ken castor

Romans 5:7-8 ~ hyper

A goodie-two-shoes type of person won't ever receive much support from anyone.  A "righteous" person, in the way that Paul uses the word in this verse, is "upright" and, as a result, is rather annoying to everyone... and no normal person would sacrifice their life for such a prude. 

Some people might, however, be willing to die for someone who is genuinely good... a person who is for the most part kind and humble, a person who is responsible and honorable, a person who exhibits character and inner strength.  In fact, we have soldiers that do this sort of sacrifice all of the time for the people of their country.  I am so amazed an impressed by my friends and family members that have put their life on the line so that other good people would be able to live and be free.  Some people might consider it worth their life for such people to be spared.

In relative terms, the snobby pharisee is not worth the sacrifice, but the common decent person might possibly be.

But who would dare offer themselves to die in the place of those who revolt against them, a.k.a. enemies?  Who would lay down their life for the sake of someone who rejected them and has acted violently and revoltingly in defiance against tem?  Paul marvels about this in Romans 5:7-8:

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (TNIV)

As Everett Harrison points out in his commentary, the action of Christ is "distinctive, unexpected, unheard of (cf.John 3:16)." (59)  Paul expresses the phrase "die for" four times in verses 6-8 in conjunction with the preposition hyper (ὑπὲρ), meaning "on behalf of" or "for the sake of".  Harrison suggests that Paul could have used the word anti, meaning "in the place of" or "against"... which would have alluded to Jesus dying as a substitute for us, against what we deserved. (59) But instead Paul uses the word hyper, allowing him to still communicate that idea of substitution but with the added concept of Christ's proactive, loving action at just the necessary moment.

It's as if Jesus, as a soldier, actively fights on our behalf, empathizing with our pain, taking the body blows that come from our own amunition, offering his blood, sweat and tears for our sake.  It was our iniquities that crushed him, it was our suffering that he bore, it was our transgressions that he let pierce him, it was our pain that he carried.  And instead of beating us back with his abilities and power, he silently withstands the onslaught and then remarkably, takes the consequence that should have been ours.  As Isaiah 53 says, the punishment that we deserved was on him... and we were given peace.

Who will save us, the fallen enemy who has sinned against God?

Jesus says, "I'll do it."

*References from Harrison, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Romans edited by Gaebelein.

 

 

Romans 3:9-18 ~ triple bogey

Compared to par, I am at least 3-over for the hole.

It wasn't until I started making some strong friendships with people outside of my narrow contexts that I began to learn how off par I was.  This is not a pessimistic conclusion... just a relative perception developed as I noticed non-Christians being nicer than me, non-Americans being better citizens of the planet than me, and non-KenCastor-people being just plain more amazing than me in almost everything.   Compared to the beautiful approach shots offered by others, my divoted hacks at life are put into a proper perspective.  Oh, yes, those long putts and mulligans will humble a person.

Just don't look when I discreetly kick the ball out of the rough and back into play...

I am not better.  Even if I am a "good" person... I am not better.  Even if I am relatively talented (huh), relatively wise (compared to some I suppose), or relatively clean (I usually take showers), or relatively handsome (my words), or relatively innocent (question)... I must also recognize that I am relatively mean, relatively inappropriate, relatively wrong (no I'm not), relatively short-sighted, relatively forgetful, relatively inconsistent in character, relatively short-tempered, relatively arrogant, relatively short, and relatively guilty. 

So even when I compare myself with humans in the world, I am relatively over for the front nine. 

So please let's not even start comparing me to God's par.  God's total for 18 holes is 18.  Such a comparison reveals me to be not just relatively bad... but absolutely awfully incomprehensibly completely messed up.

This is Paul's point in this section of Romans: Every single person ever is not better than others.  (Yep, read that sentence again.  I had to read it several times myself.)  Compared to others I am a triple bogey at least.  But especially when compared to God's pattern, every single person ever is not even good at all.  A withdrawal from the tournament is the only recourse.

In these verses Paul shows this two-fold reality: 1) Relatively people are messed up; 2) Truthfully people are messed up.  And Paul backs it up with Scripture.  Here we go:

Romans 3:9-18 (NLT) "Well then, are we Jews better than others?  No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.  As the Scriptures say,

    "No one is good-- not even one.

    "No one has real understanding; no one is seeking God.

    "All have turned away from God; all have gone wrong.

    "No one does good, not even one.

    "Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.  Their speech is filled with lies.

    "The poison of a deadly snake drips from their lips.

    "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.

    "They are quick to commit murder.

    "Wherever they go, destruction and misery follow them.

    "They do not know what true peace is.

    "They have no fear of God to restrain them."

Note: The way Paul uses Scripture here is interesting.  He's not quoting a direct portion of the Old Testament... he's mashing a whole bunch of quotes together.  It's as if Paul was so steeped in Scripture that it just flowed out in an organized conversation.  I'm sure Paul would have an impressive answer if you were to ask him, "Where does Scripture say that?"  He might say "Well, verses 10-12 are from Psalms 14 and 53, verse 13 is from Psalm 5 and 140, verse 14 is from Psalm 10, verses 15-17 are from Isaiah 59 and verse 18 is from Psalm 36.  I can explain each of these further if you'd like."

Uh, I think I just sliced my scripture memorization into the woods.

Each of the contexts of these Old Testament references is worth a look if you have the time.  Psalm 14 puts people in their place.  Psalm 53 echoes this refrain.  Psalm 5 and 140 are simple observations in the midst of pleas for help.  Psalm 10 is a chilling question of faith.  Isaiah 59 is sobering and yet ends undeservingly.  Psalm 36 is a Third Day song. 

Scripture just pours out of Paul's thoughts... this is an inspirational challenge for me.  Each quotation drips with profound depth in the context of a living Word... a masterful approach shot.

Romans 2:17-24: Part 2 ~ reputation

God won’t let Christians ruin His reputation.

One of the most wonderful passages of Scripture in the history of Jewish/Christian heritage begins in Isaiah 52:6-53:12.  It begins with a desperate portrait of human misrepresentation of the God's way of life... but ends with God's response of love and triumph. 

Paul quoted from this section of Scripture for a reason.  In the section we are reading in Romans, Paul is arguing against finger pointing and arrogance and hypocricy... and mostly against a false sense of faith... so he quotes Isaiah--- For in this chapter of Isaiah, written 700 years before Paul, God had just leveled his "followers" with the following reality: “Because of you my name is being blasphemed.” 

God doesn’t like His name being blasphemed. God's name is "hallowed" - holy and unique and whole (Luke 11:1-4).  When Jesus taught his followers to pray, the first thing he instructed them to do was to recognize and verbalize that God's name is "hallowed."  (Note: Jesus then instructed that the natural outflow of God's hallowed name was their desire for God's way to be seen on earth, their request for God's forgiveness of their own sins, their ability to forgive the sins of others, and their intention to avoid temptation and evil.  God's hallowed name translates into a hallowed way of living for God's people.)

So God had a plan to stop the systems and people and powers that were causing the corruption of His reputation in the world.   First, through Isaiah, God made it known that there would come a day when He would reveal His name to His people again… and that as a result His "followers" would come to understand His true power (as opposed to their arrogant version in which they are the stars of the show--- a common critique of current North American spiritual conditions).  And when God revealed His name to His people, they would begin to recognize “who it is that speaks to them.” 

This implies that they thought they knew who God was… but they were off a bit.  Their pride, and the planks in their eyes, had misaligned their sight.  So God was going to perform lasic surgery.

Now, how would God redeem His Name in this world?  Simple really: God would do the opposite of what His "followers" had been doing.  They had been sourly conceited... so God was going to be wonderfully altruistic.

For instance, Isaiah 52:7 says: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news of peace and salvation, the news that God reigns!”  So while “believers” had preached judgment and condemnation to others, God promised to present a message of peace and salvation.

Isaiah 53:1 asks: “Who has believed our message?”  In other words, has the message of God gotten out there?  Or has then been another message that has stiffled God's Good News?  Had "God’s people" missed it?  Had the world yet heard it?  Or, as Isaiah has implied and Paul warns, had "God’s people" embodied a message of superiority and judgmental attitudes?  Had the world heard a message from self-righteous believers?  Well, the Good News is that God had a Good Word for everyone that wouldn't be contained any longer... even if the manner of delivery would be a bit surprising...

Isaiah 53:2-3 says: “My servant grew in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground.  There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him, He was despised and rejected- a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief.  We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by.  He was despised and we did not care.”  Had God’s people grown in the Lord’s presence with humility and fragility... like tender life in a dry land?  Or had God’s people sought after impressive grandeur and majestic appearances?  Had they been willing to suffer despicably?  Had they embraced sorrows and befriended the bitterest of grief?  Or had God’s people avoided connection with trials and tribulations?  Had God's people turned their backs on such a Message?  Had God's people missed the presence of God... and the work God was doing? 

Could God’s way be the opposite of what ours has been?

Isaiah 53:4 says: “Yet it was our weaknesses he carried, our pain that weighed him down.  And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins!”  Interesting that God is willing to let His Name be misunderstood in weakness in order for the reputation of His name to be upheld.  God is willing to allow others to be amazed at His Way.  God is not going to arrogantly defend His pattern.  God is going to live lovingly, caringly, intentionally to reveal the wonders of His name... even if others think “less” of Him.  God’s way is a way of altruism.  It is a way of living for others.  God’s way is a way of encouragement, consideration, and service for every neighbor. 

Has this been our way?

Thank you, Jesus, for behaving in a way that we have not… and for bringing glory to Your Great Name.  Amen.

Romans 2:17-24: Part 1 ~ rant

Many, many years ago, God had an issue with the people that claimed to be his followers.  These people had openly called themselves "God’s people".  They bragged about their special privilege among the nations.  But their behavior was so hypocritical that they became an embarrassment to God’s name.  They had become so full of their own pride and their own pursuits, and so weak in their influence, that the other nations ridiculed God’s people... which naturally extended into a ridicule of God.  When God’s people spoke, others only laughed at their hollow, false words.  When God’s people claimed righteousness, others only needed to point out their blatant sins.  When God’s people acted as if they were the possessors of justice, others only needed to say: “Ha!  You are no different than us… you oppress the poor, you take advantage of foreigners, you mistreat women and minorities, you pilfer and profane and pervert.  You lie in wait and plan in secret.  You are no better than us… and perhaps you are worse… because you actually claim to be better.”

Back in those days, God told a man named Isaiah to give this message: “My name is blasphemed all day long because of you.”  (Isaiah 52:5)

Paul addresses this problem in the letter-book of Romans.

Romans 2:17-24 ~~ ¹⁷ Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; ¹⁸ if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; ¹⁹ if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— ²¹ you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴ As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Paul is writing as a Jewish person living in a Gentile world.  Paul is also writing to a group of people in Rome that consisted of a sizeable representation of Jewish people living in the very non-Jewish Rome.  Simply put, Paul wants them to check their attitude+actions.  A superiority-complex has no place in true faith.  A boasting believer reinforces the reasonable doubt of a non-believer.  A person who has had the privilege of learning the Good News about God had, therefore, better not become conceited about that learning.  Someone who preaches against the sin in others, but fails to apply the same truth in their own lives, gives a rotten gospel.  A hypocritical message from the mouth of an arrogant believer becomes toxic in the ears of non-believers.  And the result is a society that ridicules the believers… and blasphemes God.

So forgive me this little modern day rant – but I can't help it.  I am concerned with the state of Christianity in our day (within which I include myself).  I used to think that because I was American, and that because I was a Christian, and that because I was an "evangelical" Christian... that I was pretty darn special in the eyes of God.   But now I am convinced that people like me need to read this passage.  And after reading this passage, I am convinced it should be read it again.  And again.  And again.

It is true that people in our society blaspheme God often these days... all over the TV, all over my kid's playground... all over relationships... all over.  But I am convinced that it is also true that people blaspheme God because the message North American Christians have lived has not always been true.   I believe many people have rejected God in our society because there have been far too many times when “Christians” have not represented God well.  “Christians” have been known to point fingers at the splinters of others while blindly ignoring their own planks.  How do we expect our society to react to this?  How can we expect our society to not blaspheme God when our inconsistent faith has led them this way?  How long can we cry “Lamb!” when we have acted like wolves.  We “believers” like to consider ourselves “guides for the blind”… but we have led for too long with our own eyes shut.  Our society across the continent is saying, “You are no better than us” (e.g. Read UnChristian by David Kinnamon and Gabe Lyons).  While many Christians would like to blame non-believers for the corruption of our modern nations, perhaps much of the blame is on the distorted message from “believers”. 

It could be said that God is blasphemed in our society today because of us.

Who would want to embrace a message of hypocrisy and arrogance?  I wouldn’t. 

(part 2 tomorrow)

Generational Transference in the Bible: The Prophets

              Generational transference of ministry leadership is evident in the examples and writings of the Prophets.  For instance, in Isaiah, the image of the Suffering Servant involves the fulfillment of freedom and salvation for a never-ending succession of generations.[1] Jeremiah reprimands a particular generation that failed to accept the transference of faith and ministry from their forefathers.[2]   The prophet Joel suggested that as one generation learns the stories of God’s actions from their elders, they then have the responsibility to tell the next generation.[3]   In this way, Elijah and Elisha exhibited a successful transference of ministry leadership.  God had told Elijah to intentionally anoint Elisha as his successor.^[4]  Reciprocally, the younger Elisha intentionally agreed to partner with Elijah as “his attendant.”^[5] Elisha showed loyalty and trust towards Elijah.^[6]  Finally, when the day of succession took place, Elijah simply gave Elisha his cloak, as a symbol that his leadership authority had been transferred to this next generation leader.  During the symbolic moment, Elijah earnestly and respectfully asked for the recognized permission to continue in the way of ministry that Elijah had so faithfully walked.^[7]

---

[1] Isaiah 53:10-12; 54:1-3

[2] Jeremiah 2:31

[3] Joel 1:3

^[4] 1 Kings 19:16

^[5] 1 Kings 19:19-21

^[6] 2 Kings 2:1-6

^[7] 2 Kings 2:9-10

video - hub message from 2009/09/20

Darkness Could Not Grasp It (Sept 20, 2009) from Ben Schuiling on Vimeo.

The second part of the hub Fall 2009 series: "The Day The Word Became Flesh!!"

Hub audio - 2009/09/20 - Darkness Could Not Grasp It

Had another great night at hub tonight.  Great day in fact.  We had almost 100 join us for a chili lunch earlier, then more than that come out for hub this evening.  Really enjoying the vibrancy and sincere desire to grow closer to God that exists in this group right now.  Praying we can "keep er lit".

Hope you will be encouraged by the talk from this evening.  It's the 2nd part to our series, "The Day the Word Became Flesh."  

Hub - Darkness Could not Grasp It

misunderstood light

I made a t-shirt about twelve years ago for our youth group at Granville Chapel in Vancouver.  Seems like a lifetime since then.  All of those 15 year olds are now 27!!  I'm not 25 any more either!!  But, back in that day, when I was 25 and they were 15 and all was fun and good and growing in our youth ministry, I made a t-shirt with these words on the back: "misunderstood light".

The phrase was meant to play with the feeling that so many teenagers have: of being misunderstood.  Whether true or not, the perception of many teenagers at one time or another is that society doesn't understand them, their parents don't understand them, their teachers or their church or even their friends don't understand them.  So they are misunderstood.

But many teenagers also feel like they have something to offer.  There is something inside of them that is filled with enthusiasm or hope or potential or promise and they just want to express that and be affirmed in that or be free to pursue that.

So the phrase "misunderstood light" seemed an appropriate slogan for a rag-tag army of teenagers.

But it also has so much more meaning.  John 1:5 says:

        "The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

The light, in John 1:5, is Jesus.  Jesus came to be with the people in the world, the world he created, and the people didn't grasp who he was and what he was all about.  He was here, walking and talking and interacting with us, and we didn't understand.  John goes on to say,  "Although the world was made through him, the world didn't recognize him when he came.  Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted."  I guess, as a teenage boy, Jesus must have it doubly bad.  I suppose he was doubly misunderstood during those years! :)

That makes sense in a way.  Who among us would have recognized the light that existed within this child, within this teenager, within this young man?  Did Jesus say to Joseph and Mary, "You just don't understand.  I'm going to be somebody!"  :)  Did Jesus say to his brothers, "Just wait, you'll see."  Or did Jesus say to his teachers, "You probably should give me the benefit of the doubt."  Did Jesus have to ever say, "I would like people to just believe in me."

But in a world that struggles to believe the best for normal people, it is understandable that this world would struggle to believe the best about Jesus.  In a world where you really aren't considered to be much until you've proven yourself and provided a good track record on your resume, it is understandable that this world wouldn't give Jesus the acceptance that he had within him all the power behind Creation itself.

If ever anyone could identify with being misunderstood, it is Jesus.  If you have time today, consider Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12.  This is the portrait of a man who is misunderstood.  But it was all in God's loving plan that the Savior of the world was to come and resonate with the lowest, with the outcast, with the misunderstood.  Why do you think he did that?

church business meeting devotional part 2

       

       Here is the second part of my church "business" meeting devotional, word-for-word.  You can find the first post here.

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2. My second observation from this passage in Colossians is this: The reason we are here today, gathered together as a church, is because Jesus Christ gave His blood on the cross. Jesus is the head of the church.  He is in charge.  He is the one in which our church moves and breathes and has its being.  Without Him we are a chicken running around without a Head.  Without Him we are a decapitated body.  Jesus Christ is the First.  He is the One and Only One who can give direction and breath to the body... who can breathe life into dry bones. 

All of God’s fullness lives in Jesus Christ.  And everything is reconciled to God because Jesus Christ gave His blood, His life for us.  Even though we had become His enemies, he stretched out his arms to carry us.  We had rebelled against our Creator.  We had tried to cut our own Head off.  We had rejected the One who had knit us together.  Yet He reconciled us… and made us His friends.  Isaiah said that “we turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by.  He was despised and we did not care.”  Yet, now he binds us together as His friends.  He has done this through his death on the cross in His own human body.  As a result, He has brought us into the very presence of God, and we are holy and blameless as we stand before him without a single fault.  The Gift of God is eternal life.  Isaiah said “it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down… He was wounded and crushed for our sins.  He was beaten that we might have peace.  By His wounds we are healed!”  And so God draws us into His presence.  In Isaiah 55 He says “Come to me with your ears open.  Listen for the life of your soul is at stake.  I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you.  I will give you all the mercies and unfailing love that I promised David.  So seek the Lord while you can.  Call on him while he is near!”  Romans 5:8 says that God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  The Apostle John wrote, “To all who believed in Him and accepted His message, he gave the right to become children of God.  Reborn!  No more sting of death.  No more separation from God!  That is why Jesus became flesh and made his dwelling among us!  He is full of grace and truth!”  We gather together here today as a church because Jesus Christ is amazing and because He gave His blood to reconcile us with God.

church business meeting devotional part 1

       

I gave this devotional at our business meeting this last week.

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Dear Heavenly Father, fill us with your purpose and passion today.  Let this be a gathering of a church that is intent on making your salvation-work the purpose for our existence.  By Your Spirit, let us trust you, and be spurred on by you.  And let us share hearts that are grateful and hearts that are full of grace that come from knowing your Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Colossians 1:15-23 says:
    Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.  He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation.  Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth.  He made the things we can see and things we can’t see- kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities.  Everything has been created through him and for him.  He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.
    Christ is the head of the church, which is his body.  He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is the first in everything.  For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and by him God reconciled everything to himself.  He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross.  This includes you who were once far away from God.  You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends.  He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body.  As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.  But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly.  Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.

There is an eternity of observations to make about this passage… And I’d like to highlight three quickly as we meet here today:

1. The first thing I draw from this passage for us is this:  The reason we are here today, gathered together as a church, is because Jesus Christ is amazing. When God asks in Isaiah 40, “What image might we find to resemble God?” The answer is Jesus Christ.  He is the visible image of God. When God asks in Isaiah 40 “Look up into the heavens.  Who created all the stars?”  The answer is Jesus Christ. He existed before anything was made.  He is supreme over all creation.  In fact, He is the one who created everything in heaven and on earth.  He is the Creator.  The Apostle John said “He was in the beginning, with God, and he was God.  He created everything there is.  Nothing exists that he didn’t make.  Life itself is in him, and this life gives light to everyone.”  He made the things we see and the things we can’t see.  Everything has been created through him… and for him.  It is because of Jesus and for Jesus that anything in all of Creation, including our church here today, is held together in communion.  Psalm 146 says “Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord from the heavens!  Praise him from the skies!  Praise him, all the angels!  Praise him, all the hosts of heaven!  Praise him, sun and moon!  Praise him, all you twinkling stars!  Praise him, skies above!  Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!  Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being… For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven!  About Jesus Scripture says: “His name is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  The reason we meet together today as a church is because Jesus Christ is amazing.