Bible Study 101: Shave

Did you shave today? How do you feel about that? Have you confessed this sin to anyone? To yourself? To God? If you have, in fact, shaved, and do not feel guilty, in spite of the fact that the Bible calls it sin, what do we make of that? Does it make you apostate or wise?

Most Bible-believing Jesus followers are probably not very aware of this verse found in Leviticus 19:27. The few who are aware of it have probably written it off as “does not directly apply to my life.” Why? If it’s written in the Bible, how can we so flippantly and selectively choose which verses to give attention and allegiance, and which ones to basically ignore?

Thus the importance of adopting a carefully, thoughtfully crafted approach to studying and applying the Bible to life today. The fancy word for this in theological camps is “hermeneutic.” Use it to impress your friends.

The reality is that you already have an approach to understanding the Bible that you are currently using. If you’ve never thought about it, your approach is probably similar to the approach you take to other areas of your life that you don’t think about very much. Laundry soap, perhaps. Or brand of gasoline for your car. Or lawn mowing options. Or computer circuitry. So long as you’re getting by, you don’t think about stuff you don’t have to or want to think about.

For a lot of stuff, that’s fine. But for some things, that’s a horrible mistake that can actually hurt you. There was a day in our history when medical doctors encouraged stressed out pregnant women to smoke as a way to relax. There was a day when wearing seat belts while driving a car seemed like a stupid idea. Or wearing a bicycle helmet.

There are other biblically-addressed issues that, if understood without careful consideration, can hurt others. There was a day in our country when brutal slavery was justified with select scriptures.

Today, similar individual and corporate maladies are being perpetuated by well-meaning Jesus followers – Bible in hand – who unwittingly deliver significant harm to themselves and others, thinking they are honoring God.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to suffer or inflict some suffering on someone else, I want to be as sure as possible about what I’m doing.

Some will read this and scoff, seeing it as a waste of time. I’ve heard some say that they don’t have time for all of this academic stuff – they’ll just read the Bible and do what it says. This rhetoric is, of course, complete hogwash. Nobody operates without a hermeneutic – not even people who have already dismissed the Bible entirely.

My question for you is this: if God is saying that he has the best of life available for you, and has given you much instruction and examples to follow (and not follow) in the Bible, is it worth your time?

And if you know that the Bible is an unparalleled conduit through which God can speak to you personally, spiritually – isn’t it worth your attention?

You have the right to do nothing more than you have in the past. But doing so not only comprises your best hope for the best life, it also robs others of their hope, too. Your life impacts all life, for good or ill.

The bright side: if you take this stuff seriously, your life will greatly improve for the rest of your life. And it will for all other life, too.

May God, the source of hope,
fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.
Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.

TRIBE (Acts 4:32-35)

What happens when one CrossWalker joins other CrossWalkers? The world changes…

While we strive to be fully devoted Jesus followers – CrossWalkers – we also need to learn, remember, and rekindle what “together” looks like.

Recap: CrossWalker 101. If we hope to experience the best life possible – the abundant life Jesus promised to bring (John 10:10) – there are some basic principles that we need to put into practice. First, we need to daily adopt God’s way of seeing life and the world – what I call the Cross Operating System (Cross OS). The Cross OS reminds us to live life giving full leadership to God, trusting God’s wisdom and Way more than our own. The Cross OS calls us to grow in our intellect regarding the things and ways of God – renewing our minds. The Cross OS calls us to a renewed heart – one that beats in rhythm with God’s, valuing the same things, breaking for the same concerns. The Cross OS calls us to move – constantly – in God’s direction. The Cross OS calls us to serve this hurting world – to acquire unclean hands as we serve the needs of humanity. And, the Cross OS calls us to do it all together.

TRIBE: Here are some key things CrossWalkers do together:

Team together. The earliest CrossWalkers understood the power of being a team. They were united in heart and mind. They realized they could do much more as a group than as individuals. This is a difficult principle for us in the West, where radical individualism reigns supreme. Are you part of a team? Or are you trying to go it alone – an exercise in futility? We have many TRIBES here – get in one today!Raze Hell together. Hell is what we experience when we live apart from God and God’s ways. One obvious indicator that God’s ways are absent is the presence of poverty. Among the earliest community of CrossWalkers, there were no needy people, because CrossWalkers shared their resources to meet their needs. That’s razing hell. What is your team doing to raze hell here in Napa, in NorCal, and in the world?

Invite together. You do not have the option of not inviting other people to consider the message of Christ. Statistically, we know that the vast majority of people are not experiencing the life God has for them. How could they, apart from Christ? From research, we also know that a large number of people would check out Jesus and his teaching if they were invited to do so. The smartest way to present Christ is in community: let people see Christ in us as we BBQ, bowl, bicycle, bake, brew, boat, and bead (among other things that don’t fit with my alliteration!). For some, Sunday worship will be the first step. For most, getting to know you as a TRIBE will come before a service.

Break Bread together. What differentiates a group of CrossWalkers from other cause-driven clubs? We come together centered on the Bread and Cup – the symbol of Christ’s death and resurrection that reminds us of what CrossWalking is all about. This anchor changes the tone and tactics of our gathering together – we are a Jesus-following group, and it shows in our TRIBE.

Encourage one another, together. We are in this CrossWalking thing together. As a community, our celebrations peak higher, and the valleys of our sorrows do not overwhelm us. There are people who need to hear God speaking through you, and you need them, too.

May you not be a fool and go it alone. May you live wise in a TRIBE.

The CrossWalker

The message of Christ: you can have an incredible life now, knowing you’ll live in heaven someday. Here’s a guide to getting it…

The Principle: Upgrade to the Cross OS. We live in a world of competing operating systems (OS), with the biggest competition being between the OS of God and the OS of the world. The world’s OS seeks to provide the best life by the most logical means: invest all focus on taking care of self, and those things most important to self. Makes sense. But it doesn’t work for the long haul. Eventually, the self-absorption of the world’s OS kills relationships, environments, and does much more harm than good – Bernie Madoff, anyone?

God’s OS, what I’m calling the Cross OS is counter-intuitive. Instead of self-preservation as the main goal, the Cross OS calls us to give ourselves away - first, to God, trusting that God will guide us better than we can guide ourselves, and secondly to others. This is what Jesus meant when he reiterated the two greatest commandments to love God with all you are, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). This giving yourself away sounds like the stupidest way to achieve the best of life, but, in fact, it is the only way that works. Ironically, the best way we can take care of ourselves and what we value is to abandon it into God’s hands, instead of acting like God and handling everything ourselves (see Luke 9:23-27).

The Practice: Mindfulness/Consciousness/Attention/Focus. All of these words simply refer to the same thing: live your life walking humbly with God, asking God to guide you, trusting God’s love for you even more than your love for yourself. Note: this is a conscious, daily, life-long decision – because we have a tendency to revert back to the world OS (Luke 8:4-18).

The Principle: Renew Your Mind. Because the Cross OS is fundamentally different from the world’s, expect a learning curve. God wants to transform you by renewing your mind (Romans 12:2) over the course of your life. BTW – if you’re bored as a God follower, you’ve missed something, because God has great, new stuff around every corner, and it’s all good.

The Practice: Make Room for Learning. The best practice that has made a difference in the lives of millions of Christians is daily Bible reading. This may be the single greatest difference between God followers who say their life rocks and those who say their life is just okay. My advice: begin with the New Testament, and don’t rush. It’s not a race. While I think it’s a good practice to try to read through the Bible every year, you’re wise to start small and slow – read for 10-15 minutes, and jot down your thoughts in a journal. You will be amazed at the difference it makes. Also, you can only go so far on your own. Connect with a group of people who are also growing as Jesus followers, and help each other out.

The Principle: Heart Surgery. From the very beginning, God has desired to have an intimate, loving, personal relationship with everybody. God came in the person of Jesus as the greatest proof of this truth. But it’s hard to walk with God if we’re not with God – even more if our heart is going in a different direction. If, however, you choose to love the things God loves, your intimacy with God will go higher and deeper than you can imagine.

The Practice: Let Love be a Verb. Realize that love is an action and not just a feeling. Learn about what God loves, and start loving like God. Soon, your heart will begin to become more aligned with God’s, and you will see God work in ways you could not see before. As a result, your feelings of love will increase significantly as you experience God at work. Read Psalm 51 slowly and carefully and see what happens. Memorize Psalm 139:23-24, pray it daily, and fasten your seat belt!

The Principle: Go! No matter where you travel throughout the world, a rendition of the crosswalk figure appears at major intersections. Everybody knows what message is communicated when that little guy light up: GO! Jesus gave this command to his first followers (Mt. 28:18-20), and the command extends to us. We are to go into the world, following God as we do the things of God so that the world and its people might come to experience the freedom and life God offers.

The Practice: Go! As soon as you have decided to adopt the Cross OS – which means you want to do your life with God with God leading you – you’ve got enough to get going. Don’t wait until someday. Ask God what God wants you to do that day, and go for it! Too fuzzy? Then read the Bible, and as you learn about what Jesus dif, follow in his footsteps, because his are the footsteps of God. And do it together, with other people. Check out Luke 9:23-27.

The Principle: Unclean Hands. The hands of the people in churches across our nation are way, way too clean. This same reality ticked off Jesus in the first century, and it ticks him off still! Jesus’ hands were dirtied as he reached out and touched those who needed God’s love most. People with disease. People with dirty histories. People with stained minds and hearts. Jesus lived, died, and lived again with unclean hands.

The Practice: Get Your Hands Dirty. We are called to lovingly serve God’s world and her people. Don’t take the Howie Mandel, germophobic route. You’ll never get past infantile immaturity in your relationship with God until you get some skin in the game. And you’ll never experience the incredible, abundant life God has for you, either. See examples: John 8:1-11; Luke 8:40-56; Luke 7:1-10; Luke 17:11-19.

Final Note: You Are Not Alone. There are probably hundreds of CrossWalk signs throughout this small city, and millions throughout the world (be sure to thank them for the free advertising!). Every time you see a CrossWalk sign at an intersection, remember three things. First, you are not alone, so don’t try to go it alone. Second, remember what a CrossWalker is supposed to look like, and go for it. Third, pray for your church, because our fun-but-tough-job is to help you develop into fully devoted followers of Jesus – The CrossWalker.

May God
the source of hope
fill you completely
with joy and peace
because you trust in him
Then you will overflow
with confident hope
through the power
of the Holy Spirit
Romans 15:13

Homecoming Parade

If you really want to throw a great surprise party for someone special, you will, of course, encourage all in attendance to take off their outer garment and lay it on the ground for the guest of honor to walk upon. And you will, no doubt, get a couple of folks and hack off some limbs of nearby trees to lay down on the ground as well. Do this, and you will, assuredly, elevate the meaning of “Surprise Party” to a new level!

Palm Sunday – the day we commemorate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem for his last and most dramatic week of life, began with such a party. We look at this event and scratch our heads. But in the first century, all of the elements employed made one bold statement: Jesus is King.

Who have we invited to the party? The majority of the people lining the street into Jerusalem that day were raving fans of Jesus. Many of them had probably heard Jesus teach and watched him do his thing in the region of Galilee. Some may have been healed, forgiven, raised from death. Others may have been exposed to Jesus only by what they heard from someone else who had been impacted by Christ. These were invited to check out Jesus for themselves: Sit next to them during the parade; share some popcorn or cotton candy while they lined the street awaiting Jesus; maybe grab some grub after the procession where they could talk about their impressions of this Christ. If you’re reading this, someone, somewhere along the line invited you to check Jesus out. How have you thanked them? How have you reached out to someone and invited them to join you to check out Jesus together?

How do we honor Jesus as King? Our faith ancestors, guided by their cultural memory, communicated their allegiance with what they had in a meaningful way. How do you suppose their public display of affection toward Jesus affect God and His Son? What impact did it have on them as individual followers of Christ? What do you suppose it did for the community of believers? How about surrounding onlookers – how do you think their pageantry messed with their thinking?

How long do we honor Jesus as King? Some of the people lining the streets that day lined them a few days later. Except when they shouted the second time, they were yelling insults and calling for Jesus’ crucifixion. Certainly, others of those who celebrated the Triumphal Entry at the beginning of the week were present at the stations of the cross that Friday as well. But they weren’t present to hurl verbal abuse. Rather, they were there – at personal risk – to simply catch Jesus’ eye to show their support, to communicate that they still loved him, that they still believed, and that they would still follow him even when everything seemed to be coming to a horrible conclusion. Which type do you most resemble – running away when it gets tough, or, when the going gets tough, do you get going – stronger and stronger in your love for Christ?

How do you avoid being a jackass? Of course, I’m quoting the King James translation in reference to the beast Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day… What a day for that donkey! As he carried Jesus along the streets paved with people’s coats and freshly cut greens, he certainly must have thought they were cheering for him! That donkey had no idea he was so special! What a surprise! The lesson: don’t be a jackass – it’s not about you. Too often, when we give honor and worship heralding Jesus as King, we do so in ways we like, without thinking about the actual recipient of our affection – Christ. How do you make sure that the focus of your worship is on what pleases God more than what pleases you?

May God, the source of hope,
fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.
Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.