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Who Is the Gate?

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By Larry Short

Fountains of the Deep - The Shield - www.LarryShort.com
In a sculpture titled The Shield, a mysterious figure known as “The Guardian” stands watch at the gate of the Garden of Eden. This artifact is central to Larry’s novel, Fountains of the Deep, with each of the three animals depicted representing an important part of the story: stag (hunt), lamb (rescue), and serpent (deluge). Don’t miss it, in display in the Fellowship Room this Sunday morning.

And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22–24)

* * *

In Pulse (Elim’s young adults group) different leaders moderate a verse-by-verse chapter study each Friday night. Participants have developed a rather silly tradition whereby when nearly any question is asked, they might playfully shout out, “The answer is Jesus!” and everyone laughs.

I suppose we’ve encouraged this unruly behavior. When we studied the book of Genesis last year, we did so through the lens, “Where do we see Jesus in this chapter?” That question would be asked after each and every chapter, and always spawned a great discussion. As it turns out, “Jesus” usually is the right answer!

Jesus shows up in some surprising places in the Old Testament, if you look carefully for Him. While in my 20s, I wrote a novel speculating about some of the circumstances leading up to the great Flood of Genesis 6-7. In it I wonder aloud about whether it was Christ Himself, a mysterious figure known to earth’s early inhabitants as “The Guardian,” who wielded the flaming sword at the gate of Eden. My novel, Fountains of the Deep (available to Elimites this weekend only as a free download on Amazon—visit my website for details), is a work of fiction, but one cannot help but question exactly Who the guardian of the gate of Eden might have been when one reads passages such as John’s account of seeing the transfigured Christ in Revelation 1:12–13:

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man … coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

Many Bible scholars believe Christophanies (a physical manifestation of the Son of God) abound in the Old Testament. Whether Jesus was present among those guarding the gate of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3 may be a matter of fanciful speculation. There is one gate, however, we know Jesus guards closely, and it’s the gate to God’s sheep pen. In John 10:9 Jesus says:

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.

Eden was designed to be a place of eternal fellowship with God. Man broke that fellowship when he disobeyed God, so God appointed a flaming sword (representing throughout Scripture His Word, which is also the very name for Christ bestowed in John 1) to bar a mankind that had repudiated God from dwelling in a holy place of perfect fellowship with God.

That’s the state you and I were in … until that same Word became the Gate once again! Now, as a result of His blood shed for us, He becomes (according to John 10) a Gate designed to admit His sheep into perfect fellowship in God’s presence, rather than keeping them out! The future is bright indeed for those who reenter this particular gate. And the ticket is simply an obedient, listening ear of faith.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice.” Are you listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd, the Guardian of the Gate? Would you know it, if you heard it? If you’ve never yet done this, commit yourself today to following Him with all your heart back into a place of perfect communion with the eternal God. It’s a simple step of faith, and you can take it today, regardless of your life circumstances. Please don’t put it off; call the church office or any pastor or elder. We would love to help you take that life-changing step!

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Not by Might, Nor by Power…

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By Larry Short

“So he [the angel] said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6)

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank Elim for allowing me to serve once more on the Elder Board. It’s a privilege and responsibility I don’t take lightly. And in the intervening several years I’ve been off, I’ve truly missed being a part of this group of men who love our church and are sold-out for Jesus!

Quite a few new folks have joined our ranks at Elim in the past few years, so I thought I’d take my “first” Last Word to introduce myself and my wife Darlene to those who may not know us yet. I’m a journalist/writer by education (Biola U is my alma mater and I spent the first decade or so after graduation in a freelance magazine and book writing career). But I also have a technology background, so after this I helped my employer (for the past 22 years), World Vision, to start and manage its internet, intranet, email, and social media programs. Currently I serve as a Digital Media Manager on the Public Engagement and Social Media team there in Federal Way.

Darlene is a Puyallup school nurse and we have two grown children, Nathan and Amanda. Nathan is a tech geek married to Zeiger schoolteacher Becky (Steve and Cheryl Weller’s oldest daughter), and Amanda is married to Mike Teeter. Together Mike and Mandy are raising our first granddaughter in Pennsylvania. (They met at and still work for REI.)

Darlene and I have loved Elim ever since we first set foot in it, 21 years ago. We’ve served in a variety of capacities but for the past 14 years have led a group of young adults called Pulse. Darlene also counts offering, and I play on the worship team and assist our communications team with our digital tools.

By way of hobbies, Darlene is a voracious reader and I love cycling and wild mushroom hunting, as well as writing. We also spend a lot of time flying, either to Pennsylvania or to Southern California to visit Darlene’s 96-year-old mom.

I introduced this post with Zechariah 4:6. It’s my life verse not because I’m good at doing what it says, but because I’m a very “Type A” person who has a tendency to push hard to try and get things done in my own power, rather than to rely on God’s Spirit. God has convicted me of these tendencies over the years, so a number of years ago I adopted Zech. 4:6 as my life’s verse to remind myself that the only truly good things that happen in my life come about not because of any skill, strength, or brilliance I might think I have; but rather, because of “Christ in me, the hope of glory.” Every day I want to ask Him to fill me with His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13) and to be in control of what happens.

We live this Christian life together, so I would ask you to help me rely more consistently on Jesus, in addition to praying this prayer yourself every morning: God, please grant us the gift of your Holy Spirit today, and work in each of us to accomplish Your purposes. Amen!

 

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The Oasis: A Waypoint or a Destination?

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By Larry Short

If you use a GPS, you may now be familiar with the term “waypoint.” When I’m out driving somewhere, say my sister’s house in Bellingham, and I’ve entered her address as my destination, I may be halfway there when suddenly my stomach starts growling and says, “I need a Wendy’s chili. With cheese and onions. And a chocolate Frosty while you’re at it!”

So I’m in the middle of Nowheresville (having just driven through Everett) and I have no idea where the nearest Wendy’s is. But I tell my GPS I have a new location and ask her where I can find the nearest Wendy’s. And Siri cheerfully informs me there is a Wendy’s ahead, in Marysville, just a few minutes off to the west of Highway 5, on 33rd Ave NE off Marine Dr. N. “Aha!” I exclaim. “There is an oasis of tasty Frosty-ness ahead!”

Then before I ask for the point-to-point calculation, Siri asks me if Wendy’s is a destination (replacing Bellingham) or a waypoint on the way to my destination.

And I quickly let her know: it’s a waypoint, of course. I didn’t drive all this way just to go to Wendy’s! I could have done that on South Hill (in two different spots, no less). After my little refreshment at the oasis of Wendy’s, I still plan to get back on the road, re-energized, and continue pressing north toward Bellingham. (Provided no other fast-food emergencies arise.)

Is the Oasis We Call Elim a Destination … or a Waypoint?

That should be an easy question. Elim’s a waypoint, right? Our destination is beyond, to a Kingdom ruled forever by our Lord Jesus Christ. Not Bellingham, but a City on a Hill.

Our problem is, we too often treat Elim (and other waypoints in this journey of life) as destinations in and of themselves. The oasis becomes a place we are comfortable at, we want to settle in. (I know — Darlene and I have now been here for almost 20 years!*) New people arrive at the Oasis all the time, and occasionally others leave. We have our circle of close friends … do we want to be bothered about new people? Meeting new people (and trying new things) can be risky and uncomfortable.

This week I read a beautiful speech by World Vision’s second president, Stan Mooneyham, who was a true adventurer. (This video documentary of one of his greatest adventures, Operation Seasweep, will bring tears to your eyes!) Stan gave this speech less than three months before he died, and it was titled, “Keep Marching Off the Map.” Here is an excerpt that caught my eye:

We are a people in pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is not a place and a path is not a destination. Emerson said that where you are on the path is not nearly as important as the direction you are facing. So where we happen to be in our progress is not nearly as critical as knowing we are facing in the right direction, which is the direction toward God and toward that ultimate city that has no foundation and which has not been designed and made by any human engineers — God’s City.

As long as we are facing in that direction, then where we are on that path is not so important. Some may judge us as being more sophisticated and mature and still others may judge us as being less mature in our understanding of the holistic gospel and the other things we are trying to do. The judgments really don’t matter, as long as we are facing in the right direction. I hope that everything about us always has such impermanence that we are always tent-dwellers like Abraham, our ancestor, our forefather.

I know the tendency is to build monuments. The tendency is to settle down. The tendency is to get very comfortable. I love those green pastures, believe me. I love to sit down beside the still waters and I love to feast at the table that God spreads in front of me. To tell you the truth, I would be like the disciples Jesus took up the mountain with him. I would want to build tents and I would want to stay there where the glory has descended.

But, Jesus was The Way, not the destination. And “the way” means that we’re always in process.

Let’s Keep Moving Along the Way

Here at Elim, we are “a people in process,” in motion to a destination. We must keep our eyes fixed on The Way, on Jesus, who is leading us there. We must never grow too satisfied with any one waypoint, whether it be a church we love, or our job, or retirement, or even our family. God calls us to rest, and to be satisfied with all that He has given us; but then to get up tomorrow morning and to keep moving toward our final destination!

*And no, this is not any kind of announcement that we are moving to a different city or anything like that! We love Elim, and, Lord willing, this will be our waypoint for many years to come. But please let’s all continue to keep moving, to keep growing, to keep our eyes fixed on the Way, to keep humming “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ thru,” and to keep pointed in the direction of our ultimate Destination!

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The Three-Legged Stool

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By Larry Short

How do you define what a true follower of Jesus is? Some say, “A person who believes in Jesus.” Others say, “A person who’s life bears the fruit of his faith.”

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the relationship between Paul’s epistle to the Romans (focusing on faith in God’s grace) and James‘ letter (focusing on faith proved through action). Recently I read a very eye-opening blog by Christian Piatt, writing in the Huffington Post, which put many things together for me. (I’m not a huge fan of most of Piatt’s work, but he is a provocative thinker.)

His blog, titled “Following Jesus isn’t primarily about beliefs or actions,” caught my eye. At the face of it, the “battle” between Romans and James seems to be just that, a battle between belief (faith) and action (works). So, what else is there?

Piatt explains:

“Right thought or belief is generally called “orthodoxy,” while right action is called “orthopraxy.” And sometimes we seem to assume that these are the only things to focus on, or even that one is somehow superior to the other.

In studying the teachings and words of Jesus, however, I’m coming to embrace the sense that “orthopathy,” or right-heartedness, is a critical third leg of the proverbial stool. Furthermore, I have the growing sense that this right-heartedness actually helps lead us to the path we’re seeking for the other two.”

It makes sense. You can be orthodox, or have the right “beliefs” about everything. Or you can be orthoprax, and have the right practice. You can even theoretically be both of these things, without having the right heart: to believe in God’s Word; to practice God’s Word and commands.

Ultimately, right-heartedness seeks sincerely to obey and fulfill the Greatest Commandment — to love God with all that we are, and our neighbors as ourselves. Orthopathy!

I like the idea of the three-legged stool, but I daresay orthopathy is a synthesis of both orthodoxy and orthopraxy. It’s faith and actions, together; or rather, it’s the fundamental motivation that makes James’ “third kind of faith” work itself out in our actions.

Learning to Love James

So, while like Martin Luther I used to struggle with James, I am now learning to love that book. The man who wrote it is an interesting character. The New Testament reveals that Jesus had four half-brothers (born to Joseph and Mary), and an unspecified number of half-sisters. (“Half” in the sense that Christ himself was not an offspring of Joseph, as his half-brothers and sisters were.) James was the first mentioned of those half-brothers. Early on, during His public ministry, it’s implied that his own family members apparently struggled to believe that He was who He was. But later, after His death and resurrection, it’s clear that James at least came around and ultimately was a leader in the early Christian church, taking a key leadership position in the church at Jerusalem after the disciples were dispersed.

Leading a church in the crucible of persecution would definitely give one a sense of what “real” faith looked like. And knowing the authentic, compassionate Jesus, as intimately as James did, would put you in a unique position to write about it authoritatively!

I think James issues a challenge to each of us who name the name of Christ. Don’t “just believe,” prove that you believe, through the way you live your life. Let God change your heart as well as your head, and you will see the fruit of that change working out through your lips and your hands.

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Is Jesus Asleep in Your Boat?

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By Larry Short

Recently I led a Bible study in Mark 4:35-41. To set the scene, Jesus has spent a very long day teaching “by the lake.” The lake referred to is the Sea of Galilee, also known as “Lake Gennesaret” or the “Sea of Tiberias.”

The Sea of Galilee is currently 13 miles long and about 8 miles wide. At nearly 700 feet below sea level, it is the second-lowest lake on the planet, the Dead Sea (further south) alone being lower.

Today the Sea of Galilee is about 3 feet higher than it was in Jesus’ day. Which means it is also slightly wider and longer. But one thing hasn’t changed, and that is that the sea is subject to sudden, violent storms, due to its position ringed by mountains (updraft and air flow patterns can cause furious storms, particularly at night … in 1992 Tiberias, a town on the western shore, was flooded by 10-foot waves. Significant damage was sustained).

In Christ’s day, fish in the Sea of Galilee were relatively plentiful. Josephus noted that shortly after the time of Christ some 230 fishing boats regularly plied the lake. Only recently has it been nearly fished out.

At an average depth of over 70 feet, the lake contains a lot of water, and it is this weight that keeps a natural tendency toward salinity (due to extensive water evaporation) at bay. Gennesaret provides most of Israel’s water supply, so the government zealously controls its depth to keep salinization at bay.

In addition to teaching some popular parables (related to farming … focusing on the role of the Word of God, truth, and faith) Jesus spent his time on that day healing and casting out demons. It was a busy day, and by evening everyone was tired. Jesus dismissed the crowds and instructed his disciples to prepare boats to “pass over the lake to the other side.”

Fishing boats of the day probably held about a dozen passengers, and Mark says there were several other boats in the party. Jesus probably climbed into the boat with the apostles, and other boats were filled with various disciples. Mark says He promptly fell fast asleep on a cushion in the boat’s stern.

As they were crossing, a sudden and furious squall arose. Waves were cascading over the sides of the boats, and the disciples, many of whom were veteran sailors, felt they were in danger of being swamped. Finally, apparently as a last resort after all their best efforts failed, they awoke Jesus.

“Don’t you even care that we are perishing?” they shouted in frustration.

Christ’s response was to stand up, face the sea, and call out to the winds and waves to “be still!” (or quite literally, to “muzzle yourselves!” … which was the same language He used when calling demons to silence).

Scripture says the storm immediately ceased and the seas became as still as glass.

He then turned to His disciples: “Why are you still afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Over and over again, Scripture exhorts us to trade fear for faith. Fear seems natural to us in a situation like the one confronting the disciples, where their very lives felt threatened. One wouldn’t have blamed them for retorting, “You obviously know nothing about sailing, and how dangerous a situation we were in.” Except that, He had just demonstrated unequivocally that He was Lord and Master over the wind and the waves! So, maybe not.

A couple of observations

First, the disciples were doing exactly what Jesus had asked them to do when the storm arose: they were attempting to cross over the lake. Some “prosperity preachers” teach that if we would only do what Jesus says, all will go well and we will face no storms. Not true for these disciples.

Second, Jesus was in the boat. He was not out walking on the water (this time). And He was not afraid. He had promised them they would cross over. He also shared: “I don’t say anything but what I have heard from the Father.” So the God of the Universe had promised they would reach the other side. Despite the storm, there was in no reality any danger that they would end up in the drink.

So, what would have happened if the disciples had simply given up? Not bailed? If they hadn’t woken Jesus up? We don’t know exactly how it would have happened … but we do know they would have crossed over to the other side. Jesus said so.

And, if the disciples were afraid, why did they wait as long as they did to awaken Jesus? Obviously there was some pride involved. He was a carpenter, they were fishermen/sailors. They ought to have been able to handle a storm. Only when they came to the end of their wits were they finally willing to call out for help. (Sound familiar? I’ve been there.) The only problem was, by that time they were wracked with fear and far away from faith.

How can you possibly sleep at a time like this?

But I think the most interesting thing about the whole episode continues to be that Jesus slept. Surely He was very tired. But, how could you possibly sleep when the wind was howling and waves were crashing over the sides of your storm-tossed boat?

I don’t know about you, but there are certain places I absolutely cannot sleep, no matter how tired I am. One is in a plane being buffeted by storm turbulence. In 1978 I was in a small plane in a storm in Alaska, and the turbulence was so bad I ended up with seatbelt bruises on both hips. Sleep? Fuhgedaboudit. It was all I could do just to keep breakfast down.

Even though we spend approximately one-third of our lives sleeping, most of us have never heard a sermon on sleep. But sleep figures prominently in the Bible. God obviously made us fallible, weak, requiring this resort each day to a very vulnerable state of unconsciousness in order to continue healthy functioning. Writing in the Desiring God blog, Jonathan Parnell says that sleep is “the midwife of humility,” and by that he means it is impossible to think it all depends on us and our brilliant activity, and forgo sleep so that we can do it all. If we try, we fail miserably. Sleep deprivation is a form of torture. Each of us desperately needs sleep.

And when we do sleep, we become vulnerable, don’t we? My wife and I recently had something die in the walls of our house, probably a squirrel or a rat, which caused an infestation of flies. We killed as many as we could possibly kill each night before going to sleep, because we thought, Lord knows we don’t want any nasty flies crawling on our lips while we slept! We had no fear of such a thing happening to us while we were awake. But when you sleep you give up certain pretenses of self-protection.

We ended up praying, “God, please keep the flies off our lips!” And we slept.

David viewed sleep as an opportunity to trust God. In Psalm 3:5-6 he wrote, “I lay down and slept and woke again, for the Lᴏʀᴅ sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” Then again, in Psalm 4:8: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lᴏʀᴅ, make me dwell in safety.”

David knew that sleep was an act of faith in the Lord’s protection. In Psalm 2:12 he said: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” He committed himself fully into the hands of Him who sleeps not. Jesus, the Son spoken of in Psalm 2, knew this too, which is why He could sleep in the storm-tossed boat.

Parnell ends his message with this beautiful exhortation:

When we sleep we are saying — in that same spirit of faith — that God will protect his Anointed and all those anointed in him (2 Corinthians 1:21). We are saying that no matter how many thousand enemies surround our soul, because of the Father’s commitment to his Son, we will not be destroyed. We will not be condemned. Nothing will ever be able to snatch us out of his hand (John 10:28). Nothing will ever separate us from his love (Romans 8:38–39). When we go to bed, we are saying that.

Christian, life is short. You should get some sleep.

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The Bible’s Imperfect Women (and Men) of Faith!

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By Larry Short

Stan spoke compellingly last weekend about the faith of Abraham, which, while very imperfect, was reckoned unto him as righteousness. Abraham’s faith changed the world, and established him as “the father of our faith.”

But what about his wife, Sarah? She too is also cited in Hebrews 11 and could therefore be considered “the mother of our faith.” During the teaching time on this Mother’s Day weekend we will dig into her story, as well as those of other women of imperfect faith in the Bible. Whether they were leading a dysfunctional family (like yours and mine!), or otherwise seeking to live out their calling from God, they too changed the world!

I think Scripture holds a different view of faith than we often do (in our lack of it). We seem to think faith will be easy and automatic if only we had “more proof.” But the truth is that faith is never easy and automatic, no matter how much proof is at hand. Jesus taught that faith grows slowly and inexorably, like a mustard seed, only when it is invested, or planted. We may not “feel” like believing, but we all should know already that our feelings are not the ultimate judge of reality. (When did you last “feel” like going to the dentist … even though you know it’s good for you?) When true faith is called for, we must take a risk, stake a claim on it, as Sarah and Abraham did.

The good news is, our faith will then grow! Jesus said: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). Unfortunately it doesn’t work the other way around.

People “of imperfect faith” in the Scripture show us that the secret of finding God (and changing the world) lies in the earnestness and honesty of the seeking. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut. 4:29).

We will end the teaching time on Sunday with an opportunity to share how the women who have impacted our lives through their imperfect faith have changed the world … including my own mother, the most significant influence in my early life, who has been walking with Jesus for the past 13 years!

I’m really looking forward to our time on Mother’s Day, and hope you all are as well. See you then!

(PS: If I’ve whetted your appetite for more on this topic, please see my blog: Hearing the voice of God.)

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