> The Spirit
dwells in us and suddenly we find ourselves caught up in the story, no longer
as casual observers but as active participants. A crucial component of God’s
plan to bring light to the nations.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[37]</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through the painful rejection of their messiah, Israel slammed the
door in the face of God and the door to the gentiles is opened.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[38]</span></span></span> Now the
gospel goes out unchecked by even the worst of persecutions.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[39]</span></span></span> In the
hands of the formerly poor, imprisoned, blind and oppressed, the good news goes
out to the same.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[40]</span></span></span> And we
work with an urgency, knowing only that <b>he
is coming soon</b>,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[41]</span></span></span> and when
he comes, he brings judgment for the wicked<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[42]</span></span></span> but for
those who’s names are in the book of life, the story ends back where it started,
with the Tree of Life. But then, instead of standing alone in the garden with
only two souls to nourish, it will stand in the midst of a huge city bringing
healing to all the nations who will have been restored to it’s life by the
blood of the lamb who was slain and is worthy to receive all the glory. <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[43]</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
God Almighty<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Who was and is and is to
come.” </b><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[44]</span></span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><o:p></o:p></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1464996481"><br /></a><br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[1]</span></span></span>
Genesis 2-3<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[2]</span></span></span>
Luke 24:27<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[3]</span></span></span>
Gen 8-11<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn4">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[4]</span></span></span>
Gen 8:21-22<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn5">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[5]</span></span></span>
Gen 15:6<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn6">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[6]</span></span></span>
Gen 17:5, 26:4<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn7">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[7]</span></span></span>
Gen 45<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn8">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[8]</span></span></span>
Exodus 12<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn9">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[9]</span></span></span>
Exod 33:11<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn10">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[10]</span></span></span>
Leviticus 11:44<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn11">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[11]</span></span></span>
Deuteronomy 28<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn12">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[12]</span></span></span>
Deut 30<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn13">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[13]</span></span></span> I
Samuel 13:14<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn14">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[14]</span></span></span>
II Samuel 11<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn15">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[15]</span></span></span>
II Samuel 7<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn16">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[16]</span></span></span>
Isaiah 52:13-53:12<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn17">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[17]</span></span></span>
Ezekiel 36:26<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn18">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[18]</span></span></span>
Jeremiah 31:33<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn19">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[19]</span></span></span>
Ezra 9-10<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn20">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[20]</span></span></span>
Luke 2:22-38<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn21">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[21]</span></span></span>
Luke 1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn22">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[22]</span></span></span>
Luke 2:1-21<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn23">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[23]</span></span></span>
Luke 19:28-44<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn24">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[24]</span></span></span>
Luke 22:37<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn25">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[25]</span></span></span>
Gen 22<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn26">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[26]</span></span></span>
Exodus 12<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn27">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[27]</span></span></span>
Deut 30<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn28">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[28]</span></span></span>
Hebrews 4:15<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn29">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[29]</span></span></span>
Luke 23:3<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn30">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[30]</span></span></span>
Luke 23:39-43<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn31">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[31]</span></span></span>
Deut 30<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn32">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[32]</span></span></span>
Luke 24:5<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn33">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[33]</span></span></span>
Luke 24:13-35<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn34">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[34]</span></span></span>
Acts 1:8<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn35">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[35]</span></span></span>
Acts 1:6-10<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn36">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[36]</span></span></span>
Acts 2<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn37">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[37]</span></span></span>
Acts 26:23, Isa 42:6, Isa 49:6, Luke 2:32, Gen 26:4<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn38">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[38]</span></span></span>
Acts 28:23-28<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn39">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[39]</span></span></span>
Acts 8:4<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn40">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[40]</span></span></span>
Luke 4:18, Is 61:1-2, II Cor 4:1-6<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn41">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[41]</span></span></span>
Revelation 3:11, 22:7, 12, 20<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn42">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[42]</span></span></span>
Revelation 20:15<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn43">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[43]</span></span></span>
Revelation 22:1-5<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn44">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">[44]</span></span></span>
Revelation 4:8<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com1Port Alsworth, AK, USA60.2025 -154.312777859.946751 -154.94449179999998 60.458249 -153.6810638tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-57711959177460950482012-02-08T21:49:00.000-08:002012-02-08T21:49:18.940-08:00Perspective 4000'<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWRTnzOUktbXLcrMsEWpgnIS1B0ZDdCONPwG5oyJ_AWqf0zYBS2BJEdnmTHzat-Ij9EZCGXvpg_JdqK97fVBlHXH7-d8Ox6CYuCZQiiuI6DGSptY_00c6giWyCAIRZ_7OcBGJtml4J7Bp/s1600/IMG_8727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWRTnzOUktbXLcrMsEWpgnIS1B0ZDdCONPwG5oyJ_AWqf0zYBS2BJEdnmTHzat-Ij9EZCGXvpg_JdqK97fVBlHXH7-d8Ox6CYuCZQiiuI6DGSptY_00c6giWyCAIRZ_7OcBGJtml4J7Bp/s320/IMG_8727.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Clark covered in ice fog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are several reasons why I like flying; one is
experiencing the simply incredible scientific phenomenon of flight itself. It
is, well… Phenomenal. The other is the perspective that it gives you. They say
sometimes you miss the forest for the trees, but I think sometimes in Alaska
it’s more like missing the mountain range for the mountains. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV91Ea2YBj3ZhESaDMPsJNda0zc8H6tErvn_-w0cr1SG815vp_-2oz4cliIztx9jFJO1XCuANaaq4cOJpDsm6htY-Rg69yPJJTZi-bT5K5oNb1R2AoWX_jFWZE0CSHmxh3-N3tnGOCHKJ8/s1600/IMG_9467-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV91Ea2YBj3ZhESaDMPsJNda0zc8H6tErvn_-w0cr1SG815vp_-2oz4cliIztx9jFJO1XCuANaaq4cOJpDsm6htY-Rg69yPJJTZi-bT5K5oNb1R2AoWX_jFWZE0CSHmxh3-N3tnGOCHKJ8/s200/IMG_9467-001.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanalian Mtn.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here in Port Alsworth you can see a number of mountains but
most of the view is just the one that looms overhead known as Tanalian
Mountain. But this past weekend, Mark brought me with him on a trip down to
Naknek. In a matter of minutes after taking off with his Cherokee Six we leave
the Alaska Range behind us, fly over Alaska’s largest lake, across seemingly
endless flats, and find the ocean. I’ve seen it all on maps before, but there’s
nothing like seeing it all from the air to help you really understand the
terrain. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09KNGIYGEkeiSLxEj60ZLgKZxFmjglZ7llel7DvsAlchehQp5g6w2vovTvf5rP9xYCiLF8dWlMiOED4nGRJ7nWlTkxTtFM5Lxx6NeezFsEyBnb25eps1SSqgq7GZ7E2fsI0S9PgkiAuic/s1600/IMG_2073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09KNGIYGEkeiSLxEj60ZLgKZxFmjglZ7llel7DvsAlchehQp5g6w2vovTvf5rP9xYCiLF8dWlMiOED4nGRJ7nWlTkxTtFM5Lxx6NeezFsEyBnb25eps1SSqgq7GZ7E2fsI0S9PgkiAuic/s320/IMG_2073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I will not deny, that a botanist who gets down on his hands
and knees with a magnifying glass and studies the tundra that I am flying 4000
feet over at 160 mph will also see the nature of God reflected in his creation,
but I also believe there is a time to step back and remember what we are
looking at. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOzumenl-FxnN7SrW8rXr-SEEV8SCxhvUPrJ5WUZqM_6OIcRrCALol2Wc31jva10E5ew6QLEjAo773qr_Qeabc-GO9Vfc6ddWNcXeRLMOW-r6uxUy_ZHZEFe70lEhFVsgNaONSOT6buQF/s1600/IMG_8581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOzumenl-FxnN7SrW8rXr-SEEV8SCxhvUPrJ5WUZqM_6OIcRrCALol2Wc31jva10E5ew6QLEjAo773qr_Qeabc-GO9Vfc6ddWNcXeRLMOW-r6uxUy_ZHZEFe70lEhFVsgNaONSOT6buQF/s200/IMG_8581.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
I have spent entire semesters at Multnomah Bible College
focusing on single books. The pages of Jonah and Ephesians are a little extra
worn in my bibles and I have gleaned incredible life changing truths from them.
But now my knees are sore and my back is tired and I’m itching to fly. I want a
fresh perspective. What is this book that I’ve spent my life studying really
about. How does the Story flow? How does each book build on the others? Who are
the main characters? What is the plot? Who are the heroes and who are the
villains? What character do I get to play?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFz2bi-yG5BfAfJ4EW4yn6ryQXuFOl3TigiPYLsbV6ZBijBKKlf7lVHLmd9ZX0ux9Jnugiharjx9IzW3u_ouKgxQgj1y1jd5KfXm6Kdh9VxQpums6iHxi6N_QzA1-xD1Gm64dtk2e092T/s1600/IMG_9043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFz2bi-yG5BfAfJ4EW4yn6ryQXuFOl3TigiPYLsbV6ZBijBKKlf7lVHLmd9ZX0ux9Jnugiharjx9IzW3u_ouKgxQgj1y1jd5KfXm6Kdh9VxQpums6iHxi6N_QzA1-xD1Gm64dtk2e092T/s320/IMG_9043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Alaska Range</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That is my task for the next 3 months, to gain some
altitude, get a better view, see the sights. And the best part is that I don’t
have to do it alone. Eric and myself have been having a blast as we begin the
process of looking over what we will teach the students at Tanalian Leadership
Center this year. And while Eric and I are more equipped, I expect it will be
more like asking the students to join us on an exploration adventure than it
will be teaching them what we’ve learned. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
We bought a roll of paper 18 inches x 1200 feet so we can
record our progress on the journey and always look back to see where we’ve
been. The length of the paper, however, does not limit the potential for
adventure, and I have a feeling that if we ever come back from this one, we
will not be the same. <o:p></o:p></div>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com1Port Alsworth, AK, USA60.2025 -154.312777859.95 -154.94449179999998 60.455 -153.6810638tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-15843789536259981422011-12-13T10:34:00.000-08:002011-12-14T09:40:08.316-08:00The Theological Death of an Alaskan Virtue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvVPQO4n3oQr_DvStNsU1qZPnwShrhXGbl3jFTVSIcoia30-P4BmBsq7EXAhP13BNYWod04iT37oQuLmH6oDDoQRcv7gcDnO7FWr5vv8CE4xm2y0ZwyC9Lut_ksgizD0yFjZwF7KmeXTG/s1600/IMG_8588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvVPQO4n3oQr_DvStNsU1qZPnwShrhXGbl3jFTVSIcoia30-P4BmBsq7EXAhP13BNYWod04iT37oQuLmH6oDDoQRcv7gcDnO7FWr5vv8CE4xm2y0ZwyC9Lut_ksgizD0yFjZwF7KmeXTG/s640/IMG_8588.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Though there is much that I don’t remember from my first
year at Multnomah Bible College in Portland Oregon, there is one thing that
stuck with me. We were sitting in philosophy class with professor Lubeck, talking
about ways that people view the world and he made an observation. “Here in the
Northwest, we are probably the most independent people on the planet… except
possibly Alaskans.” To which I promptly agreed and responded with “Except
definitely Alaskans.” Alaskans know what I’m talking about. There seems to be
something about the “Last frontier” that attracts people who want to live
independently. Not only that but the spread out, often rural, lifestyle seems
to promote independence. To apply a little bit of generalization, it’s every
Alaskan man’s dream to own his own snowplow, 4-wheeler and hunting gear so that
he doesn’t need anyone else to help him live the way he wants to. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ironically, it was in another of Lubeck’s classes in my last
semester at Multnomah that this Alaskan cultural virtue of independence took a
serious hit. The class was Advanced Bible Study Methods. One in which our
method of learning was to dissect the book of Ephesians with a scalpel to the
point where that frog that we dissected in my Jr. High science lab looked
healthy by comparison. I ran across a problem in this process though. I found
that dissecting Ephesians was remarkably similar to attempting to fillet a
bucket of tar with a Swiss army knife. It has these annoying sticky themes that
run all the way through it to the point that every time you take a slice at it
in order to pull of a chunk, you glance away only to look back and find it inseparably
interwoven to the pieces before and after it by an annoying theme like unity and
togetherness. It was that unity that wouldn’t let me separate
anything. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the first things Paul does is lay out the master
plan:<o:p></o:p></div>
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“…to bring all things
in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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(1:10)<o:p></o:p></div>
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And if that weren’t bad enough, he goes on to built and
incredibly robust theology of the church saying things like, <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him
to be head over everything for he church which is his body, the fullness of him
who fills everything in every way.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then give it even more significance by saying,<o:p></o:p></div>
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“In him the whole building is joined <b>together</b> and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built <b>together </b>to become a dwelling in which
God lives by his Spirit” (2:21-22 emphasis mine)<o:p></o:p></div>
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And in case that were not enough, he goes on to say things
like,<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Make every effort to keep the <b>unity</b> of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is <b>one</b> body and one Spirit – just as you
were called to <b>one</b> hope when you
were called – <b>one</b> Lord, <b>one</b> faith, <b>one</b> baptism; <b>one</b> God and
Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (4:3-6 emphasis
mine) <o:p></o:p></div>
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Are you getting the idea of oneness yet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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There’s also this annoying term “together” that is used 16
times in many different ways to show that everything we do as a church must be
together. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But why, what is it that is so important about being one,
being unified and using our gifts together? Well, in order to help us see this,
Paul backs off and asks us to look at the church from a high orbit where we can
see what Professor Tom Kopp recently called, “The forgotten middle.” Us
westerner’s have an easy enough time believing in humanity and things made of
mass, and we do ok at believing in God, but for some reason we like to ignore
the spiritual realm in-between. Paul,
however, had no problem treating other spiritual beings as a reality and thus
we read about the mystery of the Gospel that is now revealed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“His intent was that now, thought the church, the manifold
wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the
heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in
Christ Jesus our Lord.” (3:10-11)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Can you see as I have that the unity of the church is not
just so we can all have warm fuzzys and a nice comfortable place to go on Sunday
where people will like us? It seems that the church is more of a cosmic thing and
her unity is how God has chosen to display his superior wisdom to the spiritual
rulers and authorities that we can’t usually see. So we can talk about the social
gospel and how we need to show the world God’s nature by our love for one
another, but do we realize that in doing so, we are also displaying God’s
wisdom and nature to the rest of creation that we may or may not even be aware
of; something beyond the limitations of physics and mass.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It aught to be enough motivation that our neighbors all
around us are thirsting for the living water and without unity our living water looks like just another mud puddle. But if that’s not enough, we aught to
remember that as Christians we have been made a part of the Church, God’s plan
to show the world, including the spiritual realm, his grace, mercy and love. If
we do not stand firm and fight for the unity of the church against the
spiritual forces that face us, (The armor passage in Eph 6) then we are doing a
poor job indeed of reflecting the nature of God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Thankfully, Grace is a part of that nature. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So here I am a white Alaskan to the core with the cultural
value of independence ingrained deeper in my bones than their own marrow. Then
this annoying guy named Paul starts telling me that in order to fulfill my
ultimate purpose in life, it is not an option, but in fact it is required that
I become as interdependent in the church as a catcher’s hand is with his eye
while intercepting a 100mph fastball. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I am learning interdependence as I have been raising support
for the past few months to go and serve in Port Alsworth at Tanalian Leadership
Center. As I rely on my support team, I am able to go and they rely on me to
carry out the work that they have committed to being a part of. It’s a humbling
experience, knowing I can’t do it alone. Yet I something tells me that the
money and prayer are only the start of a long list of areas that God wants to
apply this lesson to. I will have much to learn as I integrate into the TLC
staff team, Lake Clark Bible Church and the community as a whole. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I also expect to learn from the students who I am supposed
to be teaching since native culture as a general rule is much more founded on
community values and interdependence. While I’m at it, perhaps I should learn a
bit about “the forgotten middle” In fact, why don’t I just re-define what it
means to be Alaskan based on some of the cultural values that existed in my
beautiful state long before us white people even got here. <o:p></o:p></div>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-58401493203389436952011-11-12T10:19:00.001-08:002011-11-16T12:43:32.680-08:00The Pane of Suffering<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIcmtMBjTF2DLlPAts-hrN6IqhVwaqr4pViOfNyaBYeOkkmZPJxokFlJvuv8DV3t2IXKlJpeKBHl36-go2GeQPe0v7p2GlGukjNJPYGNx0nifgCP5AxllIkUnw5mBBATfZ-9c8jilPAo_/s1600/Pane+of+Suffering+inverted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIcmtMBjTF2DLlPAts-hrN6IqhVwaqr4pViOfNyaBYeOkkmZPJxokFlJvuv8DV3t2IXKlJpeKBHl36-go2GeQPe0v7p2GlGukjNJPYGNx0nifgCP5AxllIkUnw5mBBATfZ-9c8jilPAo_/s200/Pane+of+Suffering+inverted.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />
The body of God, hung on a cross<o:p></o:p><br />
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Nail pierced arms, blood stained feet<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s a terrible and beautiful suffering<o:p></o:p></div>
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Redeeming forever the souls of men<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Through this bloodstained pane of suffering<o:p></o:p></div>
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We see the glory of God in love<o:p></o:p></div>
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The author of all that is, Himself<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who came to die, to reconcile<o:p></o:p></div>
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He could not let his image fall<o:p></o:p></div>
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Down an endless spiral of sin and death <o:p></o:p></div>
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So down to flesh he came to die<o:p></o:p></div>
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To suffer the punishment we should take<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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He conquered death and returned to the father<o:p></o:p></div>
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But his body remains on earth to live<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Breathed to life by his very own spirit<o:p></o:p></div>
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His hands now reach, his arms extend<o:p></o:p></div>
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To reach a world that hates his name<o:p></o:p></div>
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A world of brokenness sin and pain<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Should we be surprised when the hand is pierced?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or recoil from pain at the sight of the spear?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Or invite a view of God on a cross<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through a broken pane of suffering? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-12490269818677904512011-09-29T16:06:00.000-07:002011-10-03T17:09:09.402-07:00Oriented North<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1bHjexkCV-TZaHoWhzvcvyerhr4Our_LUCW5kgfJcbM0vYwazZc187L_yKw4Cik_ZRZA2Q4RZ17VRcnQbYk53mt7w1-Za5TtxRJu8TWxyOloVuI6_Hl7uIpQed4HscR77qVj4l0vdo8g/s1600/crucifish+north.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1bHjexkCV-TZaHoWhzvcvyerhr4Our_LUCW5kgfJcbM0vYwazZc187L_yKw4Cik_ZRZA2Q4RZ17VRcnQbYk53mt7w1-Za5TtxRJu8TWxyOloVuI6_Hl7uIpQed4HscR77qVj4l0vdo8g/s1600/crucifish+north.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Life makes more sense when it’s oriented north. Even sinks
that face south are confusing to me. Suddenly hot water comes from the east
knob and cold from the west. Everything is backwards and confusing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every time I look at a map I feel the same way, it’s like
playing mental twister trying to figure out what the heck is going on. But then
when I get it spun around so that north on the map is north in the world, everything
suddenly makes sense. East things are east, west things are west and north
things are north. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My life here in Oregon is not so different. Bible college;
the education, the experience, the people, none of it really makes sense till I
spin it around and point it north. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve never been called anywhere but Alaska. While many of my
Alaskan friends are anxious to get out of Alaska, to travel the world to see
and experience the world, I still have the same mindset as when I turned 16. My
Grandma traditionally takes her grandchildren on a trip when they turn 16. I
could have asked to go anywhere in the world! What did I want to see? Southeast
Alaska, one part of the state that I love that I had not seen yet. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you would have asked me in 2007 when I completed my
Surveying education, what I wanted to do if I grew up I would have told you
that I wanted to live and work in Alaska (rather broad don’t you think); in
2008, full time ministry in Alaska; In 2009, Ministry for the church in Alaska;
In 2010, Ministry for the church in Alaska with the possibility of serving the
native community; and now in 2011, I have a call to serve in Port Alsworth
Alaska in a new ministry known as Tanalian Leadership Center. It is a ministry,
centered around building up Native leaders to serve in their own communities
and churches…<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s amazing what happens when you walk with God, not
knowing where he’s taking you but following one step at a time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am especially amazed that he has provided me with this
opportunity when I consider the three primary loves in my life. (not counting
individual people because that’s a whole different category)<o:p></o:p></div>
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1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span>Jesus Christ: The one who has redeemed me from a
pointless self centered life and called me to participate as a character in his
epic plan of redemption, the greatest story of all time. There is nothing and
no one I love more that Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span>His church: His body, the fullness of Him who
fills all in all, the physical manifestation of his presence in this world. She
is broken and hurting from living in this world, but she bears the image of her
creator and He is making her beautiful. I would / will give my life to be a
part of that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span>Alaska: My home, the last frontier, the vast and
untamed land that will try to kill you. That land where a man can still be
swallowed up by the wilderness and reminded of just how small he really is. The
land that carries in its heart the people that I love.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have never fit in Portland and I don’t suspect I ever
will. As Josh Turner would say, “I live in the city but don’t fit in.” I can
love the people here, but I don’t feel very useful. The majority of my skills
and experience are completely irrelevant in this environment. I feel a little
like a polar bear in Hawaii.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Needless to say, it would be easy for someone like me to get
confused and disoriented in a place like this when suddenly I have be south
when everything in my life has pointed north. Thankfully God’s compass is still
working and he knows where he’s going.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So now, here I am finishing my degree in Bible / Theology
and Pastoral Ministries and Tanalian Leadership Center needs a guy who is
single, has Bible education and a heart for discipleship. Preferably with
vocational skills outside of ministry and experience living and working in
Alaska, especially among natives. Hm, Check, check, check, check, check, check,
check, check. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Wow. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rAzapAD1PZY/TopOcQi1cXI/AAAAAAAAzWo/V2rJQWV8LeM/s1600/TLC_Logo-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rAzapAD1PZY/TopOcQi1cXI/AAAAAAAAzWo/V2rJQWV8LeM/s1600/TLC_Logo-copy.jpg" /></a>Life does make more sense oriented north. <o:p></o:p></div>
Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-58674920433468002882011-08-01T11:13:00.000-07:002011-08-01T11:13:41.245-07:00Who says Numbers is boring?<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">The mob is coming closer. They shake their fists and shout in an indiscernible roar of anger. Moses and Aaron stand alone in front of the tabernacle calling upon every ounce of their strength to stand their ground in the face of the angry throngs approaching them. They know that their only hope now is YHWH himself so, although their instincts told them otherwise, they fell on their faces before the tent of meeting begging God to stave off the impending disaster.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">Among the shouts that were now drawing nearer they could just distinguish some of the accusations that were being hurled at them.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">“You killed Korah!”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">“Our son’s blood is on your heads!”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">Moses and Aaron knew the truth of the matter, Korah and his son’s had rebelled and God swallowed them up in the earth to make an example of them. Now, what was supposed to put a fear of God in the hosts of Israel had only stirred them up to a more massive rebellion. The situation seemed beyond hope.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">Now both Moses and Aaron could feel the sickening feeling in their stomachs as they sensed the wrath of God building in the tent behind them. Finally, it could no longer be contained and Moses looked up to see a wave of people falling dead. It started at the back of the mob and began rolling toward them, bodies falling like so many dominoes in a gust of wind.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">Moses yelled at Aaron,<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">“Quick! Get the fire and the incense from the tabernacle and run out and make atonement for the people before YHWH slays them all!”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">Aaron hurried to do as he was instructed and Moses watched as the wave of falling people and the lone figure bearing only a smoking censor rushed together toward the inevitable collision.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">As Aaron pushed through the angry and now confused throngs, fear surged through his veins as he realized that he was rushing to make atonement for an undeserving and wicked people without an ounce of blood to shed on their behalf. He knew the law. The blood of an innocent must be shed for the sin of the people. And he wondered as he ran if it would be his own blood this time in the absence of a sheep or goat. But there was no time for second guessing now, his people were falling by the thousands and he must stop it no matter the cost. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">Finally the wave and the priest met and the wave stopped like a swell against the cliffs. The remaining people drew back from those who had fallen and there stood one man in the gap between 14,700 corpses and the remnant of the congregation who were now silenced in fear.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">Having stopped the plague, Aaron slowly walked back to where Moses was standing and wondered to himself, “What kind of lamb could possibly be sacrificed take away the sin of these people and still allow his life to be spared?”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">Based on Numbers 16:41-50.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">Some interpretive liberties were taken, but I hope that you will not find it too far from the truth. </div>Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-420488565091511138.post-22246645609310643592011-05-28T13:14:00.000-07:002011-08-31T15:56:19.274-07:00Deed to a Church<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">So apparently this one is a work in progress. I had a different picture of a church to go with it, but this time down the highway I found the church that I really wanted for the picture. It had been bugging me all summer because on the way north we blew by it and I knew I wanted a picture but we didn't stop. This time I got it. So here's the latest manifestation of the poem that probably has the most effect on me out of my whole collection. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"> I am blown away by God's forbearance and mercy.</span></span></div>
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Andrew Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341508531762463238noreply@blogger.com2Trans-Canada Hwy, Spences Bridge, BC V0K 2L0, Canada50.415217893631961 -121.3570404052734450.41458539363196 -121.35827440527343 50.415850393631963 -121.35580640527344