The Deeper Meaning

I wrote this last Saturday night intending to post it and I am finally getting around to it:

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Feb. 23, 2008

In May 2006, I was in Colorado Springs at a Navigator training. We were hoping to bring 2-4 “collegiate staff” we would hire to the training the following year. (Unfortunately, we did not find the staff, and so are currently praying about how to proceed with the vision to get on to the campuses.)

While in the Springs, I was reading through the book of Joshua found in the Hebrew Scriptures (also known as the Old Testament). In chapter 3, the Israelites are prepared to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the desert.

The river was at flood stage as it tells us in verse 15. But God instructed the priests carrying the ark to walk into the water, and when they did so, he would stop the waters and they would be able to cross. This is a great lesson in faith.

But that’s not my point with this. My point has to do with verse 16 (and have you ever noticed how many “3:16s” there are in the Bible with significant theological ideas in them?). When the priests step into the river, the water stops at a certain city. And Joshua records for us the city’s name – Adam.

When I first read this while sitting on a rock in the beautiful Colorado spring air, I knew there had to be a deeper meaning. Why was the city name recorded? Something told me it had to be tied to the man we see in Genesis chapters 1-3 (with mentions in 4 and 5), but I couldn’t put my figure on it. I talked with some people about the passage, but a “deeper meaning” seemed to elude them as well.

Today I am at Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca with the Sr. High Winter Retreat. One of my friends is the main speaker, and I somehow ended up the worship leader for the retreat (still haven’t quite figured out how that happened – but things have gone well, so it must have been God’s doing). I was up earlier than I expected to be this morning, so I spent some time reading in the Scriptures and journaling as part of the 30-Day Challenge our church is going through as part of our Embracing Faith Stewardship Campaign.

After reading the Scriptures and journaling some thoughts, I decided to pull out the book I’ve been reading. My administrative assistant lent it to me. It’s called “Stripped” and is written by Jud Wilhite, a pastor of a large church in the Vegas area. It’s about the uncensored grace God has given many people in Vegas and how their lives have turned around. It’s an inspiring read to be reminded of the amazing grace God gives and how it radically changes who a person is when they truly embrace His grace.

In the closing chapter, Jud mentions the Joshua 3:16 passage. While Jud used the passage to talk about God working “upstream” where we can’t see where he is doing the miracle, I suddenly had an epiphany about the deeper meaning.

In Ezekiel 47, there is a river that is the central character. I am convinced the river is Jesus Christ. The river comes from the temple (the place of God’s presence), passes by the altar (the place of sacrifice), goes through the east gate (where only God was allowed to go (see Ezekiel 44:1-2), and brings life wherever it flowed. Through Scripture we know that Jesus came from Heaven (the place of God’s presence), went through the cross (the place of Sacrifice), is God in the flesh (so would be allowed to use the east gate), and brings life (see John 10:10).

So in Joshua 3:16, it suddenly dawns on me that the Jordan River (where Jesus was baptized, by the way) might represent Jesus or life. And it is through Jesus’ death (his life being stopped up) that we can cross over to life, to the Promised Land.

But why did it stop at a city named Adam? Because it was through Adam the man that death entered the scene when he sinned in the Garden of Eden (Romans 5:12-21). And so “Adam” stopped life. But what Satan intended for evil when he tempted Eve in the Garden, who then gave the fruit to her silent husband, God used to redeem his people. Life was stopped by Adam’s sin, but God turned it around and used death (the death of Christ) to allow His people to crossover to life, rather spiritual life (a spiritual Promise Land) - the kind of life that really matters.

And so I finally saw it – the deeper meaning. This has happened to me so many times (the Ezekiel 47:1-12 section is another example). I read a passage and miss the deeper meaning, and then weeks, months, (or in this case) years later I finally have insight.

So tonight (during our hour-long “supper” of feasting on God’s Word while fasting from physical food), when I struggled through Galatians 3, primarily verse 16 (there it is again – 3:16!) and Paul’s discussion of seed/seeds, I know I will eventually understand the deeper meaning. It just might take longer than I want!

Playing Catch Up

I've had lots of blog post ideas the past couple of weeks, but haven't carved out the time to sit at my computer and pound them out on my MacBook Pro's keyboard. So here are some random snippets from my mind to share my thoughts and catch my 3 readers up on my life:

• Saw Cloverfield. LOVED it way more than I expected.
• I'm loving the 30-Day Challenge so far!
• I still like snow, but I'm sick of shoveling. I'm allowing God to teach me how to find joy in the monotonously bleached landscape all around and the pain that it brings to my back. I've decided that this winter is going to make me enjoy spring and summer more than ever!
  
• I'm tempted to start a PayPal account to accept donations for a snowblower.
• I'm learning about relativity. We've had probably 50-60 inches of snow this year (don't know the official total). My friend, Leo in Michigan, said on Sunday that they've had over 100 inches of snow so far.
• Relativity #2. My back hurts from shoveling. And yet my pain pales in comparison to the pain many people are feeling in the country of Chad and Northern Illinois.
• I've been out of touch. I didn't learn about the Northern Illinois tragedy until yesterday. Nor did I know about the hubbub over one of Barack's speeches. I have since turned my "scrolling news" screensaver back on.
• I'm still passionately in love with my wife, so I thoroughly enjoyed spoiling her for Valentine's. It's amazing how you can wow someone with a little creativity and little money.
• I don't like talking about budgets - whether home or church. But they are very, very necessary, so I grin and bear it.
• I need to start on Issue 2 of the new young adult newsletter The Connection.
• I'm reading Stripped right now. It's a quick read, and great to see God's grace lived out in the lives of some real humans who've tasted the worst side of life.
• My youngest son, T, is entering a really fun stage of life. Monday night I had him trying to do karate chops and kicks, complete with verbal sound effects.
• I also love the sound of laughter, especially when it comes from my kids.
• And now I'm late for a meeting. Gotta go!
  

Verse of the Week: Isaiah 46:8

Last weekend during the Watershed Retreat (which by the way was fantastic), we got one hour on Saturday morning to spend in the Scriptures. We had 6 different passages we could read and journal through and I chose Isaiah 46.

The first 7 verses, God discusses two topics: idols and loving care. God uses "mothering language" in terms of his love for his people. Just as people will carry and support a newborn, God does that for us through our old age - meaning he is always with us caring for us. He made us, so he support us.

Then God mocks the idea of idols - "gods" fashioned from gold or wood that simply sit on a shelf doing nothing. In contrast, God is active and moving, working on behalf of those who love Him and bow before Him.

And then verse 8 drops in to our reading gaze. I love how the NET Bible translates the first half of the verse:

"Remember this, so you can be brave!"

Remember THIS: That God is with you, caring for you, every day of your life - He made you, He supports you. Remember that He is not like an idol who sits still and is useless - He is active, moving, working on your behalf.

Keep in mind this was originally written to people in exile - they weren't in the best of circumstances. In fact, it probably sucked (sorry, this is the unedited version today...), but they could be brave because God is God. As the next verse says, He has no peer - there is none like Him. And so they could stand firm (as the ESV puts it).

I was so moved by this passage of Scripture that I used it to start the prayer time in the worship services at New Covenant's 46th St. Campus. Someone who heard it on Sunday called my house and left a message saying that she was so moved by the verse that she shared it with 2 other people. Then someone else asked to be reminded of where the passage was found again because their daughter needed to hear that verse. Then I sent it to a friend whose family is caught up in the midst of the political crisis in Chad, Africa and he shared it with family and blogged about the verse. Then I shared it with a gal Thursday night who is in intense pain in her shoulder and is looking at surgery in the next 3 weeks.

It seems that everywhere I've turned all week I've either heard how this verse has ministered to someone or has needed to be shared to be ministered to someone. It seems to be the verse of the week right now.

And so for you: what circumstance do you find yourself in where you have fear or doubts? Remember that God is God, He loves you, He knows you, He is for you, and He is actively working around you. So you can be brave.

"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:31-32 - NIV)

30-Day Challenge

Tomorrow begins the 30-Day Challenge here at New Covenant. I am really excited about it! But before I talk about the 30-Day Challenge, let me share what has led to my excitement and anticipation.

We are starting a stewardship campaign to raise the funds necessary to begin construction of a new facility. We have outgrown our current facility, maximizing it as much as possible trying to delay the inevitable. And so the day has finally come for us to raise the funds to make a move.

I have to be honest - I do not get excited about building projects. I don't get excited about budgets. I don't get excited about talking about money (especially other people's). But what has me excited in the middle of these things is the fact that I am part of a church family that has decided to keep the focus on Christ. This isn't about a building. This isn't about making a name for ourselves. This is truly and honestly about Christ and pursuing God's will. I have been so impressed with our elders and staff - the humility with which they have approached this project, the planning and prayer that has been poured into each step of the process, and the grace with which they have moved forward knowing there might be some who would question their motives and leadership. New Covenant is so blessed to have the skilled godly men of character we have leading this church.

To help our church family have the same focus the elders and staff have as we move into this Embracing Faith Campaign, we have decided to have a "30-Day Challenge". Each person in the New Covenant family is being challenged to read a selected Scripture passage each day for the next 5 weeks. These passages have been carefully selected to help us keep our focus on Christ and to honestly ask God what He wants to accomplish through each of us.

And so the idea of our church family all reading the same passages, being impacted together by God's Word as we enter this critical time in our church's history, has me extremely excited.

But it also has me nervous. The idea of honestly saying to God "what do you want to accomplish through me?" means I have to be ready to surrender anything to Him. What am I going to be asked to sacrifice? I don't know. But I do know that usually great sacrifice brings great joy and reward.

If you are part of Facebook, feel free to become a "fan" of the 30-Day Challenge. We'd love to have you join us!

Praying for Kenya and Chad

I am not a news junkie, but I dip into the news enough to know what is sort of going on in the world. Every so often I'll hear of wars and conflicts around the globe, and it stops at that - information I have gained. But when you have a personal connection to the fighting, your interest changes.

My friend Adele is a missionary in Kenya, working with ELI. Kenya has been in turmoil ever since the December elections. Before, I would have never given much thought to what was happening in Kenya. Now I pray with my kids for Adele almost every night and almost every time I read her blog.

Then on Sunday, a friend of mine here at New Covenant shared a prayer request for his home country of Chad, Africa. Rebels had charged into the city and were trying to overthrow the president. My accountability partner, Nate, is also from Chad, and I've been following the situation via his wife's blog. Now the families of my friends, the country, and the Church in Chad have appeared in my prayers as well.

You may not have the connections I do into these countries, but would you still pray? Pray for peace. Pray for the churches in these areas to stand up for righteousness, for God's creation of people, and for the truth of Christ, and that they will be able to help their neighbors in this time of need.

AP Photo taken from Yahoo! slideshow on Chadian Unrest