Let me give you a visual. Chris Farley, in the movie Tommy Boy, sang the line “fat guy in a little coat” after putting on David Spade’s coat. This is the epitome of a shmedium. It should go without saying that Farley is a rather large man while Spade is a small guy. Or maybe I should go with a more current reference. How about the Hulk? When the big guy walks around wearing Bruce Banner’s pants…well I guess that example goes beyond “shmedium.”

All this reminds me of Jesus sleeping in the boat while the disciples are freaking out over a raging storm. As Jesus’ disciples shout at Jesus, “Wake-up! Don’t you care about us? We are about to die!” It amazes me to read Jesus’ response, “You of little faith!” Faith is not the opposite of truth. Too often people think that in order to have faith, truth or evidences must be absent. Maybe you’ve heard someone use the term blind faith? Faith is not blind. Faith grows because of truth. It grows because we can observe God’s promises. So, let me ask you a question. When God answers a prayer does it cause your faith in God to grow or lessen?

The disciples had already seen Jesus do amazing miracles, such as: water being turned into wine, healing multitudes of sick and diseased, casting out demons, and other miracles. They had observed Jesus performing miracles and showing Himself to be the Son of God. Because of these observations their faith should have been growing. The storm should have caused them to look to Jesus in faith, not fear. Did you notice the word Jesus used to describe their faith? Little.

Taking some liberty, we might say that their faith was “shmedium.” The disciples’ faith was growing and therefore should’ve been moving to trust Jesus in bigger things—like saving their skins when a storm arises. When we observe God’s promises we should be growing in faith and taking risks for the kingdom of God.

I have outgrown some of my t-shirts. Are your experiences, troubles, challenges outgrowing your faith? Maybe it’s time to get some bigger faith, faith that fits your big God. Where are you doubting God even though He continues to show the truth of His Word and promises?

So did you hear that there is talk of our government bailing out the United States Postal Service? How much you ask? $34 billion is the proposed amount for the ability to communicate through mail. So my question is this: does the price justify the desired outcome? Is it worth $34 billion to taxpayers to be able to communicate through mail? If not, what is it worth to you?

Today, I mailed my Mom her Mother’s Day card. Don’t worry I mailed it priority. It’s supposed to be there by Saturday. Is it worth billions of dollars for me to have the privilege of mailing a card to my mother? I’d like to plead the 5th. Don’t be mad at me, I’ll still call her.

So many problems in this world are due to poor communication or lack thereof. So what is communication worth to you? The ability to talk or smile or give a “look” to your children or mother or father or friends, what’s it worth? How about the ability to show someone the love of Christ? What would you pay to communicate love, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, humility?

I’ve heard the joke that the last part of a person to get “saved” or sanctified is their wallet. While there may be some truth to that, I think we aught to make the question a little more personal. What would you be willing to give up to keep the lines of communication open in the church? Or the means of communication open between those who are disciples of Jesus to those who aren’t? Would you give up the way you dress, the way you talk, your free time or sports team? Would you change where you sit or live or the type of food you eat? Think about it. Is God calling the church to “bailout” communication between brothers- and sisters-in-Christ to keep unity in the body? Is He asking us to drop attitudes or rights or perceptions so that something greater might be fulfilled? What about losing or changing something so that the message of a loving Savior can be shared and heard?

Think about it.

In Judges chapter 12, we read about Jephthah, a man on a mission. He was a judge of Israel and a warrior. As he obeyed God in a battle there were those inside Israel—namely, the tribe of Ephraim—who didn’t come forward to help in the fight.

Here’s the short and skinny: A nation known as the Ammonites waged war against Israel. God raised up a warrior named Jephthah to save Israel. The Ammonites get thrashed, but the tribe of Ephraim wasn’t part of the war. Ephraim gets mad at Jephthah because they weren’t invited to the beat down. So a civil war breaks out between Jephthah’s people, the Gileadites, and the Ephraimites. To distinguish between who was whom of the people, they used the word “Shibboleth.” This word carries the idea, word or expression used to detect an outsider. If you could not pronounce the word properly, you were killed.

There are a couple lessons to glean in this passage. The first lesson is don’t wait to be invited to be a part of what God is doing. God is working all around us. Find where God is working and join Him. If you are waiting for a direct invitation from a leader then you are missing that God has already issued a call for you to be an ambassador for Him and reconcile the world to Him.

Next, we can learn that internal conflict destroys the unity of a group and turns the group’s focus off the mission of God, redirecting it to our agenda. The Ephraimites were angry about being left out of God’s plan to deal with the Ammonites and took it out on those whom God was using.

Lastly, we see that the distraction of our needs, wants and plans rob us of the joy found in victories. The people of Ephraim should have celebrated the victory over the Ammonites instead of being mad for not being included.

Do you get angry when you see others being used for God’s purposes? Do you get frustrated when you feel as though you’ve been left out of a great victory, or are you celebrating what God is doing through others? Are you sitting and waiting for an invitation, or are you actively seeking where God is calling you to get to work?

Have you ever wondered why we get hurt or sick while trying to serve or while trying to help other people? It almost doesn’t seem fair. Doesn’t God realize that we are serving and helping and trying to make a difference? Shouldn’t He be protecting us? I wonder if this is how Epaphroditus felt in Philippians 3:25-30. Paul tells us that Epaphroditus was so ill that he was near to death. We’re told that he nearly died for the work of Christ! Not fair, right?

Let’s back up a little bit in the chapter. Paul tells us that Jesus humbled Himself in His service all the way to the point of death. So Jesus didn’t almost die in serving—He did die. So when we look at what’s “fair” we have to admit that Jesus dying in His service to God for us was not “fair.” But thank you Jesus for humbling yourself to the point of death on a cross, even though it wasn’t fair!

So the next time you think that your health or loss or pain is not “fair” because you are trying to serve God, think of Epaphroditus and remember Jesus. Paul says that God had mercy on Epaphroditus by healing him and allowing him to continue to serve. God has and is having mercy on us so don’t give up in your service to Him. Also, if you see some who are “near to death” in their service to God, receive them and honor them. May you be wiling to almost die and be near to death for the work of Christ. Not because you will gain favor with God but because you love Him and want to complete your service to Him.

Still Alive — Justin

That may seem strange to us at first (it was to me), but don’t we often do the same thing if we are honest? How about:

Jesus and wealth

Jesus and safety and security

Jesus and entertainment

Jesus and family

Jesus and sports

Jesus and our desires and plans

Jesus and work

Jesus and our schedule

The first commandment God gave us in Exodus 20:3 is “You shall have no other gods before me.” We often say Jesus comes before these things, but does He really? If Jesus said, “Go,” would you go right then? If Jesus said, “Give,” would you give generously? If Jesus said, “Love,” would you do it unconditionally? If Jesus said, “Serve,” would you serve anyone He call you to in any way necessary? If He says, “Forgive,” will you do it completely?

The truth is God has told us throughout Scripture to go, give, love, serve, and forgive. Does your life reflect these instructions? Or does your life more reflect self and the world?

Stop and reflect on what people would say your life is about and see if it’s “Jesus and....” My desire is to reflect Jesus and Him alone, everything else is extremely secondary. I have a lot of growth and progress to make in this area, but that is my desire and goal. Let’s live and reflect “Jesus” not “Jesus and....”

The church in Philippi held a special place in Paul’s heart. It is the first church he planted in Europe (see Acts 16) and the place of some pretty amazing miracles. Paul speaks with terms of endearment for those saints in Philippi with phrases such as: “My brothers,” “I hold you in my heart,” “yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus,” “my beloved,” etc. Paul loved these people, this church, this body of believers. It is evident.

Paul wanted so much to visit the Philippians and “complete his joy” in and among them. However there was a problem—Paul was in jail. He wasn’t going anywhere. If only he had someone who could take his place, someone who shared the same vision and passion for the love of Christ to abound in these believers. If only Paul had a “partner” in the ministry that not only could he trust but that the Philippians would trust. Alas, into the story enters young Timothy. Timothy was not Paul, but he didn’t have to be. It is said that Timothy was “genuinely concerned for their welfare” as well. Paul knew that Timothy would not look out for his own interests but to the interests of Jesus Christ. Paul had a partner in ministry that he could send on his behalf.

This past year has been a beautiful time of becoming a Timothy for me. God used David some 5 years ago to plant The Journey in West Chester. David has rejoiced with you, celebrated with you, wept with you and even suffered alongside you. He IS the father of this church plant and you are his beloved. The affection he has for you is both biblical and beautiful. The problem is this: as we continue to grow, David can only be in one place at one time. He needs a “partner” in ministry, someone who can represent him as well as the love and interest of Christ Jesus. This is the joy and honor that I’ve been given.

So as I serve Christ, as I serve David, and as I continue to serve you on their behalf may you know that I genuinely love you and am concerned for your welfare. David loves you! I love you! And Jesus loves you! David and I will continue to serve you to see the joy of Christ completed in you.

My beloved, is God telling you to be a Paul to someone? Is He telling you to be a Timothy? God is calling each of us to look out for the interests of others. Partner up for the interests of Jesus Christ.

Your Brother in Christ - Justin

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. (Philippians 1:3-7)

Over the past four plus years, there have been many ups and downs, many struggles and celebrations—in my life, in many of yours, and in our church. I, like Paul, thank God when I think of you. I thank you for your partnership in the gospel. But it excites me, when I am reminded that God is not done with us. I look at what God is doing in our church with lives being changed and the celebration of that change in baptism the past week. I am excited that guys are willing to take off work to go to a conference on planting churches to see God's Kingdom expand. I'm excited to sit down with our ministry leaders in the coming week and share with them and brainstorm with them to prepare for the future. I'm excited to share with you at Vision 2012 on March 18th some of the things that I see God doing in and through our church.

Let us live "worthy of the gospel of Christ" and "stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:27). Together, with our eyes fixed on Jesus and the cross, following His leadership in our lives and church, we can do great things for the glory of God! Thank you for being such a great church and allowing me to be your pastor and friend!

David Pearson

As a pastor I’ve come to the realization that one of those difficult things can be having your feet washed. Another is baptism. So often when it comes to baptism I hear people say things like, “I’m waiting for the right time” or “I’m just not feeling it.” I think the worst excuse I’ve heard is, “When God really puts it on my heart, then I’ll get baptized.” Really? So the command to repent and baptized wasn’t enough?

Two passages stand out to me in this conversation concerning baptism: Matthew 3:13-17 and Romans 6:1-11. Go ahead and read them some time. The passage in Matthew conveys the story of Jesus being baptized by His cousin John. Yeah you read that right, John baptized Jesus. Jesus told John that He needed to be baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness. Well, what is right? To obey God in all things.

Now baptism does not save you any more than a wedding ring makes you married. Ephesians 2 tells us that by grace through faith in Christ Jesus we are saved. But just as a wedding ring is a symbol of the vows I made to my wife, baptism is a beautiful symbol of spiritual truths from God. Romans 6 tells us that when we are baptized it is a symbol of Jesus death, burial and resurrection. It is also a symbol of our dying to our self, burying our old life, and being raised anew to live for Christ. Another truth we see in baptism is the amazing picture of being washed. When we are forgiven of our sins by God through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside us and washes us clean on the inside. This truth is called the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. This is God’s gift to us as He seals us with the Holy Spirit as God’s children. Baptism is an outward picture of the inward cleansing of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, if you have never come to a place of receiving salvation through Christ Jesus, baptism is not necessary. Or perhaps you were baptized as a child but before being saved, then baptism is nothing more than taking a bath. Baptism is the first act of obedience after being saved. Repent and be baptized is not a “feeling,” it’s a command that demands a response. Not only is it a command that demands a response from you, but it is a beautiful picture of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. It is a picture of your dying to self and living a purpose-filled abundant life in Christ. And it is a picture of the washing clean that the Holy Spirit has done in your heart.

Have you placed your faith and trust in Jesus? If so, have you been baptized? Will you obey today? February 19th we will be baptizing during our morning service. We at The Journey take this seriously and want to help you explore your faith. If you have questions or desire to discuss this more in depth we would love to meet with you. When you obey God’s command and are baptized it is more than just taking a bath, it is a proclamation of the Gospel!

Faithfully Submitting to God’s Commands - Justin Chapman

death in his grave: a line-by-line commentary

Posted on April 20, 2011 by johnmarkmcmillan

“Death in his grave” is loosely inspired by Steve Turners Poem “The Morning That Death Was Killed” and the folk song “Jesse James”.  “Jesse James” was originally recorded in 1924 by Bascom Lamar Lunsford but later versions by Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan sometimes included Judas in place of Robert Ford and Jesus as Jesse James.

Here is an excerpt of the Jesus / Judas version:

Jesus was a man, a carpenter by hand
His followers true and brave
One dirty little coward called Judas Iscariot
Has laid Jesus Christ in His Grave

I liked the idea of writing a similar song about Jesus and Death.  I felt strongly that I wanted to write a whole song around the line “The Man Jesus Christ laid death in his grave”. It sounded like a great idea, but honestly, I almost didn’t finish this song because the weight of this subject matter.  Plus I wanted to make it somewhat accessible without making light of the issues or coming across as trite.  Still I knew this song belonged on “The Medicine” and through much blood and frustration I hammered it out.

There are 3 different types of language used when writing a song of this particular subject matter. There is theological language, common language, and poetical language.  I enjoyed incorporating all 3 kinds of language in the writing of this song.  The song has strong theological implications.  At times it directly references scripture, however it’s not a sermon. It’s poetry (as a song should be) and uses quite a bit of simile and metaphor as well as certain instances of personification.  People who have a “hang up” with this song generally do so because they either don’t like, or don’t understand the personification of the earth, death, sun and moon etc. I understand if people don’t fancy these elements but there is no good reason not to use them.  After all, the Psalms, which I’ve always understood to be our blue print for these types of expressions, are chocked full of poetic language.  Check out Psalm 19 for a great example of personification.

One other hang up people may have with this song is the colloquial feel of the lyrics.  I purposely wanted this song to feel old and I thought a good way of accomplishing this was to use some older southern mannerisms.  Once again I understand why people wouldn’t “get” this, but Jesus had no problem using colloquial phrases in his own stories and addresses so I didn’t feel like there was any reason to abstain from these myself.

Here is a breakdown of what I may have been thinking about and feeling while I wrote these words.

Enjoy!

Though the earth cried out for blood

The earth or “the world” speaks of the gravity of all things temporary and the sin that binds us to a dying universe. Paul tells the Ephesians “you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world“ (Eph 2:2)

The “course of this world” is a course that is passing away and by clinging to the things of it, we too are destined to pass away with it. This idea of “the world” is what the apostle John speaks of overcoming by faith in 1 John 5.

The earth is also where our bodies return when they die.  The world is unforgiving, unrelenting, and cold.  For these reasons I decided to personify the Earth (aka the grave) as a hungry person or animal with an insatiable appetite for the souls of men.    

satisfied her hunger was

When the blood of Jesus fell upon the earth and his body was placed inside of it (the tomb), he paid our passage from this passing world to the eternal world and created a “new and living way” (Heb 10:20).

I felt an interesting illustration of this could be to personify the earth as tasting perfection in the blood of it’s creator thus no longer desiring lesser blood, or the grave having eaten its fill in the sinless body of Christ.  Certainly our mortal bodies still go into the earth, but because the blood of Jesus satisfied the demands of the law, we are no longer subject to the gravity that binds us to the eternal consequences of sin.

Her billows calmed on raging seas, for the souls of men she craved

I wanted to touch on the fact that the earth itself awaits it’s own redemption and even groans like a woman in labor in expectation of that time (Rom 8).  It’s like creation could see an end to this agony through the blood its own creator shed to reverse the effects of “the fall” that had thrown it into utter chaos and disrepair.   Obviously there are still storms and the world is still a dangerous place, but the Bible speaks of a day when the lion and the lamb will lay together and children will play beside cobras.  This ultimate peace is the end result of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Sun and moon, from balcony turned their head in disbelief
Their precious love would taste the sting disfigured and disdained 

The Bible talks about the sky going dark when Jesus was crucified.  I saw this like the heavens turning their eyes at the sight of what was happening to the center of their very universe.  Almost like one part of creation sickened at the sight of another part of creation destroying the one they had been created “by, through and for”.

“Disfigured” and “disdained” are words used to describe the literal event taking place during crucifixion.  

On Friday a thief on Sunday a king

Jesus obviously wasn’t a thief, but he was crucified between 2 thieves and thus treated like a thief on one day yet risen as a king only a few days later.   I wanted this line to express the contrast between the 2 perceptions of Jesus that changed so quickly in a short amount of time.  The colloquialism allows for a little exaggeration and helps me make this contrast more apparent.

Laid down in grief but awoke with the keys to hell on that day

Once again, more contrast, but this time playing on what Jesus says of himself in Revelation 1:18: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” 

First born of the slain

In Revelation 5 Jesus is called the “the firstborn from the dead”. In Romans 8:29 he is called the “first born among many brethren”.  This says to me that in resurrection Jesus become not only our redeemer but also our new model.   He is the first of the ‘new creation’.

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Rom 8:8)

I love the implications of these verses.  Plus slain rhymes with grave, which is important.

The man Jesus Christ

Romans 5:15

“For if many people died as the result of one man’s offense, how much more has God’s grace and the free gift given through the kindness of one man, Jesus Christ, been showered on many people!”

It is important that we understand the humanity of Jesus.  Jesus lived like we live, and felt like we feel.  He was “tempted in every way”.  He suffered like a man and he felt sorrow as well as joy.  Most significantly, he died like a man.  Jesus regularly referred to himself as the “son of man” because I think he felt it was important for us to know that we have a God who can sympathize with our infirmities (Heb 4:15).  I believe Jesus was both completely God and completely man.  I believe he knows us, not just because he created us, but because, in many ways, he is us.  I am NOT, in any way, saying “we are God” but I am saying that God lived as we lived.

Laid death in his grave

I love irony.  It was in the death of Jesus that death itself died.  A man named Joseph laid Jesus in his tomb, but it was Jesus who would ultimately put death itself away for evermore.   Some people sing this line as though death was left in Jesus’ own tomb, but I always thought of it as Jesus laying death in the grave.  Putting death away for good.

So 3 days in darkness slept the morning sun of righteousness

In Revelation Jesus calls himself the “Bright and Morning Star”.  I wanted to paint this picture of a new day dawning and Jesus rising from the darkness of the grave like the sun rises from the darkness of the horizon.

But rose to shame the throes of death and overturn his rule

I liked the illustration of death personified as a tyrannical ruler to whom Jesus came to over throw.

Now daughters and the sons of men would pay not their dues again
The debt of blood they owed was rent when the day rolled a new

The “debt of blood” refers to the blood sacrifice that men and women were previously required by law to offer for sin, but also to the idea that a person would pay for their time on earth by their own death.  Jesus paid the debt we owed, and became the blood sacrifice upon the alter of all time. This is the blood that Paul said is more powerful than the blood of animals and to attempt to pay for our own sins again would be like trampling the blood of Jesus under foot.

He has cheated hell

This is more Colloquialism.  In the south, when something doesn’t work out the way we expect we often say “we’ve been cheated”.  Also there is the expression “to cheat death” which means to have a close call.  With Jesus it was more than close, but I like the way the word “cheated” sounds rude when pertaining to death. I like the idea of Jesus turning his nose up at the whole situation and making an open spectacle of this tyrant.

And seated us above the fall

Ephesians 2:5-6

^“even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

Earlier in Ephesians, Paul says that Jesus sits above all principality and power.  If we have been made to sit with Jesus, then we too sit above every dominion, every influence, and every circumstance.

In desperate places he paid our wages

Referring to Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death but…”

One time once and for all

Romans 6:9-10

“Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” 

This line needs little interpretation in my opinion.

(After posting this yesterday I wanted to add this note to clarify a couple things)
A note on the songwriting process:

Some people have ask was I really thinking about all this when I wrote the song? My short reply would be “no”, but a more accurate answer would have to be more like something I heard Springsteen say one time: “I wasn’t thinking about any of it but I was feeling every bit of it!”

***for the original blog post please visit:

http://johnmarkmcmillan.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/death-in-his-grave-a-line-by-line-commentary/

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