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for June, 2009.
By pastorbillwalden
That is a sad statement, but it is true. I’m not real happy about it being true, but that’s the truth: I used to hate Christmas. It’s been many years since that dark season of life, but I don’t forget how sad it used to be for me. Since the unforgiving multitudes aren’t reading this blog, I thought it might be safe to share that little secret with my friends.
Christmas used to be, for me, like walking into a huge surprise pop quiz, except that it wasn’t a quiz, it was your final grade for the class. No, it was bigger than that. It was a public statement about who you really were, what you were really like. It revealed your heart, which in different seasons of life, could be quite discouraging.
Christmas was a time of seeing how everyone else lived. It was a time of seeing people who were full of joy, and who were lighthearted. A time of noticing thoughtfulness, sensitivity, loving planning, and selflessness. Gifts were given that hadn’t been picked up at the last minute, but that had been lovingly searched for. Surprised faces and warm laughter told stories of thoughtful loved ones who had purchased the gift that was “just right”.
Christmas was a time of seeing how life ought to be. Even though the day was on the calendar, the total sum of what Christmas meant always caught me unprepared. It was a day that “measured” me. I used to hate Christmas.
I clearly remember those somber days. I am blessed to say that in these days, I love Christmas. I am aware of the “then”, and aware of the “now”, but the in between time is a difficult to quantify.
By God’s grace, a huge change has taken place. It has been gradual, and almost imperceptible on a day by day basis. There was nothing that happened overnight, but something that was slowly happening every day. There was no huge one time revelation, but a thousand small ones. There wasn’t a single, momentous inner resolution towards a total life change, but a daily decision to follow Jesus. There was no self-reformation, but a conforming that came by God’s hand upon a hurting heart.
Two verses illustrate this work that God has done in me…
Philippians 2:13 “…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
Romans 8:29a “…For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”
When a person surrenders to Jesus, God begins to work in that surrendered heart. He creates His will in that heart. He puts a heavenly desire in that heart. That act of God doesn’t remove a person’s will, but now a new will and desire is there. A higher will for better things.
Along with that new heavenly desire is the ability to follow God’s will, to “do” it. So that person now has the desires of God in his/her heart, along with the ability to begin to follow through in that direction.
What then, is God’s desire for that person? God’s desire is to conform that person’s life to the image of His Son. That means that God helps that person to become more like Jesus, “full of grace and truth”, and so much more. Besides forgiveness, there is healing and wholeness that takes place in the soul.
Once a person surrenders to Jesus, the only responsibility that they have is to keep surrendering to Jesus. God gives both the desire and ability to do that. The result is a wonderfully changed life.
I didn’t change my life, God did. I may have been able to change my behavior, or my habits, or my language, but I could never change “what” I was. I could never change the deep stuff of the soul. And I certainly never could conform myself to “the image of His Son”. God did that. God continues to do that.
What has been the result? Well, I like Christmas. It doesn’t measure me any more. It gives me an opportunity to express my love for people, without fear of failure. It doesn’t dictate to me what kind of person I am. Whether I have a “good” Christmas or not, they are all good, because life is good. Life is no longer based upon events, performance, or even feelings. There is an under girding that doesn’t fluctuate with emotions. There is a stability that is other worldly. There is now a life that is sustained, encouraged, and comforted based upon God, and His love for me.
Christmas speaks to me of God’s love for me. Jesus stepped into my world, and brought Heaven to me. Christmas speaks to me of that unsearchable but very knowable truth. Emmanuel. God is with us.
May you all have a blessed Christmas season. Love to you all.
By pastorbillwalden
I really like talking about my wife. She is my best friend, confidant, and most trusted counselor. She sees me at my best, and more importantly, at my worst. It is very important that she sees me at my worst, because that shows me how unconditional her love for me is. Unconditional love not only sustains a man, but also can heal a man. God knows that I have needed a lot of healing over these years, and my wife has been a faithful conduit of God’s love to me.
I am very defensive of my wife. Not that she needs it. She really doesn’t do anything to get on people’s bad side, but take notice, all you potential troublers of my wife: If you trouble my wife, we are going to have a talk!
The Bible declares that the husband and wife are one flesh. The Apostle Paul says that that is a mystery. Then Paul goes even further and says, “But I speak concerning Christ and the church”.
Just as surely as a husband and wife are one, Jesus is one with His church, the Body of Christ, composed of all who have Christ in their hearts.
That truth has helped me a lot about my view of the Church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ.
There have been times that the Bride of Christ has bothered me. She doesn’t do things the way I like. Sometimes She hurts me, ignores me, and doesn’t appreciate me. Sometimes the She hurts herself, and in my opinion, deserves to suffer without any consolation from me. In fact, sometimes I am glad about Her suffering for doing the stupid things that She does.
In my mind, I always knew She was off base, sinful, carnal, lazy, opinionated, and selfish. She walked in the flesh, and now She has to suffer the consequences, and I am glad for it. In fact, sometimes I take great pleasure in watching God discipline His Bride.
Then it hits me…wait a minute…I am the Bride of Christ…I have done all of those things…I have suffered for my actions and attitudes…I have brought pain to Jesus, because he is one with me…and He has never rejoiced over my suffering. Jesus has never been hard hearted against me. He has never rejoiced in my iniquity, or the consequences that that iniquity brought. He has been broken hearted over my sins, and has longed to draw me back, and heal me.
I am the Bride of Christ. If you are a Christian, you are the Bride of Christ. We are one with Him. So are those ones who are His, but who for the moment, are hurting themselves and sowing to the flesh. Sometimes the Bride ignores her Bridegroom, always to Her own hurt. We should be sad about that.
If my wife was hurting herself or hurting me, and you rejoiced over it, how do you think I would feel about your joy? How does Jesus feel when His bride hurts Herself or Him?
Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus: Let’s have a correct view of the Church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ. Let’s embrace what Jesus embraces. Let’s sorrow over what He sorrows over. Let’s pray as he prays, and forgive as He forgives. Don’t hurt the Bridegroom by how you treat His Bride, but rather, bless His heart as you bless His Bride.
By pastorbillwalden
I have a friend in whom God is doing an incredible work. Compassion is being birthed in him. It has been more costly to him than I dare say, but the result that is coming forth is incredible.
Birth is painful. I was with my wife Debbie at the birth of our children. Debbie grew increasingly uncomfortable as the time of birth approached. There were months of increasing pain and discomfort prior to her giving birth.
When Sarah, our firstborn, came into the world, the first thing that Debbie said was, “Let’s have another one”. I was amazed at her, and also thought back on Jesus’ words regarding birth.
John 16:21 “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” My wife had a very scriptural post-delivery attitude!
Jesus also spoke about life coming forth from death…“unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. “ (John 12:24)
Life comes forth from death. Birth comes forth through pain. Though the process is painful, the result is cherished.
I knew my friend before compassion was birthed in him. We weren’t friends then, only acquaintances. That’s just how things were. It was a season of life for him that didn’t yet include me.
As death began working in his life, my interaction with him increased. I saw him frequently. We spent many hours talking. As the weeks and months passed, I began to see things dying in him, such as self assurance, will power, and self determination. He had plenty to be angry about. Many might say he had a right to feel as he did, and that his lifestyle choices were understandable. We both knew that there was something more important for him. He began to surrender to Jesus more and more.
His focus shifted from others and self to Jesus. Wrongs done against him were being increasingly set aside. That was the death of a demand for justice. Self reliance was being set aside. That was the death of pride.
As death continued to work in his life, life was being born into him. Compassion appeared and caught him off guard. Love came and surprised him. Emotions and feelings appeared that had never been experienced.
It is an difficult thing to see a man die to himself, but it is awesome thing to see a man discover agape love.
I cried when my children were born. I have cried watching the birth of compassion in this man’s life. Others have cried as well. He and we have cried because of the painful process. How wonderful it is to now cry because of the joy.
By pastorbillwalden
Words are interesting things. When I was a kid, we used to drive across country to visit my dad’s family in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. At midday, they used to tell us that “dinner” was ready. At the end of the day, there was this meal called “supper”. “Lunch” didn’t exist.
We didn’t talk like that in Yorba Linda, CA, where I grew up, and I was very confused about all this. Somehow, it all worked out though, and I don’t remember missing any meals.
That example of similar/dissimilar words brings up another interesting pair of words: tribal and fraternal. Pastor Tim Brown of Calvary Chapel, Fremont, CA lit and stoked me on this one. He used a slightly different combination of words, but what I came up with was this: are you tribal or fraternal?
The words seem to be very similar, but increasingly are meaning very different things to me. Allow me to offer some definitions.
Both words talk about togetherness, likeness, and identity, but there are distinctions. In its purest form, “fraternal” speaks of a brotherly connection based upon common parentage, while “tribal” is a connection that can be based upon other things, such as common interests, mutual admiration, or what can be gained through united efforts.
Fraternal seems deeper, higher, more permanent. Tribal seems convenient and optional. How we practice these ideas is what I want to talk about.
The Bible teaches that all Christians are “brothers” with one another. We have the same Heavenly Father, and we are born again into the same heavenly family. Through faith, we are absolutely linked together in Christ. Let’s call that the “fraternal” connection.
Within the Body of Christ, we have our favorite people. I don’t think that it is a bad thing to have some favorite people. People that you genuinely enjoy, whom you prefer to spend more time with. Special friends and colleagues in the best sense. You are linked to them by a deep passion for missions, evangelism, ministry opportunities, or other very respectable aspects of the Christian life. So far, so good.
The problem, as I see it, is when we only want to spend time with our favorite people, and we end up ignoring other parts of the Body of Christ that we should be spending some time with. That is what I would calling being “tribal”. Tribal is always mutually beneficial. Fraternal isn’t always so pleasing on the first few layers of the emotional/mental/spiritual grid. Tribal is easy. Fraternal often calls for the cross.
What are some other examples of this? We can be tribal by following a certain movement within the Body of Christ. Then, within a movement, we have our favorite styles of ministry, and we associate only with those folks. It can go even further. Within a style of a movement, we will have our favorite pastors, and so we identify ourselves with them. But then going even further, we have that one favorite pastor whose personality and style just thrills us. We hang on that man’s every word, and really don’t even care much for those who are not as illumined as us.
The Apostle Paul encountered this…you remember…“I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas”.
Tribal almost always guarantees immediate gratification. Fraternal might cost you a bit more, and you might walk away not being “blessed” by the encounter. Tribal is easier…you are with people like yourself. Fraternal is a little more difficult…you are with other sons of the Father, and they may not be like you. You might not even like them. I have heard that happens with brothers sometimes.
I believe that it is extremely easy to justify being tribal, even to the point of never being fraternal. We can claim that we have a mission to accomplish (we do), and we only have limited time to spend with our co-laborers (also true). We can claim we “just don’t feel led” to spend time with those “other brothers”. It can all be dressed up very nicely.
I think in the end, we as Christians can glorify the tribal mentality and minimize the fraternal mentality. If we do that, I believe that we are choosing the lesser over the greater.
For me, recognizing and embracing the brotherhood of believers is becoming more important than spending all my time with Christians who are just a little bit different than me. This idea is helping me embrace a wider spectrum of Christians. They are also the sons and daughters of God. I need to spend some time with more of the family of Jesus Christ, not just those of my tribe.
John 17:23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
By pastorbillwalden
There is a lot of reaping and sowing that goes on in life, and this was definitely a year of joyful reaping.
This summer our two oldest children got married to their best friends. Sarah married her long time friend Caleb, and Chris married Melissa. We are so pleased with the choices of spouses our children have made. They love the Lord, and we are so blessed to have them as our children.
Debbie and I have been married almost 26 years, and a lot of sowing has been done. We have done what we could to raise our children to follow Jesus. We guarded them through childhood, prayed for them through adolescence, and watched them enter into adulthood and then marriage.
As the farmer plows the field, sows the seed, and cares for it, so we have made this journey with our children. We certainly made mistakes along the way, and undoubtedly could have done some things better. Yet, by God’s grace, we did not quit. We continued to entrust our children into the hands of God, and He has done this wonderful work in them.
We endured the plowing, sowing, and watering. We have been privileged to see the harvest of spiritual fruit that has come forth. Looking back over almost 26 years, this is a moment for us to enjoy, and be thankful for.
Debbie and I both know that it was and is God that brings these things to pass. Some parents put forth that same effort, and have yet to see the blessings. Some parents put forth no spiritual effort, and God still reaches into those children’s lives, and does something incredible.
The point that I wish to make is this: I am happy that we never quit hoping and praying for our kids. We have lived to see the blessings.
Not quitting is a great thing. Persevering is a great thing. Some blessings will come only by not quitting.
I am fully aware that none of these present blessings were ever “guaranteed” to us, but we are surely enjoying this wonderful season of God’s grace in our lives.
