Tame

One of my favorite stories of all time is the "Chronicles of Narnia," by C.S. Lewis.  The adventures of various children going on magical adventures into a fantastical land full of wondrous creatures.  Especially the magnificent character of Aslan the lion.

There are many correlations between Alsan and Jesus/God.  He creates the world of Narnia.  He sacrifices himself to save one who had done wrong.  If you have not read the books go get them and read them.  You're not too old or too young to understand and enjoy them.

One idea that occurs several times in the series is that Aslan is not, "a tame lion."

I think that is probably one of the most true concepts about God in the books.  God is not tame.  He does not fit into our human religion.  He is greater than whatever box we can make for him.  Whether it is a list of rules, or a magnificent cathedral.  Or even restricting him to, "the basics of the early church."

He is so much more than that.  He is not tame.  His ways are not our ways.  Who are we to think we can fathom how God works?  I know I have been guilty of this often.  God is good.  God is love.  This doesn't change.  Even if our definitions of the words do.  We are the ones who change.

What is considered good today might not have been considered good fifty years ago.  Or even twenty.  Either way God is not restricted by our concepts of good...or anything else for that matter.  We don't see the whole picture.  God does.  God made the picture.  In every sense you can imagine...and all the ones you can't.

We can not afford to box God into our concepts.  God is not a galactic wish granter.  He isn't an old sweet grandpa sitting on the porch of heaven waiting for his kids to come home.  He is not limited to our traditions.

Look back through the stories of the Bible and see the things God asks people to do.  Some of it is down right horrible by our standards.  The Plague of the Firstborn.  The Flood.  The massacre after Moses got the ten commandments and the people were worshiping the golden calf.  Pretty much the book of Joshua.  Even his chosen people had his wrath poured out on them.  Not to mention Job.

What did Job ever do wrong?  Nothing.  He was the most righteous person on Earth.  Yet he lost everything.  Was afflicted with physical maladies and pain.  I shudder at, yet love, how God answers Job in chapter 38. (NAS)

Who is this that darkens counsel, by words without knowledge?  Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me!  Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?  Tell Me, if you have understanding,

 Further on God says

Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?  Let him who accuses God answer him!

Job 40:2 (NIV)

These are really good chapters where God is laying it all out on the table.  Job responds in part with this:  (42:4-6 NAS)

I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.

I love that.  "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear," in other words I know You by what I have heard about you.  Then, "but now my eye sees You...and I repent..."

He is not a tame lion.

And that is a very good thing.  Think about this:

What if God was small enough for us to understand Him?

If God operated as we did, we would be in sorry shape.  But he has offered us grace, and peace and hope in Him.  He's already finished the picture.  He knows what it looks like in the end.  It does not matter if we can't see it, or understand it.

Follow Him with out the regulations and laws.  Follow Him with your heart and soul.  With everything within you.  He gave us what we need to follow Him.  And that is what he wants from us.  To follow, believe, to baptize, teach, and make more disciples.  Go forth and multiply.

Are you willing to follow God with out religion?

After all, He is not a tame lion...


grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

Suit Up - Conclusion

So we've reached the conclusion.  My Avengers references are over.  As M28 is all about discipleship maybe it's time I tie all this up with a nice discipleship bow.

My first post for this blog was Discipleship 101.  A disciple is one who grasps things that are separate.  Puts them together.  Things like ideas.  We would call this a student.  You teach a student how to add, then you give them numbers to put together.  You teach a child how to build with Legos then you dump a tub of them on the floor and watch them build.

Things that are separate being brought together.

Discipleship and following Jesus is not about separating things.  It's about bringing separate things together.  It's about bringing food to someone who is hungry.  Medicine to someone who is sick.  Mourning with someone who has lost.  It's about bringing Jesus to people who don't know him.

Think about that for a moment.

You'll have to go into Enemy territory to get to those people.  Let me be very clear here...those without Jesus are not the enemy.  Remember this battle is not with flesh and blood.  Enemy territory is pretty much everywhere.  Because the Enemy is: rulers, authorities, and the powers of this dark world. (-Ephesians 6:12)

So Suit Up and join in the battle.  Enter the enemy territory.  It's at work.  It's your backyard.  It's the movie theater, the grocery store, the bank.  Discipleship will not happen if we stay at home, or with in the confines of our "HQ's" whatever they may be.

Don't get discouraged either.  Sometimes response will be immediate and miraculous.  Like an overwhelming victory.  Other times it will be like the Battle of the Somme, and require us to dig in and learn to endure.  Short victory or long siege, you need your armor and weapons. 

One last thought.  This armor doesn't have protection for your back.  There is no retreat.  Remember Jesus has already won...we just have to stand.

Be encouraged, take heart, He has overcome the world!


grace, peace + hope
-Jesse


Suit Up:
Part 1 - Belt of Truth
Part 2 - Breastplate of Righteousness & Readiness from the Gospel of Peace
Part 3 - Shield of Faith & Helmet of Salvation
Part 4 - Sword of the Spirit & Prayer  
Part 5 - The Enemy & The War

Suit Up - Part 5

In case you missed out on the first 4 parts I give you the "Easy Catch Up List"

Part 1 - Belt of Truth
Part 2 - Breastplate of Righteousness & Readiness from the Gospel of Peace
Part 3 - Shield of Faith & Helmet of Salvation
Part 4 - Sword of the Spirit & Prayer 


So what is the point of all this armor?  What is this war we are in?  Let's look back at that verse in Ephesians.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

-Ephesians 6:12

Our fight is not with other Religions.  Our fight is not with Politics.  Our fight is not with other Christians.  Our enemy is not someone we can see and set cross-hairs on.  It's not someone we can track down in a safe house.

The Enemy

Look who/what Paul points out: rulers, authorities, and the powers of this dark world.  Yet they are not flesh and blood.  Also...the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  So we have a war on two fronts.  The intangible powers of this world, and evil in the spiritual realm.

Intangible powers of this world?  Look around and you'll see them.  Things like fear, hate, oppression, selfishness, godlessness.  These things are everywhere and we have been conditioned to accept them simply as the way things are.  Where did Jesus tell us to live subject to these powers?  Exactly, nowhere.  These powers are tools of the Enemy.  Satan.  The Devil.  Lucifer.

He is the true enemy.

We cannot win this war. 

The good news is, we don't have to.


The War

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

-Ephesians 6:13  

We don't have to win because it is already won.  The story is written.  Jesus wins.  We just haven't finished living the story out.  After you have done everything, to stand.   We have to hold on.  We have to persevere.  All our armor and weapons are built on the strength of Jesus.  Truth.  Righteousness.  The Good News.  Faith.  Salvation.  Spirit.  Prayer.

Get to know Jesus.  Pray...listen to him.  Learn his voice from reading Scripture.  Build your relationship with him.  Trust him.  It's not about feelings and callings.  It's all done, we just have to make it to the end. 

We have a clear and present Enemy. We have been given our arms and are equipped. There is open lines of communication to Jesus. But we do not fight to draw blood. We do not fight to kill.

We fight on our knees in prayer.  We fight in worship with song and how we live.  We fight in actions by serving others.  We fight by laying down our lives for Jesus.


What does any of this have to discipleship?  We'll wrap that up tomorrow in the final post.  Until then,

grace, peace + hope
-Jesse