For this is the will of God your sanctification.... I Thess. 4. 3a. Selfishly when I interpret this verse I have a tendency to think, for this is the will of God that I am sanctified. I have been reminded once again that I am not sanctified but rather am in the process. Paul is adamant in regards to the terminology that he is using here. God is adamant about the terminology that he revealed to Paul. For this is God's will, His general will, here it is are you ready... "that we recognize that we are in a process. I think we forget this, I don't know about you, but I am not crazy about processes. Rightly so when I hear teaching on sanctification it is most often discussed in the terms of a process rather then lets say a system. Now a system, that is something I can handle. You know I do a then b then c then d, and the system flows nicely, in theory that is. In a system you would never want to go from f to b or from c back down to a. That type of thinking fits better with a process, a process allows some learning, it is like we are not done yet, we have not arrived. For this is God's will that we are sanctified? Yes but are we there yet, no, so maybe if I focused more on the process and the present rather then envisioning the finished product, (super me), I would be able to fair better in this process, See our terminology plays a big role in how we think and feel in regards to how we are doing in our sanctification and theology in general. If I believe that I am sanctified then I maybe might spend too much time living in the future or maybe the past. That is where we spend most of our time. We live in the past and the future. What if it was God's will for us, after justification, after the recognizing the work of Christ, after being set free, what if it is God's will for us to now realize what we may have gotten ourselves into by following Christ. For this is God's will, your sanctification, almost as if it is God's will for us to recognize that we are in a process now, and it is not tme to take the armor off, it is time to put it on and leave it on. And sometimes it is not pretty, victories are few, failures are many, (thank goodness my justification is not based on my victories and failures) maybe God wants us to try, if we can, to think outside the box, recognize some things outside of time, you know where He is. What if God wants us to remember that the process we are in right now is past present and future and he sees it all at once. For this is God's will, our process, our journey with him, not earning, but giving effort, like any good relationship should.
This thinking whether you buy this mumbo jumbo or not helps me to live in the present, today now. The past is only good for reflection, regret, pride, lust; the future only good for selfishness, pride and mostly worry. If we spend all our time living in those two: past and future, we are useless for the present( by the way the devil knows this too, helping to convince us to render ourselves useless today), and do you know what takes place in the present? Everything..... Relationships, smiles, love, acts of kindness, sin, lust, touch, sex, honesty, manipulation, hot, cold, my wife, my daughter's kiss that I covet like nothing else, my sons cry, as it seems to change daily, my forgiveness, my temper, my hate, my insecurities, my addictions, my turmoil, His grace, His name, my identity, my interations, my reality, my life. For this is the will of God that you recognize that you are in this process of sanctification, right now this moment till we are all one day perfect and mature lacking nothing..... then we can take the armor off, then we can think about the past and future, but by then we will not want to, for we will know better...............
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Death of a Father
Two of my sophomores lost their dad last night. I guess it was pretty quick. I guess it was a siezure and shutting down of organs. It happened fast. I got a call at 10pm. The next morning I found out he had died at 12 midnight. So while I was on the phone listening to my messages about a father of two of my students at 10pm, he had only two hours left on earth. In my class I am teaching about God's will for our lives. Most people do not know God's will for their lives because they want to just know his specific will for their lives like, who do I marry, what job do I take, what college do I go to, should I have more kids. I do not think God cares, I think he wants us to pick, I mean if we are seeking him first, His general will that is, if we know and strive for his general will, I think he wants us to pick our specific will, give us the desires of our hearts. But we do not want to take the time to learn what His general will is, we just want specific, we just want selfishness, it is all about me. God's primary general will is found throughout the Bible, it is the same for me as it is for you. It is God's general will that we all know Him. Now we all will not know Him because some will choose His pursuing and others will reject Him, but this is the will of God that none should perish but have everlasting life, (Timothy). You can then find general wills like "it is God'e will that we are living sacrifices" (Romans) That we proclaim what he has done for us, we worship Him, Also, that we are sanctified and that we recognize that we are are in a process of sanctification, and that in the process we will face battles with sexual immorality, but that we should abstain (Thessalonians)
So you get the idea. Anyway I was thinking about funerals, all different kinds of them, Christian, methodist, Catholic, non religious, you know you have been there. I started thinking about how at a non- christian funeral I always seem to hear alot about the person, alot about what they have been doing, like what a good person they were, and "she was a saint", anyway at the end of all of them there is like this awkward statement like "And we trust and pray, or and we hope and pray that we will see them someday again" as if there is a chance that they do not know where the person is. And honestly they do not. The Christian funerals as you know are different. The service is centered around God and Christ and not the person, they know where the person is not because of what the person has been doing for the past 40 years, but because of Christ. And it is a celebration to some extent.
I started thinking about my students dad that died and how he presumably new the Lord. I started thinking about God's general will for our llives is that we know Him, and how that is what I think that you are thinking about right before you die. I doubt you are thinking about your car or your money, or even your family, but whether or not you understood and have accepted God's general will for your life. It is not a coincidence that before you die, in your last thoughts you are thinking about, (probably) what God's general will is for your life, the question is are you thinking about it with comfort because you have accepted it or are you thinking about it because it is too late...
So you get the idea. Anyway I was thinking about funerals, all different kinds of them, Christian, methodist, Catholic, non religious, you know you have been there. I started thinking about how at a non- christian funeral I always seem to hear alot about the person, alot about what they have been doing, like what a good person they were, and "she was a saint", anyway at the end of all of them there is like this awkward statement like "And we trust and pray, or and we hope and pray that we will see them someday again" as if there is a chance that they do not know where the person is. And honestly they do not. The Christian funerals as you know are different. The service is centered around God and Christ and not the person, they know where the person is not because of what the person has been doing for the past 40 years, but because of Christ. And it is a celebration to some extent.
I started thinking about my students dad that died and how he presumably new the Lord. I started thinking about God's general will for our llives is that we know Him, and how that is what I think that you are thinking about right before you die. I doubt you are thinking about your car or your money, or even your family, but whether or not you understood and have accepted God's general will for your life. It is not a coincidence that before you die, in your last thoughts you are thinking about, (probably) what God's general will is for your life, the question is are you thinking about it with comfort because you have accepted it or are you thinking about it because it is too late...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Fallen Prey to Nicknames
You know I have always been one of those people that was never a big fan of nicknames, I mean everyone has them, the problem is that they are not your real name, they are some stupid name that has evolved due to some prominent story or happening ones life that results in a nickname, My great friend Carlos for example, his name (nickname) is Bumper, I mean that is how most people know him, I love that name, I only know one bumper. Here is a kid who bumped his head alot as a kid, so his loving parents Carlos and Martha or maybe it was Jay or Michelle decided to call him bumper. But what about those stupid names that we give our kids, Here is where I have fallen prey to the nicknames. We spent hours trying to come up with the perfect names for our kids, like names that are significant to us, and I have found that we call them not by their names any more but by ridiculous names, in fact there may even be a way we say the nick name by like raising our voice or talking in a baby voice, I am so guilty of this. Any way here is a break down of what I have been guilty of in regards to nicknames.
First of all My oldest daughter Molly has the nick name Rooter, Now this nickname was cute when she was 3 months old, (due to the fact that she always would "root" for food, those of you that understand know what I mean, she breast fed, so whenever you would touch her cheek she would swing her head around in that direction and well, root for a breast, ya know, boob, milk) anyway we still call her that and it is so funny. Hey Rooter! I mean what are we really saying when we call her that, "Hey are you looking for milk still"! You get the idea. A few others have been: Molly Mc Butter, Molls, Squirrel, Molly girl, etc
Maggie is our second oldest, her nick name is scooter, she used to scoot around on the floor, that name is not so bad but we most often call her "The Magster" like a title, Like "Hey how is the Magster today" as if she is some object of deity or something, Hey little Magster. Next it has morphed into "Magpie", so we are very guilty of nick names
Last but not least is Ezekiel, His name "Zeke" is based after my Grandpa "Clarence" who (get this) has the nick name Zeke, so my son's name is Ezekiel but we call him Zeke named after my Gramps who is Clarence. His nicknames are out of control because my daughters have given him an enormous amount of silly names. One day watching Cinderella, during the song that says, "Cinderelli Cinderelli night and day its Cinderelli" (THis is where the mice are singing etc.") My daughter starts to call Zeke "Monkatelli" MONK- A- Telli, I asked her what is that from, she answered, "the song on Cinderelli that goes, Cinderelli Cinderelli Monkatelli Cinderelli" So there you have it Monka telli was born, Now Monka telli has morphed in to just "MONK" and then "MONK MONK" and now "Tellamonkey" and finally "Monkey", last but not least and I hope this is the end of this but we have managed to morphe this name finally to just "Telly"
You may ask why all the nick names, but honestly it is probably not the nicknames themselves but rather how we pronounce the nicknames in stupid voices, High pitched baby voices that we would probably think are totally appropriate in the confines of our house, but I ask you, would you be caught dead singing that voice in public or around your peers? My wife will often say. "Matt sing the new song you made up for telly"! Are you kidding!!!
I never thought I would say this but I have fallen prey to the nicknames...
First of all My oldest daughter Molly has the nick name Rooter, Now this nickname was cute when she was 3 months old, (due to the fact that she always would "root" for food, those of you that understand know what I mean, she breast fed, so whenever you would touch her cheek she would swing her head around in that direction and well, root for a breast, ya know, boob, milk) anyway we still call her that and it is so funny. Hey Rooter! I mean what are we really saying when we call her that, "Hey are you looking for milk still"! You get the idea. A few others have been: Molly Mc Butter, Molls, Squirrel, Molly girl, etc
Maggie is our second oldest, her nick name is scooter, she used to scoot around on the floor, that name is not so bad but we most often call her "The Magster" like a title, Like "Hey how is the Magster today" as if she is some object of deity or something, Hey little Magster. Next it has morphed into "Magpie", so we are very guilty of nick names
Last but not least is Ezekiel, His name "Zeke" is based after my Grandpa "Clarence" who (get this) has the nick name Zeke, so my son's name is Ezekiel but we call him Zeke named after my Gramps who is Clarence. His nicknames are out of control because my daughters have given him an enormous amount of silly names. One day watching Cinderella, during the song that says, "Cinderelli Cinderelli night and day its Cinderelli" (THis is where the mice are singing etc.") My daughter starts to call Zeke "Monkatelli" MONK- A- Telli, I asked her what is that from, she answered, "the song on Cinderelli that goes, Cinderelli Cinderelli Monkatelli Cinderelli" So there you have it Monka telli was born, Now Monka telli has morphed in to just "MONK" and then "MONK MONK" and now "Tellamonkey" and finally "Monkey", last but not least and I hope this is the end of this but we have managed to morphe this name finally to just "Telly"
You may ask why all the nick names, but honestly it is probably not the nicknames themselves but rather how we pronounce the nicknames in stupid voices, High pitched baby voices that we would probably think are totally appropriate in the confines of our house, but I ask you, would you be caught dead singing that voice in public or around your peers? My wife will often say. "Matt sing the new song you made up for telly"! Are you kidding!!!
I never thought I would say this but I have fallen prey to the nicknames...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Naked
Sin is alive and well, and before I begin I am not one of these guys that is all about sin and salvation for just a future place in Heaven, as if I have purchaced, (through Christ) my ticket to Heaven and now I am just waiting around to get the "prize". I believe that we are to some extent able to experience a little taste of heaven right now, as we grow in our sanctification as we struggle and wrestle with this relationship. I do however, think we are not takinig sin seriously enough in our christian culture today. It is almost as if we have begun on this new post modern quest for an old school "works based salvation", I mean it is like we are trying to pull Justification out of the Gospel. It is like we have forgotten why we primarily need Jesus. Why do we primarily need a savior? Well our culture would tell us that we need "Jesus" so we can be more like Him, or so we can learn to love like Him, Or be like Him, I mean what would Jesus do right? Or we need him to show us that we need to be taking care of the world. Now do not get me wrong, All those things are good but let me ask you, when can we really experience those things? Well in our present state, at least according to the Bible, we cannot do anything like Jesus due to a little thing we posess that separates us from God the Father, this is called SIN. This sin saparates us from a realtionship with God, in fact the Bible is pretty clear that we are not doing ok in our present state, but are in fact dead in our sin. Not flopping around reaching out for good, Not doing ok, and needing Jesus to make us better, but rather dead, (ROmans), SO how can we think that we primarily need Jesus to begin to do things that can only take place after we have been made right, How can we love like Jesus when we are dead, how can we learn to love like him when we are dead. How can we begin to be like Him when we are at war with His Father? This new thinking is becomoing very popular but if you look at the heart of it, this thinking is nothing more than a new and improved works based way to "find favor" with God. Our works are superseding our need for our relationship to be made right with God. Our works dictate our "primary " standing with God. I am all for learing to love more like Jesus, but lets face it, we are not Jesus, and any possible way that we are capable of being like Jesus is through His spirit, not our works, but his fruit. And that can only come after we have been made right by having Christ's work ont the cross claimed in our lives as being a sinner. Recognizing our need for a savior is crucial to the difference between Justification by grace through faith ALONE, or Sanctification by works, without Justification.
We are becoming experts at moving out from under the work of the cross ad resurrection, as soon as we stop living out from under the cross and ressurection, something will take its place, that something is us, our works our love, our wells dug in africa, our words, etc. These things in context of the process of sanctification are fine, but they are dirty rags in and of themselves.
What is our primary need for Jesus? Do not be so quickly fooled into thinking it is other things. There are many secondary reasons for Jesus, do not get me wrong, but if we get Justification wrong we are nothing more than a religion- Religion- What I do for God......
Adam was afraid because he was naked...... Stripped of His self worth because he had fallen short of the glory of God, separated from God due to his sin, not because he did not love like Jesus or God, not naked because he was not loving others the right way, but because of his sin, his choice to try to go up on God's level and be fulfilled with himself rather than God. The created trying to be fulfilled by the created, not the creator...
God must have taken sin seriously enough, if it was just a matter of learning to love better or be a better person, he would have told Adam to do just that, but He does not, he takes it so seriously, He promises to fix what we cannot fix, to give His son to fix our mess, He holds back man's rightfull curse and gives it to His son, (Gal. 3). If God takes sin seriously we need to get back to that. Deal with our sin and move on but don't right it off... Don't make light of it. We need Jesus desparately to forgive us of our sin, so we can move on and love like Him, learn about Him, love others, etc...
We are becoming experts at moving out from under the work of the cross ad resurrection, as soon as we stop living out from under the cross and ressurection, something will take its place, that something is us, our works our love, our wells dug in africa, our words, etc. These things in context of the process of sanctification are fine, but they are dirty rags in and of themselves.
What is our primary need for Jesus? Do not be so quickly fooled into thinking it is other things. There are many secondary reasons for Jesus, do not get me wrong, but if we get Justification wrong we are nothing more than a religion- Religion- What I do for God......
Adam was afraid because he was naked...... Stripped of His self worth because he had fallen short of the glory of God, separated from God due to his sin, not because he did not love like Jesus or God, not naked because he was not loving others the right way, but because of his sin, his choice to try to go up on God's level and be fulfilled with himself rather than God. The created trying to be fulfilled by the created, not the creator...
God must have taken sin seriously enough, if it was just a matter of learning to love better or be a better person, he would have told Adam to do just that, but He does not, he takes it so seriously, He promises to fix what we cannot fix, to give His son to fix our mess, He holds back man's rightfull curse and gives it to His son, (Gal. 3). If God takes sin seriously we need to get back to that. Deal with our sin and move on but don't right it off... Don't make light of it. We need Jesus desparately to forgive us of our sin, so we can move on and love like Him, learn about Him, love others, etc...
Monday, October 6, 2008
It has been a while
It has been a while since I have written, gosh, a year? Maybe more, it just goes to show how big the internet is if it can manage to afford to keep this blog on line and not mind that it is basically useless. I have been teaching this year at Heritage Christian again, (this by the way is the only job I have kept for more than two years) so I am excited. Maybe brealing the norm is on the horizon.
My parents are coming this week, this is always a treat, Just hanging out with them and learning fromt hem and enjoying them as they enjoy my kids. My Son Zeke is probably the newest edition to the mayhem at my house and although i have 3 kids, a son is much different then the girls. He has been sick and unlike the girls he needs extra care, he is so helpless and dependent when he is sick, My wife says that that is a "boy thing", She notes that when I am sick, I am helpless too. Our daughters on the other hand are much more independent.
What I have been finding out though is justhow much I love this little guy. I mean he is the cutest boy in the world. But really I have noticed that I am understanding more and more about how much God not only loves me but how much he loves His son Jesus. I would easily die for my son in a second, but your son? I don't think so, So I would die for my son in a second, but think of this, would I let my son die for one of my daughters? i do not know, But I do know this, I would nnot let my son die for you, no offense to all 3 of you who read this, but let's face it he is my son.
God let His only son die for me, not even Himself or He for His son, but He let His son die for me.... And it is not even like I appreciated it. I maybe could begin to think about letting my son die possibly for someone who appreciated it, But in reagrds to a generation that is perverse and rejecting of what I am considering to allow happen to my only son, no way.
I also know that God allowed His son to die for me when I did not even love Him. As I look down at Zeke and see him and wonder about the man he will become, I bet God was thinking about that in the garden so long ago. "What shall we do lest they become like US and eat of the tree of life and live forever", God has this talk with himself and decides that day to fix what we broke, what man and woman broke. As for me if I was Elohim I would have to pass, I would possibly destroy them and start over, But God promises the man while he is cursing the snake that he will send a "Seed" through the woman to fix what had been broken. That day God made a promise to break that sweet perfect relationship with Himself and allow his son to be killed, But the Son went willingly. He went willingly. I understand so much better now how much God loves me and His son, and my son as well.
My parents are coming this week, this is always a treat, Just hanging out with them and learning fromt hem and enjoying them as they enjoy my kids. My Son Zeke is probably the newest edition to the mayhem at my house and although i have 3 kids, a son is much different then the girls. He has been sick and unlike the girls he needs extra care, he is so helpless and dependent when he is sick, My wife says that that is a "boy thing", She notes that when I am sick, I am helpless too. Our daughters on the other hand are much more independent.
What I have been finding out though is justhow much I love this little guy. I mean he is the cutest boy in the world. But really I have noticed that I am understanding more and more about how much God not only loves me but how much he loves His son Jesus. I would easily die for my son in a second, but your son? I don't think so, So I would die for my son in a second, but think of this, would I let my son die for one of my daughters? i do not know, But I do know this, I would nnot let my son die for you, no offense to all 3 of you who read this, but let's face it he is my son.
God let His only son die for me, not even Himself or He for His son, but He let His son die for me.... And it is not even like I appreciated it. I maybe could begin to think about letting my son die possibly for someone who appreciated it, But in reagrds to a generation that is perverse and rejecting of what I am considering to allow happen to my only son, no way.
I also know that God allowed His son to die for me when I did not even love Him. As I look down at Zeke and see him and wonder about the man he will become, I bet God was thinking about that in the garden so long ago. "What shall we do lest they become like US and eat of the tree of life and live forever", God has this talk with himself and decides that day to fix what we broke, what man and woman broke. As for me if I was Elohim I would have to pass, I would possibly destroy them and start over, But God promises the man while he is cursing the snake that he will send a "Seed" through the woman to fix what had been broken. That day God made a promise to break that sweet perfect relationship with Himself and allow his son to be killed, But the Son went willingly. He went willingly. I understand so much better now how much God loves me and His son, and my son as well.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Part of the plan
I think we make this whole Gospel thing about us and not about who it really is about, Obviously God. I was reading the story in the Bible about when god gives Moses His Mission in Exodus about freeing His people, what kicked me in the butt, is that when god tells Moses what God is going to do it is different then what he asks Moses to be a part of, or should I say, Moses is only aloud to participate in half of it, the crappy half if you ask me.
God says He is going to do a two fold mission, 1. Rescue his people from Egypt and 2. Deliver them into the Promised land, two fold, two parts right? Well his mission to Moses is only to include Him in half of it, the resuing part, and why does God not allow Moses to experience the other half, the "promised land part", If you read ahead you find that Moses goes on to treat God's people badly, he gets mad at them for whining about no water again, he thinks his ministry is a failure, he thinks it is his ministry, He hits the rock, and does not speak to it like God says to, he is frustrated with God's people, He gets frustrated with God's Bride, What he thinks is a failure is not to God, it would seem like a failure to me I mean come on they wandered around for 40 years, so all those years ago. All those years ago God knew Moses would elimainate himself from the total missiion, God did not include Him, because God sees the future.
Moses made the mission about him and not about God..... the Mission is always about God, we are lucky to be a part of it, let's just not forget who is running the show............
God says He is going to do a two fold mission, 1. Rescue his people from Egypt and 2. Deliver them into the Promised land, two fold, two parts right? Well his mission to Moses is only to include Him in half of it, the resuing part, and why does God not allow Moses to experience the other half, the "promised land part", If you read ahead you find that Moses goes on to treat God's people badly, he gets mad at them for whining about no water again, he thinks his ministry is a failure, he thinks it is his ministry, He hits the rock, and does not speak to it like God says to, he is frustrated with God's people, He gets frustrated with God's Bride, What he thinks is a failure is not to God, it would seem like a failure to me I mean come on they wandered around for 40 years, so all those years ago. All those years ago God knew Moses would elimainate himself from the total missiion, God did not include Him, because God sees the future.
Moses made the mission about him and not about God..... the Mission is always about God, we are lucky to be a part of it, let's just not forget who is running the show............
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
New Baby
Well my wife did it again, 3 for 3. Our newest Vander Wiele was born yesterday at 5.45pm, Ezekiel Alan Vander Wiele, 8 lbs. and 12 oz! he is a big boy but a little shorter than the girls. My wife is amazing. She was induced in the morning of January 7th and that evening had the little screaming boy.
Everytime I witness the birth of one of my kids, because (I mean come on what more am I than strictly a witness) I am amazed at how much my wife and by the way her body has to go through. As we walked laps yesterday to help the baby drop, I had the nerve to complain about being hungry, I told my wife I was so hungry that I understood how those starving little Ethiopian kids felt. She had not eaten since the night before. I went down to the diner for lunch yesterday and had pizza and a steak burger, when I got back to the room, I did not tell my wife that i had so much food, because when I came in she was enjoying a cup full of ice chips. I am such a jerk.
As I watch the baby deliver I am always amazed of creation and the miracle of this little thing who has been overtaking my wife's body and soul for so long. He is so dependent on her body and her soul. I mean if she doesn't care about him she will not take care of her body to help him grow, and then by the time he is born she loves him so much already.
I think that is how God feels about us, we are so dependent on Him, we are dependent on His body and His soul for our survival, we are like little parasites, but that seems to be ok with him. We need His soul to Pursue us through His spirit and we need His body to do the ultimate care for us. That little guy needs his mom so much right now, he is so dependent on her.
It is always easier for my wife to love the kids so much after they are born, she already has had that bond spiritually with them. For me it takes a little longer, I have to experience him. I am glad God loves me unconditionally.
We will now embark on the ever not fun baby stage as we call it, 2-3 months of hell on earth of late nights and feedings. It is a blessing.... I am ready, so I think
Everytime I witness the birth of one of my kids, because (I mean come on what more am I than strictly a witness) I am amazed at how much my wife and by the way her body has to go through. As we walked laps yesterday to help the baby drop, I had the nerve to complain about being hungry, I told my wife I was so hungry that I understood how those starving little Ethiopian kids felt. She had not eaten since the night before. I went down to the diner for lunch yesterday and had pizza and a steak burger, when I got back to the room, I did not tell my wife that i had so much food, because when I came in she was enjoying a cup full of ice chips. I am such a jerk.
As I watch the baby deliver I am always amazed of creation and the miracle of this little thing who has been overtaking my wife's body and soul for so long. He is so dependent on her body and her soul. I mean if she doesn't care about him she will not take care of her body to help him grow, and then by the time he is born she loves him so much already.
I think that is how God feels about us, we are so dependent on Him, we are dependent on His body and His soul for our survival, we are like little parasites, but that seems to be ok with him. We need His soul to Pursue us through His spirit and we need His body to do the ultimate care for us. That little guy needs his mom so much right now, he is so dependent on her.
It is always easier for my wife to love the kids so much after they are born, she already has had that bond spiritually with them. For me it takes a little longer, I have to experience him. I am glad God loves me unconditionally.
We will now embark on the ever not fun baby stage as we call it, 2-3 months of hell on earth of late nights and feedings. It is a blessing.... I am ready, so I think
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