From Gardens to the Cross...

In the garden we find agony.

But it is not the first garden filled with agony. As Jesus prepared himself to take upon the cup of redemption; making reconciliation possible between man and God, as Jesus wrestled with the weight of all creation’s sin and burdened by the imperfection of all mankind placed on the most perfect being mankind had ever and would ever see, there was agony in this garden.

But Jesus, God in flesh, had seen agony in the garden before.

As He watched His perfect creation choose the lie of Satan over the promise of life, there was agony in the garden....except this garden was not Gethsemane, it was Eden.

Truth was traded for Lie. Life traded for Death. A perfect relationship with the creator-God, traded for a relationship now removed from His very presence.

The loving gaze of the Creator had to be quickly turned to agony as He watched His creation betray Him and fall. Fall hard.

Agony in Eden was the prequel for agony in Gethsemane.

But the garden was not only a place where Jesus retreated. It was not only a place filled with burden and struggle and the weight of the responsibility He was called to live out.

The garden was a battlefield.

“When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.” - John 18:1-3

Could you imagine the scene? A band of soldiers, potentially up to 1000 in number, pursuing the arrest of Jesus. There they were, complete with swords, lanterns, and torches. Ever wonder where Mary Shelley got the idea for the townsfolk descending on the castle in pursuit of the Frankenstein monster? Perhaps this is it.


Here was a mere teacher, with his disciples, being pursued by the religious officials and a whole accompaniment of armed soldiers. They were not serving a warrant. They came for BATTLE.

The garden was a battlefield.

“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him,
went out and asked them,"Who is it you want?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.
Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?"
And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
"I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)
Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away!
Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"
- John 18:4-11

From the soldiers falling back in fear and in response to the name of Jesus to Simon Peter taking his first swipe of aggression to one trying to arrest his leader, this was not the friendly confines of Gethsemane, it was a garden of betrayal, a garden of anxiety, a garden of uneasiness as to what was about to happen; a garden of battle.

But it was not the first garden of battle. A battle had already happened in a garden. Death had already replaced Life in a garden. A loving father had already been betrayed by His creation in a garden. A garden battle had already happened. From Eden to Gethsemane, these gardens were not foreign to agony - but they were also not foreign to battle.

But the battles were different.

In Eden, there was a battle. Because of the fall of mankind and the consequence of this evil, the battle became God against humanity because of sin. There would now be a barrier between God and His creation because of sin. The Battle of Eden was God versus humanity because of sin.

But Gethsemane was different. The cup Jesus was taking up was not a cup of war against man any longer, but a war against sin. This is where the Battle of Eden set the stage for the Battle of Gethsemane, but it was now a different battle.

This battle, this cup, was no longer God versus humanity because of sin, it was GOD versus SIN because of HUMANITY.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45

“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin so that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him.” -2 Corinthians 5:21

There may have been a battle started in Eden, but the war ended not at Gethsemane but at the Cross - and Gethsemane framed this final, victorious trek into battle, a battle that would not be only for His glory, but for the Hope of all humanity. That sin would forever be defeated....darkness forever made light....hell traded for heaven....and death for LIFE.

What started in one garden would be reconciled out of another.


Gethsemane; full of agony, burden, patience and suffering - but also where the battle is welcomed into the scene. 



But that was Thursday. Today is Friday. And Friday is good.....because today, today is the day that the battle’s final shot is fired, and as the final war cry echoes in our hearts, “IT IS FINISHED” And now we await Sunday....when a new Life in the Resurrection begins.


The battle for our souls finds its beginning in a garden, its end in a garden, and its placement on a cross....the center of our faith and the center of this day, Good Friday.

Who Do You Say That I Am?

About three months ago, Pastor Jamie Ward at our "Godstock" event held each fall delivered a very powerful sermon, posing the question - "Yes...but who did you say that I am?"

Obviously, Jamie was not talking about himself - but relaying a question the Christ asked Peter in Matthew 16:13-16(NIV)

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" ¹⁴They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." ¹⁵"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

But what does that mean? Jesus - dare we ask you the same question? Jesus - who do you say that YOU are?

It's funny really, because before we knew to ask the question - He answered it. Christmas is right around the corner, and if you ever want to catch up on your reading of the Christmas story, most turn to Luke 2. But if you are like me and read on ahead a little you find out something pretty cool in Luke 4. Jesus, back in the town of His upbringing entered the Temple, and when He did He dropped something on all of us; His mission statement. His purpose. The very thing He says that He is....

Here, read for yourself....Luke 4:16-21 (ESV)

¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. ¹⁷And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
¹⁸ "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,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."

²⁰And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Over the next few weeks we'll break this verse down and discuss how we proclaim the good news, set the captives free, bring sight to the blind, and liberate the oppressed. Let's make it a five part blog entry - shall we?

But before we get to the application of this verse we have to look at the beginning....and too many times we overlook it, or at least I do.

Jesus was anointed. He was set apart to accomplish the will of the Father. Other uses for the word "anointing" throughout the Hebrew texts find that it can also stand for "to be accepted". To be accepted is to be welcomed - and God welcomed the world to Salvation made possible only through the work of His son, Jesus Christ. His anointing was not to be King over Israel, but King over creation, King of all Kings.

Likewise, we too are anointed. Being found in Christ, we know that we now share in His mission, we too need to claim that verse found in Isaiah 61 to be our mission statement. But if you are like me, you rush to find ways to formulate how to proclaim the Gospel most effectively, how to present freedom to people in bondage and captivity, and how to try to pry the eyes open of those that do not (or do not want to) see. And you miss the fact that you are anointed.

You are.

Probably the biggest fight I have on my hands is a fight against a spirit of pride or arrogance. And it makes me feel all itchy to say that to myself.

Andrew, you are anointed. Yikes.

When I say that to myself it's like the enemy hits play on the highlight film in my head and says "oh...so that was anointed Andrew?" as he points out the shortcomings, the flaws, the failures, and the mistakes I've made. But then...in an ever so soft, but affirming voice, I hear this...

"Andrew - feel your hair."

And it's dripping with oil. Sweet-smelling, fragrant oil. Because as Satan points out my past - Christ pours onto my present, the anointing of Himself. That as I figuratively run my fingers through my oil-drenched hair I realize...I am anointed.

And so are you. But you are stressed out. You are worn thin. You are tired. You have "junk". You have doubts. You get confused.

Yes....yet you are still anointed.

And that matters because it doesn't make sense. Because we don't deserve it. Because sometimes we don't feel or act or respond like someone who is anointed. Yet we are still anointed...anointed to proclaim, to set freedom, to open eyes, and to liberate, and sometimes the very person that needs to hear the story of our anointing is ourselves. I am anointed. I am a member of the Gospel. I was enslaved and now set free. I was blind and now I see. I was oppressed and now I am liberated. I am anointed....because Christ poured out Himself as an offering, and my head received that offering...and feel it or not, act it or not...I, and you, are anointed.

If it was important that Jesus recognized his anointing, then it matters for us as well.
The mission of Jesus is easy to get on board with. Sure, I want to see the gospel proclaimed, freedom maintained and vision obtained. But it's sometimes easy for me to get so wrapped up with "doing" all the activity of a Christ follower, that I forget what it is "be" the very mission of the Lord I love.

Lord thank you for anointing me - completely at the work of YOUR hands. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for forgiving me.

And thank you for oily hair.

Why I Love Randall Cobb....

This story is a repost originally by Darrell Bird. You can find more of Darrell's writings on his blog at http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=888&CID=1014625

Here is the story....

ATHENS, Ga. -- Every Kentucky football fan knew that Randall Cobb might not play against Georgia because of a bruised shoulder. But everybody who knows Cobb also knows he wasn't about to miss out on UK's stunning 34-27 upset in Athens.

What you don't know is just how difficult it was for Cobb, who disguised it quite nicely behind his two touchdown runs.

"I was in a lot of pain for most of the game," Cobb admitted in a tiny room outside UK's raucous locker room beneath Sanford Stadium late Saturday night.

"I got over 30 hours of treatment this week and then I just put my faith in God to help me get through it and to where I am right now," he said. "I'm going to get another treat on the way home tonight."

The pain, however, miraculously vanished during the heroic comeback to win during which Kentucky erased a 20-6 halftime deficit.

"I was going off emotion at the end, feeling no pain," Cobb said. "Just going over to the stands to see our crowd that made the trip down here. Those folks are crazy."

Competition drove Cobb.

"As the game goes on, I get hungrier. I want the ball in my hands to see if I can do something for my team," he said. "Any true competitor wants the ball to make plays the longer the game goes on."

The victory, UK's first in Athens since 1977, was huge for the dozen or so Kentucky players who hail from the Peach State. This week, Cobb says it's his turn as the Cats take on Tennessee.

"We've already talked about that in the locker room," the Alcoa, Tenn., native said. "That was a big win for those guys being from the state of Georgia and I'd like to know that feeling.

"It's going to be a very emotional game for me because it's going to be my first game against Tennessee in front of my home crowd," Cobb said. "I love my home crowd and it's against my hometown team."

Bojangles has arrived

Yes that is correct, the new addition is here. For now....these are the pics.

I am sure more Bo updates and pictures will come here and there....enjoy

Tidbit 1

I feel like starting an entry called "Tidbits". Here is part one. These will be random at all times, and sometimes spiritual, insightful, dumb, funny, ridiculous, or just plain lame. haha. Enjoy!

__________________


So I am researching the topic of predestination for a paper in my Church History class at seminary. This topic is a broad as it is long, but we have narrowed the scope a bit in what we are researching. (For those that care - we are discussing the biblical implications/relevance of Augustine's vs. Cassian's view of predestination of the faithful believers)

Here is a tidbit that jumped off the page....

Augustine (on the Father drawing believers to Christ...):

"[And so we teach] as, therefore, we speak justly when we say concerning any teacher of literature who is alone in a city, He(the teacher) teaches literature here to everybody,—not that all men learn, but that there is none who learns literature there who does not learn from him,—so we justly say, God teaches all men to come to Christ, not because all come, but because none comes in any other way."

How about that? And to think...this is not new knowledge, Augustine penned this in 428 A.D.....

thoughts?

The Sufficiency of Grace

Grace. Mystery.

Never have two words seemed so eerily connected. There is something so uncanny about the grace of God. If you are anything like me, then you have heard probably no short of 100 different analogies, similies, or quotes....here are a few.

"Grace is what God gives us when we don't deserve anything...mercy is when God doesn't give us what we do deserve"

"Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life"

"I do not understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us"

"Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me....."


I could go on and on.....and on and on. (oh...and I haven't even quoted the Bible......yet)

As a senior in high school I attached this verse to my illustrious high school career as my senior quote. I have heard this verse my whole life, it's one of the few I have had memorized since my young days....

"But He said to me, "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" - 2 Corinthians 12:9

I was pretty sure I knew what this verse meant. I had it all down. God's grace is enough for you to get by when you don't feel like gettin' by. Done. Check. Duh.

right?

I think I could say with certainty, that if you needed that application from this verse for a season or situation in your life, then it is more than attainable. But for my arrogant, puny, and feeble mind to think that I "get it" because it's so "easy to understand" is quite pathetic; in reality, it truly shortchanges what God's grace desires to accomplish in all of our lives. Not until recently have I adapted a new insight to this timeless verse.

First of all, it is important to look at the motivation in this verse. In writing to the church in Corinth, Paul has a bit of a "me" moment. In this case, Paul reminds me of...well...me. I believe I have developed a reputation for being a conversation hijacker. If you are really close to me, and have spent intentional time with me in conversation, then you know this to be true....any conversation we engage in could literally cover ANY topic imaginable. I love great conversation...but I feel as if I do not stay on point all the time. Perhaps it's a tragic flaw. I have a fidgety personality - I suppose my fidgety discussions follow suit. However, when I get to the heart of conversation, if I want to use an example, a metaphor, a story to help contribute to the topic...I tell one on myself. I know those the best. Sometimes they are embarrassing, sometimes prideful, sometimes very vulnerable; nevertheless, they are sincere...because they demand the transparency of myself, even if only a little bit.

enter Paul.

He, for a moment, becomes transparent to this church in his letter. And his transparency, is then forever used by God to speak to all of humanity.

Paul, in trying to talk about not being prideful, goes on to say he has struggles, too. He has things in his life he pleads to get rid of. He has issues.....despite of what everyone thinks about him, his missionary journeys, his wisdom, and his great works for the kingdom of God. He isn't as strong as he is made out to be....not as victorious as he is championed. And when he has a desire to boast...he is reminded of these things. But he realizes this....God never asked him to be strong. He never asked him to be perfect. He never asked him to be flawless. And Paul, pens these powerful words...

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

For fear of sounding cliche....this is a gentle reminder of the beauty of simplicity. That God, in His unbelievable wisdom, His power, His strength, His supplication, His.....everything....asks us to let HIM be exactly who He is, through exactly who we are.

And we....we are flawed, affected by sin, submitted to a curse that we did not ask for. We are inadequate - as if it were our profession. We think ourselves so far around situations that we fall short of accomplishing them. We try.... oh so hard, we pick ourselves up....oh so many times, and we find ourselves stuck in the same ruts....oh too often.

Did I say "we"....I meant "me". Maybe you can sympathize.

And it's this very feeling of inadequacy, of insecurity, of weakness, of not humility - but inability that God speaks directly to.


"My grace is sufficient for you, [Andrew]. For my power is made perfect in [your] weakness"


But you may be reading this and saying, "Andrew, I know you. You are a pretty good guy. You are a good youth pastor. I think you are being too hard on yourself".

(please note I am not referencing this thought to fuel any pride I may have...but to make a point)

It is my desire that you do get to see great things come out of my life. It is my hope, my prayer, my mission and goal that my life be a reflection of who God is and that I may be used of a servant, constantly aware of how to make others more exalted than myself....

But you need to know this.....

I didn't get there on my own.

And if you see anything....I mean ANYTHING that resembles me being good, full of character or integrity, uplifting...ANYTHING. It's a picture of the handiwork of grace.

And that is the picture that Paul is trying to paint. We can go through and look at all the great teachings, stories, testimonies of obedience lived out in Paul's life....and even brag on good ole' Paul a bit.

But in taking inventory of himself....

Paul says. I am weak. I am poor. I have struggles.

and if you see things in my life that even resemble anything of God - it's ONLY by the SUFFICIENCY of HIS awesome grace.

How is grace sufficient? That I may live a life perfectly embracing of my weakness, so that He may live a life of power and strength through me. And when that happens - perfection. Not in who I am, or what I have accomplished....no. In who HE is, and what HE is accomplish-ING.

We have to almost re-engineer our thought process:

God doesn't ask us to be strong. He asks us to be weak - so that He can be strong.
He doesn't ask us to be able. He demands that we admit we are unable - so that He can be able.
He doesn't ask that we make ourselves holy. He requires us to realize our unholiness - so that we may get a glimpse of His holiness.
He doesn't ask that we excel, achieve, or win. He asks us to understand we can't - so that He can accomplish victory through us.

He doesn't ask us to be perfect or adequate.
He shows us our imperfection.
He shows us our constant need for something to make us adequate.
He shows us we haven't earned our right at the table.

But He invites us anyway. He makes adequate our inadequacy. He perfects our imperfection.

He becomes SUFFICIENT in not just some, but ALL the ways we are insufficient.

And this, this is a picture of a perfect union.

This....is grace.

That I, in my brokenness, in my inability, in my uselessness, am loved so much - pursued so powerfully - equipped so undeservingly that you - you may get a glimpse of who God is...through who I am not. And when that happens, or if that happens...how can I take credit for it? Because all that I have done is make myself inadequately available, insufficiently useful - so that the perfection and sufficiency of who GOD is can come through - as strength - in me.

Grace. Mysterious? Maybe. Inspiring? Definitely.

To conclude, I want to use Eugene Peterson's Message version of the remainder of 2 Corinthians 12:9,10.

"Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become."

Blessings.

andrew

What Wins?

"Once the Bible is less than God's Word Jesus becomes less than God, and sinners become less than sinful." - Mark Driscoll via Twitter

A couple weeks ago, Shane started this thought in my head....then Sunday, Jeff preached on this very topic - and so it has to be discussed.

What wins?

Notice - I am not talking about a sporting event, or a friendly game of kickball - I am talking about when decisions, choices, and crossroads occur....what wins?

Does God's truth win out in your life....or....do your wants win?

Jeff told the story of one of his favorite professors, Dr. Russell Moore, and how Dr. Moore had stated that the question of whether truth wins out in our lives is not answered by how much Bible we know - but by what wins when our wants conflict with is truth.

Meaning (thanks Jeff for wording these better on Sunday...)....

When it comes to your dating life or marriage - what wins? Your wants, or what God's idea of those relationships should look like? Let's be honest - they don't always match up.

How about finances....do you obey and trust His word - or do you handle your wants first? What wins?

With life...when a doctor could tell you an abortion is ok because the baby is going to have health issues - what wins? God's idea of life - or what you "want" in a family?

In your relationships - what wins? Are you all about using people, family, etc to satisfy your wants/needs - or do you live by the standard that says you are to serve others....even your purest enemies. What wins?

For every single person that can possibly read this....I can be sure of this one thing. There is AT LEAST one area in your life that you are battling what is easy, comfortable, enjoyable, you want - that probably conflicts with God's idea for your life...and conflicts with His truth.

I'm not telling you what to do....I'm just asking you. What wins?

You say you want to be about truth? Well, how bad do you want to be about it? Bad enough to show the world (and yourself) that when it comes to living in truth - Jesus wins....even over what I want. I dare you to take that challenge.

Let Him win this week.....